Role SummaryThe Senior Technical Program Manager, Validation Fleet owns the program that keeps validation assets available, correctly configured, roadworthy, and visible - so validation work happens on the right vehicles at the right time. The role exists at the intersection of engineering change, fleet capability, and test execution, and is accountable for making that intersection transparent to everyone who depends on it.
Beyond asset availability, this TPM owns the information flow between engineering and fleet. This role partners closely with V&V leads and cross-functional stakeholders to recommend fleet actions, readiness priorities, and asset allocation based on vehicle maturity, content, test intent, and fleet status.
Responsibilities- Own validation fleet allocation and shared asset planning across active test fleet - arbitrating competing demand and escalating tradeoffs with a recommendation.
- Own the cascade of design and content change into fleet impact: affected VINs, configuration consequences, readiness impact, and at-risk validation.
- Surface fleet-affecting changes to validation teams with enough lead time to re-plan rather than react.
- Serve as primary liaison to the Test & Development fleet coordinator, balancing validation usage against fleet upkeep, movement, and workshop needs.
- Work with Validation TPMs to source donor assets, brokering trades and reallocations across programs when demand exceeds supply.
- Partner with V&V leads to recommend fleet actions, readiness sequencing, and asset prioritization.
- Integrate the fleet tracking system with the validation asset plans and drive open fleet actions to resolution.
- Improve fleet processes, clarify responsibilities, and help teams work through ambiguity during compressed validation timelines.
Qualifications- Typically 6+ years in technical program management, fleet operations, vehicle testing, validation support, or prototype operations. Proven ability to run a cross-functional program end to end, driving decisions and
- accountability without direct authority.
- Strong working knowledge of validation fleet operations, usage planning, transport coordination, and asset readiness management.
- Familiarity with vehicle maturity, content differences, and engineering change processes, with the ability to translate design change into fleet and validation impact.
- Ability to communicate change and risk clearly across design engineers, validation leads, and senior leadership.
- Strong data hygiene and reporting discipline in Jira, dashboards, and fleet tools, while managing multiple priorities independently
Pay DisclosureThe salary range for this role is $121,500 - $151,900 for California based applicants. This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. An employee's position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to, specific competencies, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, shift, and organizational needs.
The successful candidate may be eligible for annual performance bonus and equity awards.
We offer a comprehensive package of benefits for full-time and part-time employees, their spouse or domestic partner, and children up to age 26, including but not limited to paid vacation, paid sick leave, and a competitive portfolio of insurance benefits including life, medical, dental, vision, short-term disability insurance, and long-term disability insurance to eligible employees. You may also have the opportunity to participate in Rivian's 401(k) Plan and Employee Stock Purchase Program if you meet certain eligibility requirements. Full-time employee coverage is effective on their first day of employment. Part-time employee coverage is effective the first of the month following 90 days of employment. More information about benefits is available at rivianbenefits.com.
You can apply for this role through careers.rivian.com (or through internal-careers-rivian.icims.com if you are a current employee). There is no fixed deadline for this application; applications are accepted on an ongoing basis until the role is filled or the opening is no longer needed.
Please note that we are currently not accepting applications from third party application services.