Senior NVH CAE Engineer — Lead Vehicle CAE & NVH

Rivian Automotive; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 154,000 - 193,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) Plan

Employee Stock Purchase Program

Comprehensive benefits

Job summary

Rivian is seeking a Sr. Staff NVH CAE Engineer to provide technical leadership for the virtual development of world-class vehicle NVH performance in Southern California.

This role will define and execute CAE strategies that connect vehicle-level customer targets to subsystem requirements, design decisions, and validated product outcomes across Rivian programs. The ideal candidate is a recognized technical expert in automotive NVH CAE who can solve ambiguous, high-impact problems; influence

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering.
• 10+ years of progressive NVH CAE experience, preferably in automotive or other complex vehicle/product-development environments.
• Expert knowledge of finite element and vibro-acoustic simulation, including full-vehicle model development, modal analysis, frequency response, transfer path analysis, and correlation to physical test data.
• Advanced proficiency with CAE pre- and post-processing tools (ANSA, HyperMesh, META, HyperView) and solvers (Nastran, OptiStruct, Abaqus).
• Experience with Statistical Energy Analysis tools such as VA One and NVH test/data-analysis tools (Siemens Simcenter Testlab, LMS, HEAD Acoustics).

Responsibilities

• Lead the development, integration, and application of full-vehicle NVH CAE models, including structural, vibro-acoustic, and statistical energy analysis models.
• Define simulation methods, target cascades, and technical strategies for NVH attributes such as road noise, powertrain/driveline vibration, structure-borne noise, airborne noise, and sound-package performance.
• Drive robust correlation between CAE predictions and component, subsystem, bench, and vehicle test data; translate findings into clear, actionable design direction.
• Lead root-cause analysis using modal analysis, frequency response, transfer path analysis, operational deflection shapes, and dynamic stiffness assessment.
• Serve as a technical authority in cross-functional design and program forums, aligning NVH with vehicle targets, timing, cost, mass, durability, manufacturability, and constraints.
• Establish scalable CAE workflows, model-quality standards, automation, and best practices that improve analysis speed, fidelity, and repeatability across programs.
• Develop and review technical recommendations, reports, and executive-ready summaries for timely, data-driven decisions.
• Mentor and develop NVH and CAE engineers; raise technical standards through review, knowledge sharing, and hands-on coaching.
• Model Rivian Compass Values by asking why to identify root causes, staying open to diverse perspectives, and delivering for the customer.

Skills

Full-vehicle NVH CAE

Modal analysis

Frequency response

Transfer path analysis

Python scripting

Cross-functional leadership

Data correlation to test data

Automation of CAE workflows

Education

Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

ANSA

HyperMesh

META

HyperView

Nastran

OptiStruct

Abaqus

VA One

Siemens Simcenter Testlab

LMS

HEAD Acoustics

Job description

Rivian is seeking a Sr. Staff NVH CAE Engineer to provide technical leadership for the virtual development of world-class vehicle NVH performance in Southern California.

This role will define and execute CAE strategies that connect vehicle-level customer targets to subsystem requirements, design decisions, and validated product outcomes across Rivian programs. The ideal candidate is a recognized technical expert in automotive NVH CAE who can solve ambiguous, high-impact problems; influence