Innovation Researcher & Analyst (AI Expert) - Smart Home Appliances

Location: About the role: You will be the Innovation Researcher & Analyst (AI expert) driving deep-research to identify intelligent features in our next-generation smart home appliances. You’ll scan emerging AI trends, design high-impact use cases, and work with engineering, product, UX, Patents, Insights and Analytics teams to research & assess potential use-cases for the Engineering team(s) to define concepts into new products or launched features that delight consumers and differentiate our portfolio. The impact you’ll make: 1. Trend and technology research • Continuously monitor AI trends relevant to smart homes (on device ML, energy optimization, computer vision, voice and multimodal interfaces, etc). • Track competitors, startups, big tech and academic research to identify new opportunities for our appliance categories. • Produce concise insight briefs translating external trends into actionable ideas and recommendations for our roadmap. 2. Consumer and data insights • Analyze appliance telemetry, app usage, and customer feedback to uncover pain points and opportunities for AI features. • Define what data needs to be collected (signals, frequency, quality) to enable future AI capabilities. • Partner with UX and Consumer insights, Foresights team(s) to validate hypotheses about how AI can improve everyday home tasks. 3. AI use case definition and prioritization • Define ideation for AI features across product lines (e.g., predictive maintenance, auto program selection, adaptive cleaning cycles, energy saving modes). • Translate ideas into clear problem statements, solution concepts, and measurable success metrics. • Build and maintain an AI feature backlog, prioritizing by user value, business impact, feasibility, and risk. 4. Solution design and technical skillsets • Design high level technical architectures for AI enabled features (device, edge, and cloud components; data pipelines; APIs). • Select appropriate AI/ML techniques and tools for each use case, balancing performance, cost, and privacy. • Collaborate closely with embedded, cloud, and mobile teams to integrate models into appliances and companion apps. • Provide technical guidance and review for AI components throughout design, development, and deployment. 5. Prototyping, experimentation and validation • Build or coordinate rapid prototypes and proof of concepts using real or simulated appliance data. • Design and analyze experiments (lab trials, A/B tests, beta pilots) to validate feasibility and user impact either internally or by collaborating with external partners. • Document findings and translate them into clear product requirements and next steps. 6. Responsible AI, data governance and compliance • Define and promote best practices for data quality, model evaluation, monitoring, and lifecycle management. • Ensure AI features comply with relevant privacy, security, and emerging AI regulations in our key markets. • Promote explainable and user controllable AI behavior, especially for safety critical or high impact functions. The skills and knowledge you’ll bring: • Master’s or PhD in Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Data Science, AI/ML, or a related field (or equivalent industry experience). • 5+ years of hands on experience building and deploying AI/ML solutions, ideally in IoT, embedded, or consumer electronics contexts. • Strong expertise in researching tools/technologies by leveraging both internal and external data-sources. • Strong proficiency in Python and modern ML frameworks (e.g., PyTorch, TensorFlow, Scikit learn). • Solid understanding of data engineering basics: data pipelines, APIs, cloud services, and model deployment practices. • Experience working with sensor/telemetry data, time series analysis, or edge/on device ML is a strong plus. • Ability to translate ambiguous business problems into well structured AI solutions and communicate trade offs clearly. Preferred qualifications: • Experience in smart home, domestic appliances, consumer electronics, or adjacent IoT domains. • Familiarity with voice assistants, Matter or other smart home standards, and home energy management systems. • Comfort operating in an exploratory, experimental environment with imperfect data and evolving requirements. What we’ll give you in return: Internationally competitive base salary, benchmarked against global industry and market leaders. Performance-based Annual Incentive Program, rewarding those who dare and achieve more. Top-of-the-market pension plan with the opportunity for higher employee contributions. Work-from-home and phone allowances to support your home office setup and business connectivity. Balanced office-based working | With a strong focus on in-office collaboration, we offer flexibility to work from home based on team needs and individual circumstances. Work from abroad | Up to 30 days per year. Structured holiday policy | Includes defined care days, enhanced maternity/paternity leave, and a capped option to purchase additional leave days annually. Special health insurance plan for Versuni employees with convenient conditions when signing up with our partner insurance. Product discounts on all Versuni products sold under the Philips brand and our other brands. High-growth environment, offering exciting learning and career development perspectives beyond your first role. Inclusive working culture and family spirit; we embrace our international community and diversity as a competitive advantage. Ready to make an impact? From developing game-changing air fryers to perfecting the art of coffee making, Versuni’s purpose is turning houses into homes — and we’re calling on your talent to bring it to life. Join our global team of 6,000+ passionate individuals, work with world-class brands, and shape the future of home living. We’re ready for you — are you ready for us?