Role SummaryAt Rivian, the Craftsmanship TPM leads complex cross-functional programs that improve product quality, readiness, and execution across engineering, supplier quality, validation, manufacturing, service, and program teams. This role turns ambiguous quality risks into structured plans, drives issue resolution, and ensures that design, process, and launch decisions align to vehicle quality targets, timing, cost, and customer experience.
Responsibilities- Build and maintain cross-functional program plans, including milestones, owners, dependencies, and recovery actions related to corporate quality initiatives for each vehicle program in Normal, IL.
- Partner with Engineering, Supplier Quality, Manufacturing, Validation, Purchasing, Finance, and Program teams to align quality targets and execution plans.
- Own craftsmanship issue triage using Rivian processes and performance metrics:
- Tracking and monitoring of deviations within JIRA.
- Own and develop deviation policies and procedures (submission, expiration timing standards, and approval).
- Tracking and monitoring of craftsmanship related RC's within JIRA.
- Coordinate key craftsmanship activities in the plant (harmony reviews, executive reviews).
- Lead Quality Assurance system development:
- Assist with creation/upgrades to craftsmanship reporting systems.
- Creation and maintenance of new craftsmanship quality sheets-reviews linking to current revisions.
- Monitor JD Power and warranty data trends.
- Calibrate partner teams on issue severity.
- Coordinate with QMS, NVH, and Plant Quality on layered audit strategy.
- Maintain open issues lists, risk registers, and escalation paths with internal teams and suppliers, driving corrective action follow-through to close issues with clear evidence, timing, and ownership.
- Track program readiness for builds, trials, gateways, and production milestones, including preparing for the SSN Launch.
- Support milestone reviews and communicate status, risks, tradeoffs, and decisions to leadership.
- Ensure craftsmanship policies and processes are up to date. (e.g. deviations, RQS .0007 - Rivian Customer Audit Doc).
- Partner with manufacturing teams to confirm process capability and production readiness relative to part quality and expectations.
- Setup and maintenance of craftsmanship master room and harmony bucks to align technical direction, issue closure, and launch readiness.
Qualifications- Bachelor's degree in engineering, manufacturing, quality, or a related technical field preferred.
- Experience with formal problem-solving methods such as 5-why, 8D, DFSS, APQP, or similar.
- Strong working knowledge of the automotive product development process.
- Demonstrated ability to lead complex cross-functional workstreams with multiple stakeholders.
- Excellent written, verbal, and executive-level communication skills.
- Experience managing issues, risks, timing, and decisions in structured tools and forums.
- Experience applying craftsmanship quality concepts and tools in an automotive environment (color harmony assessment, BSR/NVH basics, surface & sheetmetal quality assessment, working knowledge of paint application processes)
- Familiarity with change control, deviations, issue management, and corrective action systems.
Preferred Qualifications
- Experience in vehicle quality, craftsmanship quality, supplier quality, product excellence, manufacturing quality, or validation.
- Experience supporting at least one vehicle launch or major product introduction.
- Experience working directly with suppliers on open issues, containment, and corrective actions.
- Experience managing deviation policies, procedures, and tracking craftsmanship related RCs within JIRA.
- Familiarity with craftsmanship quality sheet-reviews, harmony bucks, and craftsmanship master rooms.
- Familiarity with QMS, NVH, and plant-specific audit tools and standards like RQS .0007 (Rivian Customer Audit Doc).
- Working knowledge of Jira, Confluence, Enovia, Jama/Flow, Microsoft Project, or Smartsheet.
- Experience with electrification, battery, interior, exterior, closures, or other vehicle systems is a plus depending on scope.
Example Success Metrics
- Reduction in recurring quality and craftsmanship issues and escape rates.
- On-time closure of critical open craftsmanship issues and deviations before key build or production gates.
- Successful setup, maintenance, and effective cross-functional utilization of the craftsmanship master room and harmony bucks.
- Efficiency and on-time updates to craftsmanship reporting systems and sheet-reviews linked to current revisions.
- Compliance score and active maintenance of RQS .0007 (Rivian Customer Audit Doc).
- Launch readiness (including SSN Launch) against timing, cost, and quality targets.
- Supplier issue closure speed and corrective action effectiveness across tracked deviations.
Pay DisclosureThe salary range for this role is $140,600 - $175,800 per hour for Illinois 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.
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.