Sr Software Engineer, Audio Intelligence

NRG; Beaverton (OR); Hybrid; USD 190,000 - 207,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical benefits

Vision benefits

Dental benefits

401K

Flexible spending accounts

Job summary

NRG Energy in Seattle is seeking a Sr Audio Intelligence Engineer to build conversational and audio AI experiences for smart homes. You will design real-time speech and audio understanding systems, optimize latency, and deploy AI services at scale across devices and cloud environments.

The role requires strong Python, experience with LLMs/multimodal models, and familiarity with edge/cloud architectures. Hybrid in-office presence is required, with a remote start and phased move to Seattle office.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, AI/ML, or a related technical field, and 5+ years of professional experience in software development, applied science, or ML engineering; or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, AI/ML, or a related technical field, and 2+ years of professional experience in software development, applied science, or ML engineering.
• Experience with speech-to-text, text-to-speech, audio understanding, or conversational AI systems.
• Strong Python software engineering skills.

Responsibilities

• Design and build conversational and audio AI experiences using STT, TTS, LLMs, audio understanding, and multimodal context.
• Optimize latency, reliability, privacy, grounding, and user experience for real-time interactions.
• Build evaluation frameworks for conversational quality, task completion, audio understanding, customer satisfaction, and safety.
• Integrate audio intelligence with agentic tool use, memory, personalization, and smart-home context.
• Evaluate and benchmark emerging speech, audio, and multimodal AI technologies.
• Deploy and monitor production audio and conversational AI services at scale.

Skills

Python

Speech-to-text

LLMs

Audio understanding

Multimodal models

Docker

Kubernetes

Cloud services

Prompt engineering

Education

Bachelor's in CS/AI/related

Master's in CS/AI/related

Tools

Docker

Kubernetes

GCP/AWS

Git

CI/CD

Job description

Welcome to the intersection of energy and home services. At NRG, we’re all about propelling the next generation of leaders forward. We are driven by our passion to create a smarter, cleaner and more connected future. We deliver innovative solutions that make our customers’ lives easier—helping them power, protect, and intelligently manage their homes and businesses. To do this, we need creative and talented people to join our company.

We offer a dynamic work environment and a unified and inclusive culture. NRG fosters a strong sense of belonging that leads to better collaboration and business performance. Our company programs are designed to help employees develop the skills they need for success now and in the future. In everything we do, we aim to champion our employees and bring value to our customers, investors and society.More information is available at Connect with NRG on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and X.

About This Role

We are seeking a Sr Audio Intelligence Engineer to build conversational and audio AI experiences for the smart home. This role will develop real-time speech, audio understanding, and multimodal interaction systems across mobile, panel, camera, and future agentic experiences. In this role, you will be responsible to:

• Design and build conversational and audio AI experiences using STT, TTS, LLMs, audio understanding, and multimodal context.
• Optimize latency, reliability, privacy, grounding, and user experience for real-time interactions.
• Build evaluation frameworks for conversational quality, task completion, audio understanding, customer satisfaction, and safety.
• Integrate audio intelligence with agentic tool use, memory, personalization, and smart-home context.
• Evaluate and benchmark emerging speech, audio, and multimodal AI technologies.
• Deploy and monitor production audio and conversational AI services at scale.

Required Qua lifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, AI/ML, or a related technical field, and 5+ years of professional experience in software development, applied science, or ML engineering; orMaster’s degree in Computer Science, Software Engineering, AI/ML, or a related technical field, and 2+ years of professional experience in software development, applied science, or ML engineeringExperience with speech-to-text, text-to-speech, audio understanding, or conversational AI systemsStrong Python software engineering skillsExperience integrating LLMs or multimodal models into production applicationsFamiliarity with prompt engineering, evaluation, conversation design, latency optimization, and cloud AI servicesExperience with Git, CI/CD, production monitoring, and cross-functional product collaboration

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with wake word, streaming audio, real-time inference, ASR/NLU frameworks, or ambient sound classification
• Experience building consumer-facing voice, assistant, smart-home, or conversational products
• Familiarity with edge AI, embedded devices, IoT, Linux-based systems, or hybrid edge/cloud architectures
• Experience with privacy-aware audio systems, grounding, safety, and customer-trust mechanisms
• Experience with Docker, Kubernetes, GCP/AWS, or scalable AI service deployment

The base salary range for this position is: $190,000 to $207,000*. *The base salary range above represents the low and high end of the salary range for this position. Actual salaries will vary based on several factors including but not limited to location, experience, and performance. The range listed is just one component of the total compensation package for employees. Other rewards may include annual bonus, short- and long-term incentives, and program-specific awards. In addition the position may be eligible to participate in the benefits program which include, but are not limited to, medical, vision, dental, 401K, and flexible spending accounts.

Position requires in-office presence in Seattle, WA on a hybrid schedule for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday with a work from home day on Friday. The position will start remote and then will move into the hybrid schedule.

NRG Energy is committed to a drug and alcohol-free workplace. To the extent permitted by law and any applicable collective bargaining agreement, employees are subject to periodic random drug testing, and post-accident and reasonable suspicion drug and alcohol testing. EOE AA M/F/Protected Veteran Status/Disability. Level, Title and/or Salary may be adjusted based on the applicant's experience or skills. EEO is the Law Poster (The poster can be found atOfficial description on file with Talent.