Role Summary

As a Senior Development Engineer, you will lead hands-on prototype vehicle development, commissioning, and debug activities across vehicle software, instrumentation, and test assets. The role is centered on getting development vehicles, support assets, and custom test systems built, operational, and ready for field, chamber, track, and proving-ground use. Recent work in this role has included creating and modifying test vehicles, enabling ADAS test assets, executing software updates, and diagnosing vehicle-level issues on early-development platforms.

Responsibilities

• End to end ownership of prototype vehicle commissioning and activation of early-development and test assets, including software bring-up, certificate provisioning, and restoring non-operational vehicles to usable condition.
• Diagnose and resolve vehicle-level software, electrical, and integration issues on development vehicles, including OTA failures, CAN-related faults, and unexpected system behavior in the field.
• Utilize, support or directly create software and controls concepts for prototype systems, including automated fault-injection or data-capture tools; develop and apply AI-assisted analysis tools for validation routine optimization.
• Execute and support development testing in dynamic, environmental, and off-road conditions.
• Collect, analyze, and interpret development data from CAN, vehicle networks, instrumentation, and logs to turn observations into actionable problem statements and next steps.
• Support ADAS and system-integration testing by preparing instrumentation, enabling target assets, configuring vehicles, and maintaining support infrastructure required for track and proving-ground execution.
• Provide practical technical support to peers and partner teams by helping configure development tools, debug setups, and transfer working knowledge needed to keep testing moving.
• Travel as needed (up to 50%) to support prototype vehicles, remote test events, environmental testing, proving-ground activity, and other high-urgency development work.

Qualifications

• Strong hands-on engineering capability across vehicle systems, electrical integration, prototype hardware, and software-enabled development work.
• Experience commissioning, debugging, and supporting prototype or early-development vehicles.
• Working knowledge of low-voltage systems and controller / network integration.
• Experience with CAN and diagnostic/development tools such as CANalyzer, CANape, or similar analysis environments.
• Ability to troubleshoot across software, controls, wiring, network communication, and physical hardware integration boundaries.
• Experience building, modifying, or integrating prototype fixtures, instrumentation, support hardware, or custom development assets.
• Comfortable operating in ambiguous development environments where rapid problem solving, self-direction, and practical execution are required.
• Familiarity with Jira / Confluence workflows and documenting technical work clearly enough for cross-functional follow-through.
• Bachelor's degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Software, Mechatronics, Aerospace, or similar engineering discipline.
• 3+ years of automotive prototype, vehicle integration, or development engineering experience preferred.

Pay Disclosure

The salary range for this role is $93,800 - $117,200 for Arizona 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).