Staff Airbag Systems Engineer – Restraints

Rivian; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 138,000 - 183,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid vacation

Health, dental, vision benefits

401(k) & ESPP

Job summary

Rivian in Irvine, California is seeking an experienced Restraints Engineer to shape airbag systems from concept to high‑volume production. You will drive the design, packaging, and integration of frontal airbags and side curtain deployments across Rivian vehicles with a focus on safety, reliability, and continuous improvement.

The role requires deep expertise in automotive airbag systems, 10+ years in restraints engineering, and strong CAD/PLM skills (CATIA, NX, Enovia).

Qualifications

• Extensive experience designing, packaging, releasing and testing automotive airbag systems (frontal and/or side curtain).
• 10+ years in restraints engineering, OEM or Tier 1 supplier roles.
• Experience taking airbag components through all product development phases.
• Proficient in CATIA, NX and Enovia PLM.
• Strong knowledge of global vehicle safety regulations (FMVSS 208, 214, 226, Euro NCAP).
• Experience with CAE occupant simulation, deployment sled testing, and crash testing.
• Bachelor’s in Mechanical/Automotive/Aerospace Eng; Master’s is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Airbag System Ownership: Lead end‑to‑end design, packaging, and execution of vehicle airbag modules—from initial architecture through high‑volume production.
• CAD & Packaging: Lead product design in CATIA V6 to optimize interior packaging, deployment paths, and integration.
• Studio & Interior Integration: Collaborate with Studio Designers and Interior teams to harmonize packaging with design themes.
• Cross‑Functional Alignment: Coordinate across Body Structure, Crash & Safety/CAE, Electrical, Testing, Tier 1 Suppliers to meet targets.
• BOM & Change Management: Author and manage engineering Bills of Materials.
• Risk & Quality Management: Lead DFMEA for airbag modules and deployment systems across partners.
• Validation & Sign‑Off: Develop DVP&R plans, coordinate tests, and sign off on results.

Skills

Airbag design

Packaging optimization

CAE testing

CATIA V6

NX

Enovia PLM

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor of Science in Mechanical/Automotive/Aerospace Engineering

Tools

CATIA

NX

Enovia PLM

Job description

Rivian in Irvine, California is seeking an experienced Restraints Engineer to shape airbag systems from concept to high‑volume production. You will drive the design, packaging, and integration of frontal airbags and side curtain deployments across Rivian vehicles with a focus on safety, reliability, and continuous improvement.

The role requires deep expertise in automotive airbag systems, 10+ years in restraints engineering, and strong CAD/PLM skills (CATIA, NX, Enovia).