Sr. Linux Kernel/Hypervisor Developer

NIO; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical plans

Dental & Vision

401(k) with Brokerage Link

Life & disability insurance

Paid holidays

Parental Leave

Sick & Vacation

Mobile cell phone credit

Job summary

NIO Inc. is seeking an experienced kernel or hypervisor engineer to work hands-on on the SkyOS-H in-vehicle compute platform. You will help shape architecture, implement production code, and contribute to in-vehicle AI readiness and secure boot paths.

Join a fast-moving automotive software team designing low-latency, safety-critical systems for next-generation smart EVs. You will work across architecture, driver subsystems, validation, and deployment in a collaborative, global environment.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field.
• 1+ years of experience in embedded systems or low-level system software development.
• Strong coding skills in C, ARM assembly, and in-line assembly.
• Deep understanding of Arm V8 architecture: GIC, SMMU, cache hierarchy, and Arm Virtualization Host Extensions (VHE).
• Proficiency in Git, C/C++, Python, and object-oriented programming.
• Experience with Linux kernel development or driver subsystems.
• Knowledge of embedded system security: Arm TrustZone, OP-TEE, Secure Boot.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a microkernel-based operating system and hypervisor tailored for diverse on-vehicle applications in autonomous driving vehicles.
• Analyze and enhance operating system functionalities for real-time performance, high efficiency, security, and functional safety.
• Collaborate with the team to discuss and refine designs and implementations.
• Lead through demonstration, serving as both a mentor and a mentee to foster team growth and knowledge sharing.

Skills

C

ARM assembly

Inline assembly

Git

Python

C/C++

Arm V8 architecture

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

Tools

Linux kernel development

Job description

NIO Inc. is a pioneer and a leading company in the global smart electric vehicle market. Founded in November 2014, NIO aspires to shape a sustainable and brighter future with the mission of "Blue Sky Coming".

NIO envisions itself as a user enterprise where innovative technology meets experience excellence. NIO designs, develops, manufactures and sells smart electric vehicles, driving innovations in next-generation core technologies. NIO distinguishes itself through continuous technological breakthroughs and innovations, exceptional products and services, and a community for shared growth.

NIO provides premium smart electric vehicles under the NIO brand, premium smart electric vehicles for families through the ONVO brand, and small smart high-end electric cars with the FIREFLY brand.

About the Position

This role is ideal for an experienced kernel or hypervisor engineer who wants to work hands-on with the foundations of NIO's in-vehicle compute platform. You will join the core system software team behind SkyOS-H, NIO's in-house hypervisor, and other SkyOS variants - contributing from architecture design to production deployment in next-generation intelligent vehicles.

Hypervisor & Kernel Performance at Scale

You'll work on low-level system software designed for real-time, high-efficiency, and safety-critical automotive environments. This includes optimizing latency and throughput, refining vIRQ handling, improving cache and memory subsystem efficiency (SMMU, coherency, and paging), and leveraging Arm V8 virtualization extensions (VHE). You will contribute to hypervisor scheduling, partition isolation, and secure domain management to achieve automotive-grade determinism and performance on modern SoCs.

From early architecture exploration to kernel integration, driver development, validation, and production rollout - your work will directly power live vehicle systems. You'll enable mission-critical domains such as AD/ADAS compute, sensor fusion, and secure boot/trusted execution (TrustZone, OP-TEE).

In collaboration with AI and cloud teams, you'll also support emerging LLM-based intelligent copilots and in-vehicle assistants, where hypervisor-level performance and scheduling directly enhance on-vehicle AI responsiveness. This role offers a rare opportunity to build real products that blend operating systems, virtualization, and intelligence at the edge - all within a fast-moving automotive environment.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a microkernel-based operating system and hypervisor tailored for diverse on-vehicle applications in autonomous driving vehicles.
• Analyze and enhance operating system functionalities for real-time performance, high efficiency, security, and functional safety.
• Collaborate with the team to discuss and refine designs and implementations.
• Lead through demonstration, serving as both a mentor and a mentee to foster team growth and knowledge sharing.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, or related field.
• 1+ years of experience in embedded systems or low-level system software development.
• Strong coding skills in C, ARM assembly, and in-line assembly.
• Deep understanding of Arm V8 architecture: GIC, SMMU, cache hierarchy, and Arm Virtualization Host Extensions (VHE).
• Proficiency in Git, C/C++, Python, and object-oriented programming.
• Experience with Linux kernel development or driver subsystems.
• Knowledge of embedded system security: Arm TrustZone, OP-TEE, Secure Boot.
• Ability to thrive and contribute effectively within a global, cross-functional engineering team.

Along with competitive pay, as a full-time NIO employee, you are eligible for the following benefits on the first day you join NIO:

• Anthem PPO, HSA, and Kaiser HMO medical plans with $0 for Employee Only Coverage.
• Dental (including orthodontic coverage) and vision plan. Both provide options with a $0 paycheck contribution covering you and your eligible dependents.
• Company Paid HSA (Health Savings Account) Contribution when enrolled in the High Deductible CIGNA medical plan
• Healthcare and Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA)
• 401(k) with Brokerage Link option
• Company paid Basic Life, AD&D, short-term and long-term disability insurance
• Employee Assistance Program
• Sick and Vacation time
• 13 Paid Holidays a year
• Paid Parental Leave for first 8 weeks at full pay (eligible after 90 days of employment with NIO)
• Paid Disability Leave for first 6 weeks at full pay (eligible after 90 days of employment with NIO)
• Voluntary benefits including: Voluntary Life and AD&D options for you, your spouse/domestic partner and dependent child(ren), pet insurance
• Mobile Cell Phone Credit
• Healthjoy mobile benefit app supporting you and your dependents with benefit questions on the go & support with benefit billing questions