Role SummaryAs RVT's Electronic Control Unit (ECU) portfolio scales across brand partners and expands into triple-digit country roadmaps - against a backdrop of increasing semiconductor supply chain volatility - sustaining operations have shifted from a downstream function to a core strategic priority. Our Electrical Hardware Technical Program Management team is seeking a Senior Manager to build and lead the ECU sustaining engineering and operations - leveraging both in-house expertise as well as outsourced debug, design, simulation, test/validation engineering services support to get the job done. This role sits at the intersection of engineering execution and programmatic strategy, requiring deep experience in ECU design as well as process development, coalition-building and initiative leadership. .
In this role, you will own the post-launch lifecycle of ECU hardware across Zonal, Battery, Infotainment and Connectivity ECUs . This scope includes field return and RMA disposition, failure analysis and root cause, containment and corrective action with our contract manufacturers, engineering change and deviation control, component obsolescence and second-source qualification, and cost-down and end-of-life transitions. You will be the accountable owner for sustaining issues that reach the plant and/or field, and the person who converts what we learn there into design, test, process, and supplier improvements to integrate into our upstream NPI workflows..
This role also carries direct accountability for the third-party engineering partners who deliver mechanical engineering and design, component engineering, and reliability test and validation for the ECU portfolio. You will define statements of work, set deliverable and quality expectations, manage capacity and spend, and ensure outsourced scope integrates cleanly with internal execution. The successful candidate brings strong program management instincts, a hands-on technical foundation in electronics hardware, and the organizational influence to drive complex, multi-team, multi-supplier efforts to completion.
Responsibilities- Build and lead best-in-class ECU sustaining engineering and operations team - failure analysis, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, technical program management, and document control - with domain coverage across Zonal, Battery, Infotainment ,Connectivity, and vehicle access ECUs.
- Lead development and implementation of plant/field triage process across brand partners from greenfield state. Define and scale the sustaining operating model as the ECU portfolio grows across vehicle platforms and brand partner programs, including process definition, tooling, and a resource plan that balances internal headcount against outsourced scope.
- Own the portfolio of engineering service providers and Contract Manufacture partners that deliver post-ramp design, validation, qualification, and failure analysis - including the workflows, systems integration, and scalable processes that make sustaining operations repeatable across the ECU portfolio. Define statements of work, deliverables, capacity, and spend, and hold partners accountable to quality and schedule.
- Drive for uninterrupted supply from build readiness through mass production: capacity and ramp planning, mitigation of shortages/EOL/single-source risk, and the design refresh and ECO decisions required to keep products buildable in partnership with Purchasing organizations across brand partners.
- Own the RMA and change-management system with Contract Manufactures, component suppliers, Quality, and Design Engineering - driving root cause to closure - and ensure operational readiness milestones, dependencies, and risks are integrated and escalated within top-line ECU and vehicle program schedules.
- Own engineering change control for the ECU portfolio, including ECO, ECR, and deviation workflows, review board cadence, document control, and traceability between as-designed and as-built configurations.
- Lead escalations with contract manufacturers and Tier 1 suppliers: containment, rework and deviation decisions, corrective action verification, and executive-level escalation when supplier response does not meet program need.
- Serve as the primary sustaining interface to Design Engineering, Quality, Service, Manufacturing, Supply Chain, and Brand program teams; represent sustaining positions at change boards and program gates.
- Establish and report sustaining KPIs - field PPM, RMA volume and forecast, failure analysis throughput, NTF rate, change cycle time, and cost of poor quality - and use them to drive continuous improvement and resourcing decisions.
QualificationsMinimum Qualifications:
- 12+ years of experience in electronics hardware sustaining engineering, hardware quality, failure analysis, or technical program management in the automotive, aerospace, or consumer electronics industry.
- 5+ years of direct people leadership, including hiring, mentoring, and developing engineers and program managers.
- BS or MS degree in Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related technical field.
- Demonstrated ownership of field return, RMA, and failure analysis processes for high-volume electronic assemblies, including structured problem solving methods such as 8D, 5-Why, and FMEA.
- Working knowledge of PCBA design and manufacturing processes and their associated failure modes, including SMT, press-fit and connector processes, conformal coating, potting, and fastening and torque control.
- Experience working with contract manufacturers and Tier 1 suppliers in a build-to-print model, including onsite quality escalation, containment, rework, and corrective action verification.
- Experience with component engineering, including obsolescence and EOL management, second-source and alternate material qualification, and PCN/PDN disposition.
- Familiarity with ISO 26262 functional safety concepts for ASIL-rated hardware and with IATF 16949 change control practices, including PPAP and deviation management.
- Experience managing outsourced engineering partners or staff augmentation vendors under a statement of work, including scope definition, deliverable acceptance, and budget control.
- Strong analytical and data-driven decision-making capabilities; comfortable working directly with measurement and test data, capability metrics, and program dashboards.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills; able to escalate clearly and factually to executive audiences and to translate technical detail for non-engineering stakeholders.
- Experience with Atlassian-based applications, including Jira and Confluence.
- Ability to travel domestically and internationally to contract manufacturer, supplier, and vehicle program locations as needed.
- Eager to explore AI-driven solutions across communication, reporting, visualizations and analysis.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience working with a Build-to-Print Contract Manufacturer model, as well as JDM [Joint Development Manufacturer] or Tier 1 supplier partners in a co-development context.
- Experience sustaining high-compute Infotainment and Connectivity ECUs or zonal controllers in a software-defined vehicle architecture.
- Experience standing up a sustaining engineering organization, including process definition, tooling selection, and resource modeling.
- Experience working with 3rd party engineering firms to amplify engineering resources
Total RewardsWe build the exceptional - and we believe the people doing that work should be rewarded accordingly. In addition to a competitive base salary, full-time positions may be is eligible to participate in our annual company performance bonus program.
Payments are discretionary and not guaranteed; actual amounts depend on company results and the terms of the plan in effect, and require active employment at the time of payout. This role is also eligible for equity in the form of Restricted Stock Units (RSUs), subject to board approval and the terms of our equity incentive plans, including applicable vesting requirements.
In addition to our compensation programs, we invest in our people with a comprehensive benefits package designed to support the health, wellbeing, and financial future for full-time employees - including health coverage, retirement savings, time off, and family planning programs. Offerings vary by country.
Learn more about our global benefit programs.External candidates can apply for this role through the Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies careers site (
https://rivianvw.tech/#careers). If you are a current employee, please apply through our
internal job board.Please note this job posting represents an open, active vacancy. Additionally, we are not currently accepting applications from third party application services.
