Director - Supplier Development, Industrialization and Quality

Rivian Automotive; Normal, Plymouth, Irvine (IL, MI, CA); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Rivian Automotive seeks a Director of Supplier Development, Industrialization & Quality to lead a global team responsible for supplier execution, capability building, tooling industrialization and quality assurance across Rivian's supply base. This role merges pre-PPAP development with post-PPAP quality management, establishing accountability from concept through ramp-up to serial production.

The ideal leader has deep automotive or EV industrialization experience, combining technical rigor with

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Industrial, Manufacturing) or related field; Master’s preferred.
• 15+ years of progressive leadership in supplier development, supplier quality or manufacturing industrialization in automotive or EV sector.
• Cradle-to-Grave domain expertise from design reviews to serial production quality management.
• Technical mastery in APQP, PPAP, PFMEA, SPC, 8D, and 5-Why.

Responsibilities

• Lead and mentor a global team of Supplier Development, Industrialization & Quality Engineers across major commodity sectors.
• Oversee end-to-end component ownership and supplier communications across pre-PPAP and post-PPAP production quality.
• Engage early in program development cycles to conduct DFM, DFMEA and PFMEA reviews to resolve ramp/quality constraints before SOP.
• Oversee supplier industrialization timelines, tooling kickoffs, and capacity mapping to ensure production volumes.
• Enforce APQP/PPAP gatekeeper discipline with Safe Launch containment protocols and recovery glide paths.
• Deploy on-site resources for rapid root-cause analyses and yield/quality recovery during ramps.
• Establish and track global supplier scorecards, quality metrics, and audit schedules for continuous improvement.
• Collaborate with Procurement, Hardware Engineering, Manufacturing Operations and Program Management to align sourcing strategies.

Skills

Leadership experience

Global supplier management

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related

Master's degree preferred

Tools

APQP

PPAP

PFMEA

SPC

8D

5-Why

Job description

About Rivian

Rivianis on a mission to keep the world adventurous forever. This goes for the emissions-free Electric Adventure Vehicles we build, and the curious, courageous souls we seek to attract.

As a company, we constantly challenge what’s possible, never simply accepting what has always been done. We reframe old problems, seek new solutions and operate comfortably in areas that are unknown. Our backgrounds are diverse, but our team shares a love of the outdoors and a desire to protect it for future generations.

Role Summary

The Director of Supplier Development, Industrialization & Quality will lead a team responsible for end-to-end supplier execution, capability building, tooling industrialization and quality assurance across Rivian's global supply base. Merging pre-PPAP development engineering with post-PPAP quality management, this role establishes a single point of accountability for parts and systems from concept and tooling kickoff through ramp-up and serial production.

The ideal leader brings deep automotive or EV industrialization experience, combining technical rigor with a "boots on the ground" problem-solving methodology to ensure flawless program execution, capacity realization and zero-defect quality across launch and current production vehicles.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Organization Leadership: Build, lead and mentor a high-performing global team of Supplier Development, Industrialization & Quality Engineers across major commodity sectors (e.g. Chassis, Battery, Drive Unit, Thermal, Interior, Exterior and Power Distribution).
• Cradle-to-Grave Part & Supplier Ownership: Oversee end-to-end component ownership, streamlining supplier communications and cross-functional alignment across both pre-PPAP development and post-PPAP production quality.
• Upstream Quality Prevention: Engage early in program development cycles alongside Engineering and Purchasing to conduct DFM, DFMEA and PFMEA reviews, resolving downstream ramp and quality constraints long before Start of Production (SOP).
• Tooling & Capacity Industrialization: Oversee supplier industrialization timelines, tool kickoffs, tooling audits and station-by-station capacity mapping (JPH / throughput modeling, sensor checks and Poka-Yoke validations) to resolve yield bottlenecks and secure confirmed production volumes.
• Rigorous PPAP & Launch Gatekeeping: Enforce strict APQP/PPAP gatekeeper discipline, executing Safe Launch containment protocols, Rate-at-Rate verifications and mandatory recovery glide paths for supplier milestones.
• Rapid Problem Solving & On-Site Triage: Deploy resources directly to supplier facilities during critical ramps to perform root-cause analyses (5-Why, 8D, PFMEA updates) and drive immediate yield and quality recovery.
• Supplier Performance & Governance: Establish and track global supplier scorecards, quality metrics, and audit schedules, driving corrective action plans and ongoing continuous improvement initiatives across the supply chain.
• Cross-Functional Executive Partnership: Collaborate closely with Procurement, Hardware Engineering, Manufacturing Operations and Program Management to elevate risks, present recovery models and align sourcing strategies.

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Industrial, or Manufacturing), Supply Chain Management or a related technical field. Master’s degree preferred.
• Experience: 15+ years of progressive leadership experience in supplier development, supplier quality or manufacturing industrialization within the automotive or high-growth EV sector.
• Cradle-to-Grave Domain Expertise: Proven track record of managing components through the entire lifecycle - from early engineering design reviews, APQP and PPAP approval to serial production quality management.
• Technical Mastery: Deep proficiency in core quality and manufacturing tools such as APQP, PPAP, PFMEA, SPC, 8D, 5-Why,