Staff Electrical Systems Engineer

Rivian; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 167,000 - 209,000; Full time

Job summary

Rivian in Palo Alto seeks a senior hardware architect to shape and validate infrastructure for autonomy initiatives. You will own system level design, select components, and guide PoC efforts across software, mechanical, and thermal teams.

The role emphasizes collaboration, rapid prototyping, and rigorous validation to decide on pursuing hardware paths or pivoting. You will lead bring-up, debugging, and delivery of PoC systems.

Qualifications

• 8+ years of industry experience in hardware or embedded systems.
• Proficiency with Electrical CAD tools for schematic capture and PCB layout.
• Strong system architecture, component selection, and high-speed design.
• Experience driving hardware projects from concept to validation in fast-paced R&D.
• Excellent cross-functional communication with software, mechanical, and thermal teams.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate on exploring hardware proposals and vet PoC designs.
• Find sponsors and present cases for funding hardware exploration.
• Own system level design including component selection and layout.
• Engage with SW, Mechanical, and Thermal teams for cohesive delivery.
• Lead bring-up, debug, and delivery of PoC systems for evaluation and scaling.

Education

Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related field

Tools

Altium

Cadence

Zuken

Job description

About Us

Rivianis on a mission to keep the world adventurous forever. This goes for the emissions-free Electric Adventure Vehicles we build, and the curious, courageous souls we seek to attract.

As a company, we constantly challenge what’s possible, never simply accepting what has always been done. We reframe old problems, seek new solutions and operate comfortably in areas that are unknown. Our backgrounds are diverse, but our team shares a love of the outdoors and a desire to protect it for future generations.

Role Summary

Role is on a nascent team exploring hardware projects supporting and enhancing Rivian’s autonomy goals and ability to overdeliver on automotive capability, reliability and ultimately customer experience. The work is to demonstrate how design and ownership of some infrastructure hardware is a force multiplier for realizing Rivian’s ambitious goals or quickly demonstrating that it is not a path worth pursuing.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with colleagues on exploring hardware proposals, capturing purpose and minimum requirements to vet proof-of-concept designs.
• Find sponsors and present technical cases for funding the exploration of infrastructure hardware supporting autonomy goals.
• Own the System Level Design, including component selection, system architecture definition, and schematic capture/layout.
• Engage adjacent SW, Mechanical, and Thermal teams to ensure cohesive cross-functional ownership and delivery of solutions.
• Lead bring-up, debug, and delivery of POC systems to consumer teams for evaluation while planning for future volume scaling.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related field with 8+ years of industry experience.
• Proficiency with Electrical CAD tools (e.g., Altium, Cadence, or Zuken) for complex schematic capture and PCB layout oversight.
• Strong background in system architecture design, component selection, and high-speed digital or power electronics design.
• Experience driving hardware projects from concept through validation in a fast-paced R&D or nascent product environment.
• Excellent cross-functional communication skills to collaborate with software, mechanical, and thermal engineering teams.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Prior experience with sensor fusion
• Prior experience with AI hardware accelerators
• Familiarity with hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing
• Familiarity with Data Center Infrastructure

Pay Disclosure

The salary range for this role is $167,000-$209,000 for Palo Alto, CA-based applicants. This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. An employee’s position within the salary range will be based on several factors, including but not limited to specific competencies, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, shift, and organizational needs. The successful candidate may be eligible for an annual performance bonus and equity awards.

We offer a comprehensive package of benefits for full-time and part-time employees, their spouse or domestic partner, and children up to age 26, including but not limited to paid vacation, paid sick leave, and a competitive portfolio of insurance benefits, including life, medical, dental, vision, short-term disability insurance, and long-term disability insurance to eligible employees. You may also have the opportunity to participate in Rivian’s 401(k) Plan and Employee Stock Purchase Program if you meet certain eligibility requirements. Full-time employee coverage is effective on their first day of employment. Part-time employee coverage is effective the first of the month following 90 days of employment. More information about benefits is available at rivianbenefits.com.

Company Statements

Equal Opportunity

Rivian is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local fair employment practices laws. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information or characteristics, physical or mental disability, marital/domestic partner status, age, military/veteran status, medical condition, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Rivian is committed to ensuring that our hiring process is accessible for persons with disabilities. If you have a disability or limitation, such as those covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act, that requires accommodations to assist you in the search and application process, please email us [e-mail].

Candidate Data Privacy and Technology

Rivian may collect, use and disclose your personal information or personal data (within the meaning of the applicable data protection laws) when you apply for employment and/or participate in our recruitment processes (“Candidate Personal Data”). This data includes contact, demographic, communications, educational, professional, employment, social media/website, network/device, recruiting system usage/interaction, security and preference information. Rivian may use your Candidate Personal Data for the purposes of (i) tracking interactions with our recruiting system; (ii) carrying out, analyzing and improving our application and recruitment process, including assessing you and your application and conducting employment, background and reference checks; (iii) establishing an employment relationship or entering into an employment contract with you; (iv) complying with our legal, regulatory and corporate governance obligations; (v) recordkeeping; (vi) ensuring network and information security and preventing fraud; and (vii) as otherwise required or permitted by applicable law.

Rivian may share your Candidate Personal Data with (i) internal personnel who have a need to know such information in order to perform their duties, including individuals on our People Team, Finance, Legal, and the team(s) with the position(s) for which you are applying; (ii) Rivian affiliates; and (iii) Rivian’s service providers, including providers of background checks, staffing services, and cloud services.

Rivian may transfer or store internationally your Candidate Personal Data, including to or in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the European Union and in the cloud, and this data may be subject to the laws and accessible to the courts, law enforcement and national security authorities of such jurisdictions.

How We Use AI in Our Hiring Process: To ensure transparency, we want candidates to know that Rivian uses iCIMS Talent Cloud Artificial Intelligence (TCAI) and AI-enabled tools to assist with screening, reviewing, organizing and highlighting profiles and applications that match the key requirements for each role.

AI does not make hiring decisions: Qualified candidate applications are reviewed by a member of our team, and all decisions throughout the process are made by humans. We use AI to support efficiency and consistency, not to replace human judgment. We are committed to a fair, thoughtful, and equitable experience for every candidate.

Participation in AI profile matching is entirely voluntary. If you prefer that your profile not be used in this process, you can opt out at any time. Opting out means your profile will be excluded from automated matching and will not be surfaced for additional roles through this system. Your current application remains active and will not be affected in any way.

Please note that we are currently not accepting applications from third party application services.