Staff Mechanical Design Engineer, ECU

Rivian; Palo Alto (CA); On-site; USD 149,000 - 187,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid vacation

Competitive insurance benefits

401(k) Plan access

Job summary

An innovative electric vehicle manufacturer in Palo Alto seeks a Mechanical Engineer to lead the mechanical development of electronic control units. This role requires over 10 years of experience in automotive, with expertise in component design, particularly in thermal management and PCB integration. The successful candidate will work in a collaborative team to optimize integration of mechanical systems, driving innovation in the EV industry. A comprehensive benefits package is available, including performance bonuses and equity awards.

Qualifications

• 10+ years industry experience within automotive or related fields.
• Experience in designing components or systems.
• Leadership experience in cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead the mechanical development of ECUs.
• Partner with teams to define component requirements.
• Develop thermal management designs.

Skills

Problem solving

Communication skills

CAD design

Thermal management

Team leadership

Education

B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering

Tools

Catia V5/V6/3DX

Job description

About Rivian

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

Rivian is 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. We constantly challenge what is possible, never simply accepting what has always been done. Our backgrounds are diverse, but our team shares a love of the outdoors and a desire to protect it for future generations.

If you are aligned with this mission, we want you to join our team. We’re looking for a highly motivated, experienced, multi-disciplined, mechanical engineer to challenge what is possible in the development of our electronic hardware components. Help Rivian lead the way in the future of the EV industry.

Responsibilities

• Lead the mechanical development of ECUs, helping design our next gen internal compute.
• Partner with domain teams and mechanical architecture team to define mechanical component requirements and complete trade studies to optimize integration for performance, manufacturing, and service.
• Develop PCB MCOs, enclosure designs, thermal management designs, Working with EEs and a CAE group to evaluate and validate designs.
• Make component drawings, do tolerance analysis studies, documenting design and design process.
• Support thermal and FEA studies to optimize design of components within our vehicles.
• Use first principles to identify and solve issues through critical thinking and scientific engineering methodologies.
• Develop and document component mechanical functional requirements based on product requirements for custom, semi-custom, and off-the-shelf components.
• Complete component design verification plans to ensure we deliver low mass, low cost, yet durable parts and modules to the vehicle program.
• Perform other duties as required or assigned within the scope of the position.

Qualifications

• At least 10+ years industry experience within automotive or other industries, experience in autonomy preferred, priority given to experience in sensor cleaning development.
• B.S degree (or above), in mechanical engineering, or relevant equivalent experience.
• Experience designing components and /or systems that include mechanism design, thermal design, PCB integration, sensor integration, user interface/user experience (UI/UX) considerations, and class A surface integration.
• Experience leading cross functional teams to innovate and drive new ideas and solutions into products.
• Experience leading the design of components and/or systems that include PCB design, thermal design, PCB integration.
• Lead problem solving electrical system challenges, solving grounding, thermal and structural challenges.
• Be a proficient CAD designer, ideally within Catia V5 / V6 / 3DX, though other equivalent systems will be considered. Advanced surfacing and solid modelling expertise is preferred, along with strong CAD structure/organizational skills.
• Great problem solving and communication skills.
• Lead component drawing creation including GD&T to ASME Y14.5 standards in support of applicable tolerance analyses.
• Ability to identify optimization opportunities from CAE/testing results.
• Experience manufacturing methods such as sheet metal brake-press and stamping, injection molded plastic, cast metals, CNC machining, 3D printing etc.
• Experience in EV vehicle systems, automotive design and manufacturing practices, and low-voltage electrical system integration. Direct experience is preferred.
• Experience leading DFMEA processes and execution.

Pay Disclosure

The salary range for this role is $149,000 - $187,000 for Palo Alto 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 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.

You can apply for this role through careers.rivian.com (or through internal-careers-rivian.icims.com if you are a current employee). This job is not expected to be closed any sooner than April 10, 2026.

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 at [e-mail].

Candidate Data Privacy

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.

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