EV Platform & Concept Lead Architect

Rivian Automotive; Tustin (CA); On-site; USD 138,000 - 172,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual performance bonus

Equity awards

401(k) Plan

Job summary

Rivian Automotive in California is seeking a senior specialist to shape early-stage vehicle programs and architectures. You will define concepts, evaluate trade-offs, and align with cost targets to influence profitability.

In this role you'll lead cross-functional teams across engineering, finance and manufacturing to ensure concepts are technically feasible, financially viable, and scalable across Rivian's platform roadmap.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in mechanical engineering, automotive engineering, systems engineering or related field.
• Experience in Vehicle architecture, concept engineering, or advanced product development.
• Strong understanding of automotive systems integration and packaging.
• Experience in cost modelling, familiar with design to cost methodologies and different manufacturing processes.
• Ability to perform technical trade studies and translate engineering decisions into financial impact.
• Working knowledge of regulatory and certification requirements.
• Proficiency in CAD system, 3D experience.

Responsibilities

• Develop and evaluate vehicle architecture concepts including platform layout, packaging, structural strategy and rational system integration.
• Establish product requirements (range, performance, safety, cost targets, customer experience) and translate them into feasible product concepts.
• Manage early stage trade-off studies across multiple architecture scenarios.
• Define concept-level technical specifications and requirements that will serve as the corner stones of the downstream engineering teams.
• Lead the functions, product planning, finance, manufacturing engineering, procurement, and attributes to align concept viability with business objectives.
• Integrate subsystem constraints (ergonomy, battery, thermal, chassis, electrical architecture, manufacturing processes) into unified vehicle concepts.
• Organize vehicle concept workshops and decision reviews.
• Build and maintain early-stage cost models including the Advanced Concept BOM and investment cost estimates.
• Identify cost drivers embedded in architectural decisions and perform cost-benefit analyses.
• Ensure alignment on concept cost and investment targets before kick-off.
• Design concepts that enable platform commonality, modularity and multi-model scalability.
• Assess long-term benefits of architectural standardization across vehicle line-up.
• Define carry-over opportunities to support roadmap planning and cost.
• Conduct feasibility analyses across structural, packaging, thermal, safety and manufacturability.
• Support concept validation through simulations and studies.
• Prepare concept evaluation reports with technical and financial analysis.
• Present architectural options with quantified trade-offs and recommendations.

Skills

Vehicle architecture

Concept engineering

Automotive systems integration

Cost modelling

CAD / 3D

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in mechanical/automotive/systems engineering

Job description

Rivian Automotive in California is seeking a senior specialist to shape early-stage vehicle programs and architectures. You will define concepts, evaluate trade-offs, and align with cost targets to influence profitability.

In this role you'll lead cross-functional teams across engineering, finance and manufacturing to ensure concepts are technically feasible, financially viable, and scalable across Rivian's platform roadmap.