Senior Vehicle Test & Lab Strategy Lead

Rivian Automotive; Tustin (CA); On-site; USD 125,000 - 156,000; Full time

Job summary

Rivian is seeking a Staff Operations Engineer to lead full‑vehicle validation and environmental testing in Irvine/Torrance labs. You’ll guide cross‑functional teams across Powertrain, Thermal, NVH, and more to bring programs from concept to production launch.

You will own test strategy, systems, and data workflows, driving improvements in automation, reporting, and safety. Strong leadership and lab management are essential.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical, Mechatronics or Electrical Engineering, or related field.
• 10+ years for staff level in test engineering for complex electro‑mechanical systems.
• Experience designing and executing complex test campaigns and cross‑system issues.
• Strong written and verbal communication for leadership audiences.
• Hands‑on with testbed control, data systems, and lab hardware.

Responsibilities

• Own end‑to‑end test strategy and lab operations for major domains.
• Translate requirements into concrete test methods and criteria.
• Define standards and playbooks for test requests and data quality.
• Lead capability expansion for test systems and maintain lab uptime.
• Develop automation and data processing to improve repeatability and productivity.
• Lead cross‑functional problem solving and executive‑level status updates.

Skills

Test leadership

Lab operations

Cross-functional influence

Test campaigns

Data analysis

Python MATLAB

PUMA tools

Mentoring

Multisite experience

Education

Bachelor’s or Master in Mechanical/Electrical/Mechatronics

Tools

Dyno controllers

PLCs

DAQ

Automation frameworks

Job description

Rivian is seeking a Staff Operations Engineer to lead full‑vehicle validation and environmental testing in Irvine/Torrance labs. You’ll guide cross‑functional teams across Powertrain, Thermal, NVH, and more to bring programs from concept to production launch.

You will own test strategy, systems, and data workflows, driving improvements in automation, reporting, and safety. Strong leadership and lab management are essential.