EV Systems Quality Lead

Socket.dev; Normal (IL); On-site; USD 126,000 - 157,000; Full time

Job summary

Rivian in Illinois is seeking a Staff Quality Engineer at staff level to act as the technical authority across the entire vehicle system and drive long-term quality processes for EV manufacturing. You will mentor the quality team and lead cross-functional alignment with minimal supervision.

The role requires 8+ years in automotive/EV quality, deep expertise in a vehicle subsystem, and proven experience with ISO 9001/IATF 16949, APQP, and advanced statistical methods.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Electrical, Mechanical, Industrial, Mechatronics, or related field).
• 8+ years of dedicated quality engineering experience in automotive or EV manufacturing.
• Deep subject matter expertise in at least one major vehicle system (Propulsion, Thermal, Chassis, or E/E).
• Proven experience managing customer complaints and driving containment actions in high-volume production.
• Expert-level knowledge of ISO 9001/IATF 16949, APQP, and advanced statistical methods.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills (8D or similar); Six Sigma Green Belt is a plus; GD&T experience.
• Proven experience acting as a lead or principal engineer with significant autonomy; ability to influence cross-functional leadership.
• Must be able to travel at least 20% (travel may increase).

Responsibilities

• Act as a technical authority for entire vehicle systems, ensuring holistic integration and quality.
• Design and implement robust quality management processes that create a scalable and healthy quality system for the plant.
• Coordinate and mentor the broader quality team, providing technical guidance and driving alignment across departments without daily managerial intervention.
• Serve as the primary technical lead for complex quality challenges, driving resolution with autonomy and high-level strategic decision-making.
• Own the end-to-end customer complaint process specifically for EV manufacturing issues, identify and solve quality defects with robust corrective actions.

Skills

ISO 9001/IATF 16949

APQP

Statistical methods

Six Sigma Green Belt

GD&T

Leadership

Cross-functional influence

Troubleshooting

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering

Job description

Rivian in Illinois is seeking a Staff Quality Engineer at staff level to act as the technical authority across the entire vehicle system and drive long-term quality processes for EV manufacturing. You will mentor the quality team and lead cross-functional alignment with minimal supervision.

The role requires 8+ years in automotive/EV quality, deep expertise in a vehicle subsystem, and proven experience with ISO 9001/IATF 16949, APQP, and advanced statistical methods.