Senior Interior Systems Architect: First‑Principles Lead

Rivian; Tustin (CA); On-site; USD 176,000 - 220,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid vacation

Paid sick leave

Insurance (medical, dental, vision)

401(k) Plan

Employee Stock Purchase Program

Job summary

Rivian is seeking a Sr. Staff Technical Specialist to serve as a technical authority within Rivian’s Interior Engineering team, driving architectural innovation from concept through volume production.

You will be responsible for leading complex problem-solving initiatives, mentoring design release engineers, and fostering deep cross-functional collaboration to deliver world-class, sustainable interior systems.

Qualifications

• 15+ years delivering full-lifecycle automotive interiors from concept through high-volume production.
• BS in Mechanical Engineering or related engineering discipline required.
• Demonstrated record in applying first-principles engineering to solve high-stakes technical problems.
• Expertise in interior materials, manufacturing processes, and commercial and financial drivers.

Responsibilities

• Foster a culture of trust, continuous improvement, and innovation.
• Architect comprehensive technical requirements and specifications that decompose from systems to components using first-principles foundations.
• Champion and coach first-principles engineering with cross functional teams to resolve complex architectural and system-level challenges.
• Mentor Design Release Engineers to develop products that meet functional requirements in advanced-development, development, and launch phases
• Drive D-FMEA development and cascade critical learnings across the enterprise to mitigate risk.
• Institutionalize Prevent Recurrence Actions within new designs to ensure continuous product excellence.
• Guide the development of Product Validation plans, ensure coordinated validation activities, and sign off system validation results
• Develop digital validation methods to support engineering design freeze.
• Advance the Interior Technical Roadmap by pioneering breakthrough technologies.
• Execute system strategies that meet program targets for mass and financial performance.
• Exhibit “Rivian Compass” values in everything you do

Skills

First-principles thinking

Systems thinking

Mentoring

Regulatory knowledge

Education

BS in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

Catia V6

Enovia

Job description

Rivian is seeking a Sr. Staff Technical Specialist to serve as a technical authority within Rivian’s Interior Engineering team, driving architectural innovation from concept through volume production.

You will be responsible for leading complex problem-solving initiatives, mentoring design release engineers, and fostering deep cross-functional collaboration to deliver world-class, sustainable interior systems.