Senior EM Design Engineer – Motors & Magnetic Materials

Rivian Automotive; Carson (CA); On-site; USD 135,000 - 169,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

Equity awards

401(k) Plan

Job summary

Rivian Automotive in Southern California seeks an experienced Electromagnetic Design Engineer to bridge high-fidelity physics with hardware development for electric traction motors and power electronics. You will lead 2D/3D FE analyses, analytical modeling, and lab testing to drive reliable, efficient propulsion components.

Work with cross-functional teams to optimize magnetic circuits, reduce losses, and support Rivian's mass-market platforms.

Qualifications

• MS or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Applied Mathematics, or Physics with a core research focus on Electromagnetics, Magnetic Materials, Electric Machines, or Analytical Electromechanical Modeling.
• 2-5 years of experience on traction motor/magnetic insulation testing, electromechanical component design, and numerical math modeling.
• Strong mathematical and analytical foundation with proven experience deriving and implementing physical equations for electromagnetic fields, loss optimization, or material degradation kinetics.
• Proficiency with electromagnetic simulation software such as Ansys Electronics Desktop (Maxwell, Icepak) or JMAG.
• Expert-level scripting skills in Python or MATLAB/Simulink for custom math model development, automated data post-processing, and laboratory equipment data automation.
• Direct hands‑on experience operating laboratory test equipment (e.g., impedance/LCR analyzers, high‑voltage insulation/hipot testers).
• Highly self-driven with a strong root‑cause mindset to diagnose complex test-to-simulation discrepancies, identify fundamental failure modes, and translate electromagnetic data into hardware design decisions.

Responsibilities

• Material-Level Testing: Design and execute laboratory testing pipelines for magnetic materials and insulation; characterize electrical steel laminations and aging studies.
• Analytical Modeling & FE Simulation: Develop advanced analytical and numerical models; verify with lab data and integrate into large-scale FE simulations.
• Electromagnetic Design & Simulation: Perform 2D/3D transient, magnetostatic, and frequency-domain FE analysis using Maxwell or JMAG; optimize magnetic circuits for torque and efficiency.
• Multiphysics Co-Simulation: Run coupled simulations to evaluate performance under severe duty cycles; collaborate with Thermal, Mechanical, NVH, and Vehicle teams.

Skills

Electromagnetics

Mathematical modeling

Python / MATLAB

Cross-functional communication

Education

MS or PhD in Electrical Engineering, Applied Mathematics, or Physics

Tools

Ansys Maxwell

JMAG

Python scripting

Job description

Rivian Automotive in Southern California seeks an experienced Electromagnetic Design Engineer to bridge high-fidelity physics with hardware development for electric traction motors and power electronics. You will lead 2D/3D FE analyses, analytical modeling, and lab testing to drive reliable, efficient propulsion components.

Work with cross-functional teams to optimize magnetic circuits, reduce losses, and support Rivian's mass-market platforms.