Senior Vehicle Dynamics & Suspension Controls Engineer

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 135,000 - 186,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity in RSUs

Competitive bonus program

Comprehensive benefits

Job summary

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies is seeking an engineer to develop and optimize Vehicle Dynamics features across propulsion, chassis controls, torque vectoring, and active driveline systems. The role focuses on leading dynamics feature development, leveraging AI-assisted engineering tools to accelerate analysis, requirements development, and validation workflows.

The ideal candidate is a technically strong systems thinker who embraces AI productivity tools in a fast-paced development

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in Electrical, Mechanical, Automotive, or Controls Engineering (Master's preferred).
• 3–5 years of systems engineering experience with a focus on vehicle dynamics or chassis controls.
• Working knowledge of Controls, Electrical, or Mechanical engineering as applied to automotive systems.
• Experience with electric powertrain systems and validation at one or more test levels (SIL, HIL, Component, or Vehicle).
• Familiarity with DFMEA processes.
• Understanding of ISO 26262 functional safety guidelines as applied to safety-critical automotive systems.
• Demonstrated use of AI coding assistants (e.g., GitHub Copilot, Cursor, Claude) or AI-powered analysis tools in an engineering context
• Strong communication skills and ability to work effectively in cross-functional teams

Responsibilities

• Support and drive development of Vehicle Dynamics features relating to Chassis
• Controls, Torque Vectoring, and Active Driveline, under guidance of Staff and Principal engineers
• Collaborate cross-functionally with OEM stakeholders to define User Stories and Vehicle Dynamics Performance Attributes
• Derive attributes top-down for sub-systems and components (Mechanical, Electrical, and Software) using first principles for performance and safety
• Develop and document requirements at vehicle, system, and component level with full traceability
• Interface with other technical functional domains to ensure proper vehicle-level quality, integration, and manufacturability
• Support attribute verification and vehicle performance evaluation
• Contribute to feature-level DFMEAs using traditional methods and MBSE
• Support System-level Functional Safety work products compliant with ISO 26262 guidelines
• Support in-vehicle testing and validation globally
• Contribute to DVP&R development working alongside senior engineers to formulate, conduct, and capture validation tests at various levels (SIL, HIL, Component, and Vehicle)
• Participate in troubleshooting issues, applying structured root cause analysis methodologies
• Actively utilize AI-assisted tools (e.g., LLM-based coding assistants, AI-enhanced simulation pre/post-processing, automated requirements traceability tools) to improve throughput and quality of engineering deliverables
• Assist in development, commissioning and maintaining physics based vehicle models with focus on semi‑active & active suspension systems. (MATLAB or AI based tooling)
• Apply AI tools to accelerate data analysis from proving ground and lab test events, reducing cycle time from test to insight
• Use AI-assisted scripting and code generation (Python/MATLAB) to automate repetitive analysis tasks and generate first-pass calibration documentation

Skills

Vehicle dynamics

Systems engineering

Controls engineering

Electrical engineering

Mechanical engineering

AI tools

Functional safety

Team collaboration

SIL/HIL testing

Python MATLAB

Education

Bachelor's degree in Electrical, Mechanical, Automotive, or Controls Engineering

Master's degree preferred

Tools

Python

MATLAB

GitHub Copilot

MBSE tooling

Jama/Flow

Vector CAN tools

Job description

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies is seeking an engineer to develop and optimize Vehicle Dynamics features across propulsion, chassis controls, torque vectoring, and active driveline systems. The role focuses on leading dynamics feature development, leveraging AI-assisted engineering tools to accelerate analysis, requirements development, and validation workflows.

The ideal candidate is a technically strong systems thinker who embraces AI productivity tools in a fast-paced development