Researcher 1

Nissan Motor Corporation; Santa Clara (CA); Hybrid; USD 98,000 - 199,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Vehicle Purchase Program

Employee Lease Program

Job summary

Nissan Motor Corporation is seeking a Researcher I to join the Autonomous Systems team in Silicon Valley. The role focuses on developing perception algorithms for safe, human-like autonomous vehicle behavior, blending ML, robotics, and computer vision.

You will work on road user detection, road structure estimation, and perception system performance in simulated and real-world driving environments, contributing to publishable results and ongoing innovation.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a technical field with relevant research exposure.
• Strong ML, robotics, CV, and autonomous systems foundations.
• Experience with thesis, projects, internships or equivalent.

Responsibilities

• Design and execute perception research projects for road user detection and scene understanding.
• Train, evaluate, and optimize ML models on diverse datasets.
• Test in simulation and real-world vehicle testing scenarios.
• Develop research software and experimental frameworks in Python and C++.
• Present findings to stakeholders and contribute to publications.

Skills

Python

C++

Machine learning

Robotics

Computer vision

Autonomous systems

Research methods

Education

Bachelor’s Degree

5+ years experience / Master’s with 0-2 years

Tools

PyTorch

TensorFlow

Python tooling

Job description

Location(s): Silicon Valley

Job Schedule: Full-time, Hybrid/On-site

Education Requirement: Bachelor’s Degree

Sponsorship: No

Strong Candidate Identified: Yes

We are currently seeking a Researcher I to join our Autonomous Systems team. In this role, you will help develop and evaluate next-generation perception algorithms that enable safe, predictable, and human-like autonomous vehicle behavior. Working at the intersection of machine learning, robotics, and computer vision, you will contribute to cutting-edge research focused on road user detection, road structure estimation, and perception system performance in both simulated and real-world driving environments.

If you’re excited about solving complex technical challenges and helping shape the future of autonomous driving, we’d love to hear from you.

A Day in the Life

• Design and execute perception research projects focused on road user detection, scene understanding, and road structure estimation.
• Train, evaluate, and optimize machine learning models using appropriate datasets and modern deep learning techniques.
• Conduct rigorous testing and validation in simulation environments and real-world vehicle testing scenarios.
• Analyze model performance, investigate failure modes, and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Develop maintainable research software and experimental frameworks using Python and C++.
• Collaborate with researchers and engineers across autonomous systems, software, and vehicle development teams.
• Present technical findings, research results, and recommendations to project stakeholders.
• Contribute to technical publications, patents, conference papers, and other innovation initiatives.
• Document experimental results and provide regular updates to support project planning and execution.

Who We’re Looking For

We’re looking for a curious and motivated researcher who enjoys transforming emerging technologies into practical solutions. The ideal candidate combines strong machine learning and software development fundamentals with a passion for autonomous systems and a willingness to learn through experimentation.

Required:

• Bachelors Degree with a minimum of 5 years relevant experience or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Applied Mathematics, Robotics, or a related technical field with 0-2 years of relevant experience.
• Strong foundation in machine learning, robotics, optimization, controls, computer vision, autonomous systems, or related disciplines.
• Demonstrated research experience through thesis work, academic projects, internships, or equivalent activities involving literature review, experimental design, implementation, and technical evaluation.
• Strong programming skills in Python and C++.
• Experience designing, training, and evaluating machine learning models.
• Ability to communicate technical findings and research results effectively.

Desired:

• Experience with deep learning frameworks such as PyTorch or TensorFlow.
• Experience working with perception systems for autonomous vehicles, robotics, or intelligent transportation systems.
• Knowledge of sensor fusion, scene understanding, object detection, tracking, or road structure estimation.
• Experience evaluating machine learning models in simulation and real-world environments.
• Experience authoring technical papers, patents, conference publications, or research reports.
• Familiarity with autonomous driving technology stacks and modern perception architectures.

What You’ll Look Forward to at Nissan:

Career Growth and Continuous Learning Opportunities:

Benefit from diverse career paths, cross-departmental moves, and innovative learning platforms. Enhance your skills through seminars, leadership training, and tuition reimbursement programs, all while playing a vital role in shaping the future of transportation. From day one, you’ll have the support to tackle challenges and contribute to impactful solutions across our organization.

Rewards:

Be supported with a Comprehensive Benefits Package, including medical, mental health, parental leave, retirement savings & unique Nissan perks, including discounts on lease vehicles as part of our Employee Lease Program and a Vehicle Purchase Program (VPP). For more information, access our Nissan Benefits Overview Guide.

Nissan is committed to a drug-free workplace. All employment is contingent upon the successful completion of drug and background screenings in accordance with Nissan policies and in compliance with federal, state, and local laws, including the California Fair Chance Act and the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance. Nissan will consider qualified candidates with arrest or conviction records for employment in a manner consistent with these laws.

It is Nissan’s policy to provide Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of race, gender, military status, disability, or any other status protected by law. Candidates for this position must be legally authorized to work in the United States and will be required to provide proof of employment eligibility at the time of hire; Nissan uses E-Verify to validate employment eligibility.

NISSAN FOR EVERYONE

People are our most valuable assets, and diversity and inclusion are the key to maximizing the power of each individual member of our team. When everyone belongs, the power of NISSAN is undeniable. Our Corporate Diversity Initiative aims to improve business results by ensuring that our workplace and core businesses meet the unique needs of our employees and customer base.

Nissan is committed to creating a culture where everyone belongs and employees, customers, and partners feel respected, valued, and heard. We have over 10 Business Synergy Teams (BSTs) across the U.S. and Canada that connect employees – with shared characteristics or interests – build allies, and foster a company culture where all employees feel supported and included.

Nissan also values inclusion in all areas of our business as we strive to mirror the diversity of our customer base and the communities where we do business. We are committed to procuring innovative goods and services, retailing our products and communicating from a diverse perspective which will help us continue to offer our customers competitively designed, market-driven products.

Join us as we carry our commitment to diversity and inclusion into the future.

Santa Clara California United States of America

Salary Range:

$97,745.00 - $198,753.00

Salary Range Estimate: Annual Salary: (Minimum to Maximum of Salary Range noted here). This compensation range represents the minimum and maximum base salary rates at Nissan for jobs assigned to this particular grade level. Please note that it is uncommon for an employee to be placed at either end of the range. Rather, an employee’s actual base salary generally may fall somewhere in between and reflect the employee’s unique skills, work experience, education, work location, and market norms. Additionally, pay may be based on comparisons to the base salary rates of other employees with similar backgrounds working in comparable roles.