AI Robotics Researcher

About NIO

NIO is a global smart electric vehicle company founded in November 2014. Dedicated to shaping a sustainable and brighter future together by providing high-performance smart electric vehicles and exceptional user experiences, NIO is the first car company listed on the NYSE, HKEX and SGX. NIO currently has three major brands under its umbrella: NIO, ONVO and firefly

.
Ten years into establishment, NIO is now one of the leading companies in the global premium smart electric vehicle market, committed to fostering its own research and development capabilities for core technologies. As of the end of June 2025, the company had filed for and obtained over 9,900 patents. Additionally, NIO has developed NIO Full Stack, a collection of 12 technology domain

s.
Currently, NIO has R&D centers and manufacturing facilities in over 10 locations, including Shanghai, Hefei, Beijing, Nanjing, San Jose, Munich, Oxford, Budapest, Singapore, and Abu Dhabi. Additionally, it has built a sales and service network across 10 countries and regions, including China, Europe, the Middle East and the Greater Caucasus, serving users in over 350 cities worldwi

de.
NIO Inc. currently offers nine premium smart electric vehicle models under the NIO brand, two smart electric vehicle under the ONVO brand and one small, smart, high-end electric vehicle under firefly br

and.
About the Pos

ition
We are seeking except ional AI Robotics Resea rchers to join our next-generation intelligent systems team—pioneering the intersecti on of embod ie d AI, dexterous robotic manipu lation , and physical world underst anding. This role is ideal for PhD students or recent graduates passionate about bridging fundamental AI research with real-world robotic impact—from developing generalizable models for robot perception and control to enabling dexterous robotic hands to manipulate complex objects in unstructured environ

ments.
You will tackle challenges that lie at the heart of embodied intelli gence: how robots perceive, reason, and act in the physical world. You’ll work on models that unify visual, tactile, and proprioceptive learning; build world models that enable prediction and generalization; and deploy AI-driven robots that interact safely and effectively in the real

world.Your work won’t stay on paper—you’ll see it come to life through physical robots performing complex tasks, making your research tangible, visible, and impactful across warehouses, factories, and mobility environments. This position offers the rare opportunity to combine cutting-edge research freedom with practical real-world deployment, shaping the next wave of intelligent embodied s

ystems.
Responsi

• bilities
  Conduct original res earch in em bo died AI, robotic man ipulat ion, and world modeling—including perception, planning, and
• control.Develop and evaluate large-scale multimodal models that i ntegrate vision, language, proprioception, and tacti le inputs for real-world robot
• ic tasks.Create and prototype algori thms for dexterous robo ti c hands, contact-rich man ipulat ion, and adaptive task gener a
• lization.Explore met hods for sim-to-real t ransfer, self-supervised physical interaction learn ing, and reinforcement learning in dynamic env i
• ronments.Collaborate with hardware and systems teams to translate resea rch into real roboti c systems—from simulation to physical de
• ployment.Publish and present your work at top-tier venues (e.g., CoRL, ICRA, RSS, NeurIPS) and contribute to advancing the state of embodied AI
• globally.Shape the long-term roadmap of NIO’s embodied intelligence initiative, defining the frontier of AI-powered robotics in real-world

domains.
Qual

• ifications
  Master’s o r Ph.D. in Robotics, Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Mechanical/Electrical Engineering, or rela
• ted fields.Deep unders tanding of rob ot learning, reinforceme nt learning, imitati on learning, wor ld mo deling, or differentiable physics
• simulation.Hands-on exper ience with robotic m an ipulation, gra sp planning, tact ile s ensing, or multi-se n
• sor fusion.Prof icienc y in Python and modern ML frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, JAX, TensorFlow), and robotics middlewa re s u
• ch as ROS2.Demonstrated ability to conduct independent research and publish in leading AI/robot
• ics venues.Strong analytical and system-building skills; ability to work across simulation, perception, control, and physical robo

t hardware.
Preferred Q

• ualification
  Ph.D. (or Ph.D. candidate expecting graduation within
• 6–12 months).Track record of publications in top AI or robotics conferences (CoRL, ICRA, IROS, RSS, NeurIPS,
• CVPR, ICML).Exp erience with dexterous manipul at ion systems, multi-f inger ed hands, or grasp
• optimization.Fami liarity with 3D perception, neural implicit re prese ntations, or foundation models
• for robotics.E xperience in sim-to- re al transfer, real -time control, or m o
• del-based RL.Passion for applying AI to physical systems and creating robots that solve real problems in th

e real wo

rld.
Benefits:
Along with competitive pay, as a full-time NIO employee, you are eligible for the following benefits on the first da

• y you join NIO:
  CIGNA EPO, HSA, and Kaiser HMO medical plans with $0 for Employe
• e Only Coverage.Dental (including orthodontic coverage) and vision plan. Both provide options with a $0 paycheck contribution covering you and your elig
• ible dependents.Company Paid HSA (Health Savings Account) Contribution when enrolled in the High Deductible CI
• GNA medical planHealthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spendin
• g Accounts (FSA)401(k) with Broke
• rage Link optionCompany paid Basic Life, AD&D, short-term and long-term disa
• bility insuranceEmployee As
• sistance ProgramSick a
• nd Vacation time13 Paid
• Holidays a yearPaid Parental Leave for first 8 weeks at full pay (eligible after 90 days of empl
• oyment with NIO)Paid Disability Leave for first 6 weeks at full pay (eligible after 90 days of empl
• oyment with NIO)Voluntary benefits including: Voluntary Life and AD&D options for you, your spouse/domestic partner and dependent child(ren
• ), pet insuranceC
• ommuter benefitsMobile C
• ell Phone CreditHealthjoy mobile benefit app supporting you and your dependents with benefit questions on the go & support with benefit b
• illing questionsFree
• lunch and
• snacksOnsite gymEmployee discounts a