Reliability Engineer

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive base salary

RSUs eligibility

Comprehensive benefits

Job summary

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies seeks a Design-for-Reliability Engineer to lead low-voltage electronics reliability from concept to production. You will guide ECU design, define guidelines, and identify failure modes to drive robustness across vehicle systems, including connected car and self-driving tech.

The role emphasizes DFMEA/PFMEA leadership, validation planning, and data-driven improvement, collaborating with suppliers and internal teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science in an engineering discipline; level depends on experience.
• Technical understanding of PCBA, electronics, or control systems, including failure modes and reliability specification development.
• Understanding of DFMEA/PFMEA, with willingness to facilitate FMEAs and lead cross-functional teams.
• Working knowledge of Python.
• Working knowledge of statistical software for reliability, such as JMP or the ReliaSoft suite, including Weibull analysis.
• Understanding of Highly Accelerated Testing methods and the governing equations for different failure mechanisms; accelerated-life-test development methods a plus.
• Working knowledge of failure analysis techniques such as optical microscopy, SEM, CT, X-Ray, EDS, TDR.

Responsibilities

• Drive product reliability for vehicle control, connected car, and self-driving systems from concept through production.
• Establish design guidelines, identify failure modes, and define standard countermeasures for hardware design and architecture teams.
• Develop validation strategies, reliability specifications, and accelerated testing methods to expand reliability margins.
• Lead root-cause failure investigations with internal teams, suppliers, and failure analysis labs to implement corrective actions.
• Audit Contract Manufacturers on-site to ensure DFMEA and PFMEA recommendations are followed.
• Analyze fleet and field data to detect risks and inform future ECU design standards.

Skills

Python

DFMEA/PFMEA knowledge

Reliability testing

Weibull analysis

Fail. analysis techniques

Cross-functional teamwork

ECU design understanding

Education

Bachelor's degree in engineering

Tools

ReliaSoft

JMP

Python

Job description

About Us

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies is a joint venture between two industry leaders with a clear vision for automotive’s next chapter. From operating systems to zonal controllers to cloud and connectivity solutions, we’re addressing the challenges of electric vehicles through technology that will set the standards for software-defined vehicles around the world.

The road to the future is uncharted. By combining our expertise across connectivity, AI, security and more, we’ll map a new way forward. Working together, we’ll create a future that’s more connected, more intelligent, more sustainable for everyone.

Role Summary

As a reliability engineer for the RivianVW joint venture, you will play a key role in developing the next generation of low-voltage electric architectures. You will provide guidance on upcoming ECU designs to ensure they meet vehicle mission and reliability targets. If one of your first instincts when looking at a complex electronic design is "what are the ways this thing can fail, and how do we make it better?", this role is built for you.

Responsibilities

• As a Design-for-Reliability (DfR) Engineer for low-voltage electronics, you will drive product reliability for vehicle control, connected car, and self-driving systems from concept through production.

• Serve as the primary DfR expert for hardware design and architecture teams, establishing design guidelines, identifying electronic failure modes, and defining standard countermeasures.

• Develop validation strategies, physics-of-failure-based reliability specifications, and accelerated testing methods to expand reliability margins and stress design boundaries.

• Lead root-cause failure investigations using first-principles thinking, collaborating with internal engineering teams, suppliers, and failure analysis laboratories to define and verify corrective actions.

• Audit Contract Manufacturers on-site during development phases to ensure DFMEA and PFMEA recommendations are properly implemented.

• Analyze fleet and field data to proactively detect emerging risks, using insights to inform design standards for future Electronic Control Unit (ECU) programs.

Qualifications

• Bachelor of Science in an engineering discipline or equivalent. Level of Role depends on experience and qualifications. A strong technical background is needed in the following areas:

• Technical understanding of PCBA, electronics, or control systems, including failure modes, reliability specification development, design guidelines, electronics themal management, and interconnects.

• Understanding of the FMEA process (DFMEA/PFMEA), with willingness to facilitate FMEAs and lead cross-functional teams.

• Working knowledge of a coding language, preferably Python.

• Working knowledge of statistical software for reliability, such as JMP or the ReliaSoft suite, including Weibull analysis.

• Understanding of Highly Accelerated Testing methods and the governing equations for different failure mechanisms; expertise in accelerated-life-test development methods a plus.

• Working knowledge of failure analysis techniques such as optical microscopy, SEM, CT, X-Ray, EDS, TDR.

Total Rewards

We build the exceptional — and we believe the people doing that work should be rewarded accordingly. In addition to a competitive base salary, full-time positions may be is eligible to participate in our annual company performance bonus program.

Payments are discretionary and not guaranteed; actual amounts depend on company results and the terms of the plan in effect, and require active employment at the time of payout. This role is also eligible for equity in the form of Restricted Stock Units (RSUs), subject to board approval and the terms of our equity incentive plans, including applicable vesting requirements.

In addition to our compensation programs, we invest in our people with a comprehensive benefits package designed to support the health, wellbeing, and financial future for full-time employees — including health coverage, retirement savings, time off, and family planning programs. Offerings vary by country. Learn more about our global benefit programs.

Equal Opportunity

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information or characteristics, physical or mental disability, marital/domestic partner status, age, military/veteran status, medical condition, or any other characteristic protected by law. We are also committed to ensuring compliance with all applicable fair employment practice laws regarding citizenship and immigration status.

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