Staff Power Electronics Systems Engineer

Rivian; Sacramento (CA); On-site; USD 141,000 - 176,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) Plan

Equity awards

Paid vacation

Job summary

Rivian in California seeks an experienced Systems Engineer to advance power electronic components for EVs and DC fast chargers. You will lead MBSE-driven requirements, work with hardware, software, and controls teams, and guide design from concept to production.

The role requires a Master’s in Electrical or Systems Engineering, 8+ years in automotive/EV, and hands-on experience with DFMEA, SIL/HIL testing, and power electronics such as DC-AC inverters and on-board chargers.

Qualifications

• Master's degree in Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or related field.
• 8+ years in Systems Engineering, preferably automotive/EV.
• Experience with power electronic design, including thermal management and control algorithms.
• Understanding of DC-AC inverters, DC-DC converters, and AC-DC power electronics applications.
• Knowledge of J1772/ CCS, CAN, and vehicle communication protocols.

Responsibilities

• Translate vehicle requirements into system and component specifications.
• Define system-level requirements aligned with safety and regulatory standards.
• Maintain traceability between hardware, software, systems, and tests.
• Use MATLAB/Simulink, Ansys, and PLECS for design analysis and model-based engineering.
• Lead DFMEA efforts and drive risk mitigation.
• Collaborate with hardware, controls, software, and test teams.
• Develop and validate acceptance and test plans at various levels.

Skills

Power electronics design

MBSE

DFMEA leadership

SIL/HIL testing

System requirements

Team leadership

CAN protocols

Signal integrity

Education

Master's degree in Electrical Engineering or Systems Engineering

Tools

MATLAB/Simulink

Ansys

PLECS

Job description

About Rivian

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.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

We are looking for an experienced Systems Engineer to join our team developing the power electronic components going into Rivian's future electric vehicles and DC Fast Chargers. This role requires a technical background in power electronics and a strong understanding of electric vehicle systems. The ideal candidate will have development experience with Traction Inverters, On-board Chargers (OBCs), DC-DC Converters or DC Fast Charger AC-DC power conversion electronics. As a key member of a Product Development Team, you will have responsibilities over the full product lifecycle, from initial design conceptualization and requirements definition to production support.

Responsibilities

• Translate high-level vehicle requirements into detailed, actionable system and component-level specifications
• Define and manage system-level requirements for new EV power electronics products, ensuring alignment with vehicle-level performance, safety, and regulatory standards
• Ensure upstream and downstream traceability between hardware, software, systems, technical requirements, and relevant test cases within the requirement management tool
• Leverage simulation tools (e.g., MATLAB/Simulink, Ansys, PLECS) to guide or perform design analysis, model system behavior, and derive robust requirements
• Analyze and advise on technology options and conduct trade studies
• Lead DFMEA efforts with a cross-functional mix of product development team members
• Take a primary role in subsystem and vehicle integration activities and work with the product development team to resolve integration issues
• Resolve systems (hardware/software) related failures and develop short- and long-term corrective plans
• Act as the primary technical interface with internal and external stakeholders, including the vehicle integration teams
• Contribute to the development of acceptance test and validation test specifications and procedures
• Collaborate with the Rivian test teams to develop comprehensive validation plans employing test methods at the HIL, Unit, System, and Vehicle test levels
• Assist in resolving issues uncovered during the product validation testing
• Develop, execute, and document results for vehicle-level validation tests that address requirements owned by the product development team
• Work with hardware design, controls, software, and test engineering peers to achieve world-class product results
• Participate in roadmap planning for future products
• Champion best practices in systems engineering, including requirements management, failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA), and risk mitigation
• Report out the Systems Engineering deliverable status to the Product Development and l eadership teams.

Qualifications

• Education: Master's degree or advanced degree in Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related field
• Minimum of 8+ years of experience in Systems Engineering, preferably within the automotive or EV industry
• Demonstrated ability to develop requirements based on simulations and model-based systems engineering (MBSE) principles
• Experience with power electronic design and analysis, including semiconductor selection, thermal management, magnetics, and control algorithms
• Understanding of the systems design architecture, hardware electronics design, and software architecture design of DC-AC Inverters, DC-DC Converters, and AC-DC power electronics applications
• Proven understanding of on-board charging standards (e.g., J1772, CCS) and vehicle communication protocols (e.g., CAN)
• Knowledgeable in vehicle-to-grid (V2G) and power export technologies, including relevant standards and use cases, is a plus
• Strong understanding of the automotive industry guidelines (e.g. ISO, IEC) and country-specific regulatory requirements applicable to electric vehicle on-board and off-board power electronic components
• Knowledge of failure modes and failure effects of electronic hardware designs with an in-depth knowledge of DFMEA processes
• Experience leading DFMEAs
• Familiarity with functional safety processes and standards for safety-critical automotive systems (ISO 26262)
• Understanding of hardware and software validation testing at various levels (SIL, HIL, Unit, and Vehicle).
• Experience leading root cause analysis activities with techniques such as fault tree analysis and fishbone diagrams
• Ability to work in a fast-paced development environment
• Excellent communication, leadership, and problem-solving skills

Pay Disclosure

The salary range for this role is USD 140,600-175,800 for Southern California 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 .

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 .

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.