Responsibilities

Technical Leadership & Test Strategy
• Own the end-to-end test strategy for a significant domain (e.g., powertrain durability, system thermal, NVH, or rig-based validation), ensuring alignment with vehicle and subsystem requirements, program timelines, and safety constraints.
• Translate high-level attributes and DVP targets into concrete test methods, profiles, and acceptance criteria that can be executed repeatedly across multiple test areas and sites.
• Define and maintain standards, templates, and playbooks for test requests, procedures, instrumentation, data quality, and reporting, and drive their adoption across the test organization.
• Identify gaps in current capabilities (rig hardware, control systems, measurement chains, data workflows) and lead roadmaps to close them through new rigs, upgrades, or process changes.

Test System Design, Development & Ownership
• Lead/Participate in capability expansion/improvement for test systems (e.g., multi-axis drivetrain rigs, shaker + thermal + humidity combinations, custom HIL or RTCS setups), working with controls, software, facilities, and safety.
• Serve as the technical owner for selected high-value rigs or test areas, accountable for uptime, fidelity, and suitability to current and future test needs.
• Develop and review automation and data-processing approaches (test scripts, health checks, dashboards, KPIs) to improve repeatability, coverage, and engineer productivity.

Test Planning, Execution & Data Interpretation
• Lead test planning for complex or first-of-a-kind campaigns, including sequence design, boundary conditions, instrumentation plans, and risk assessments.
• Provide hands-on technical support for critical tests: bring-up, debug, fault triage, and correlation against models or vehicle-level behavior.
• Review and synthesize test results at a system level, providing clear engineering conclusions, trade-offs, and recommendations to design, attributes, and program teams.
• Champion data quality and traceability: ensure that test configurations, calibrations, and deviations are captured such that results can be trusted and reused for future analysis.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Influence
• Act as the primary technical counterpart for your domain with Design Engineering, Attributes, Systems, DREs, Controls, Reliability, and Manufacturing/Service partners.
• Drive cross-functional problem solving on high-impact issues (e.g., durability failures, correlation gaps, unexpected NVH or thermal behavior), ensuring robust root cause, containment, and validated corrective actions.
• Provide executive-ready communication on test status, risks, and options: distill complex technical detail into concise, decision-oriented narratives for managers and senior leadership.

People, Culture & Mentorship
• Set the bar for how test engineering operates: structured problem definition, evidence-based decisions, disciplined change management, and continuous improvement.
• Lead by example on safety and quality in the lab, ensuring test methods, rig operations, and work practices meet or exceed Rivian standards.
• Contribute to capability building via training sessions, best-practice guides, reviews, and informal mentorship that raise the collective skill level of the test organization.

Qualifications

Required
• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, Electrical Engineering, or related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• 5+ years of relevant experience in test engineering for powertrain, drivetrain, propulsion, or similar complex electro-mechanical systems, including significant rig-based or lab-based testing.
• Demonstrated track record operating at a Staff level (or equivalent) in:
• Designing and executing complex test campaigns.
• Leading resolution of difficult cross-system issues.
• Influencing designs and requirements based on test insight.
• Deep understanding of test methods, measurement systems, and data analysis for at least one of:
• Durability / life testing
• Thermal & environmental testing
• NVH / vibration / shaker testing
• Powertrain system performance and efficiency
• Proven ability to lead without authority: align cross-functional stakeholders, challenge assumptions constructively, and drive decisions in ambiguous situations.
• Strong communication skills, including clear technical writing (procedures, reports) and concise, executive-appropriate summaries for leadership.

Preferred
• Hands-on experience with testbed control and data systems (e.g., dyno controllers, HIL, PLCs, DAQ, automation frameworks, or similar).
• Experience with NI Veristand/Labview or equivalent tools needed for developing test control/automation systems.
• Familiarity with statistical methods and data analysis tools (e.g., Python, MATLAB, or similar) for test planning and results interpretation.
• Experience mentoring and developing senior individual contributors and lead technicians.
• Prior experience working across multiple sites or labs, harmonizing methods and standards.

Pay Disclosure

Salary Range Irvine-Based Applicants: $107,800-$134,800 (actual compensation will be determined based on experience, and other factors permitted by law).

Benefits Summary: Rivian provides robust medical/Rx, dental and vision insurance packages for full-time employees, their spouse or domestic partner, and children up to age 26. Coverage is effective on the first day of employment.