Staff Quality Engineer, EV Vehicle Systems

Rivian; Normal (IL); On-site; USD 126,000 - 157,000; Full time

Job summary

Rivian is seeking a highly experienced Staff Quality Engineer to lead the quality program for our EV manufacturing team in Illinois. You will serve as a technical authority, drive scalable quality systems, and mentor the quality group with minimal supervision.

You will own end-to-end customer complaint resolution, lead cross-functional investigations, and coordinate with Production, Engineering, and Supplier Quality to resolve urgent issues. Travel up to 20% may be required.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering.
• 8+ years of dedicated quality engineering experience in automotive or EV manufacturing.
• Deep subject matter expertise in at least one major vehicle system and vehicle-level integration.
• Experience managing customer complaints and containment actions in high-volume production.
• Expert knowledge of ISO 9001/IATF 16949, APQP, and advanced statistical methods.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills (8D or similar); Six Sigma Green Belt is a plus; GD&T proficiency.
• Proven experience as a lead/principal engineer with autonomy and cross-functional influence.
• Willingness to travel at least 20%; may increase.
• Ability to work across shifts if needed; capable of lifting up to 25 pounds.
• Strong communication skills; bilingual in English/Spanish is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Act as a technical authority for entire vehicle systems and ensure holistic integration and quality.
• Design and implement robust quality management processes for a scalable plant-wide quality system.
• Mentor the quality team and drive alignment across Production, Engineering and Supplier Quality.
• Lead complex quality challenges with autonomy and strategic decision-making.
• Own end-to-end customer complaint process for EV manufacturing issues and implement effective corrective actions.
• React quickly to escalations and initiate containment actions on the shop floor.
• Lead investigations (5D/8D, Kaizen), prepare customer-facing reports, ensure timely closure of actions.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams to resolve urgent manufacturing and field quality issues.
• Investigate component failures using tools like 5 Why, Fishbone, FTA; conduct line audits.
• Provide real-time data analysis and quality feedback to support EV production goals.
• Update quality documents based on lessons learned; lead a project as single point of contact for status and actions.

Skills

Analytical thinking

Problem solving

Leadership experience

Cross-functional influence

Communication skills

Travel readiness

Team collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering

Tools

ISO 9001/IATF 16949

APQP

6Sigma / GD&T

Job description

Rivian is seeking a highly experienced Staff Quality Engineer to lead the quality program for our EV manufacturing team in Illinois. You will serve as a technical authority, drive scalable quality systems, and mentor the quality group with minimal supervision.

You will own end-to-end customer complaint resolution, lead cross-functional investigations, and coordinate with Production, Engineering, and Supplier Quality to resolve urgent issues. Travel up to 20% may be required.