Senior Supplier Development Engineer - Plant Floor Launch

Rivian; Normal (IL); On-site; USD 90,000 - 112,000; Full time

Job summary

Rivian seeks a Sr. Supplier Development Engineer (Plant Support) for Interior, Chassis & Thermal to act as the first responder for supplier issues on the production floor.

You will drive containment, root-cause analysis, and corrective actions across Rivian’s R1/R2 programs, collaborating with manufacturing, quality, and control teams and scaling for upcoming launches. The role demands hands-on problem solving, strong knowledge of VDA/AIAG standards, and experience with automotive interiors,

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, or a related technical discipline.
• 3+ years of manufacturing, quality, or engineering-related experience in a fast-paced environment.
• 1+ years of automotive supplier quality or quality engineering experience.
• Strong knowledge of automotive quality processes, VDA/AIAG standards, and 8D problem-solving methods.
• Solid understanding of Metrology, GD&T, and engineering drawings interpretation.
• Lean manufacturing background with health and safety practices.
• Excellent negotiation, prioritization, and cross-functional communication skills.

Responsibilities

• First Responder for line calls related to interior, chassis, and thermal components; perform immediate containment actions.
• Triage issues from EOL tests, leaks, torque verifications, and fit-and-finish inspections; route to stakeholders.
• Generate rapid containment initiatives to protect the production line.
• Implement short- and long-term countermeasures and poka-yokes to resolve defects.
• Document internal reports, quality alerts, and non-conformances for supplier issues.
• Lead launch support with containment and resolution during R2 production.
• Perform RCA and drive 8D actions for diverse defects; coordinate supplier actions.
• Lead cross-functional meetings to improve build quality; track KPIs and drive improvements.
• Train plant teams on quality systems and audit the Quality Management System.

Skills

Automotive supplier quality

VDA/AIAG standards

8D problem solving

GD&T interpretation

Engineering drawings

Lean manufacturing

Cross-functional communication

Negotiation

Travel readiness

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering or related

Job description

Rivian seeks a Sr. Supplier Development Engineer (Plant Support) for Interior, Chassis & Thermal to act as the first responder for supplier issues on the production floor.

You will drive containment, root-cause analysis, and corrective actions across Rivian’s R1/R2 programs, collaborating with manufacturing, quality, and control teams and scaling for upcoming launches. The role demands hands-on problem solving, strong knowledge of VDA/AIAG standards, and experience with automotive interiors,