Staff Technical Program Manager, Battery

Rivian; Tustin (CA); On-site; USD 154,000 - 192,500; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Annual bonus

Equity awards

401(k) plan

Employee Stock Purchase Program

Job summary

Rivian in California seeks a seasoned HV Battery Staff Technical Program Manager to coordinate end-to-end execution from plant floor to field performance diagnostics, aligning cross-functional teams to maximize value and customer experience.

You will drive production plans, supply, RCIs, DVIs, and field service programs, ensuring on-time delivery of battery packs and rapid issue resolution in a fast-paced environment.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in technical program management, engineering leadership, or operations within automotive, EV, battery manufacturing, or aerospace industries.
• Bachelor’s degree in engineering; a Master’s or MBA is highly preferred.
• Proven leadership with a track record of managing complex, cross-functional programs from concept to manufacturing launch.
• Deep technical familiarity with EV high‑voltage battery system architectures, lifecycle, and field reliability metrics.
• Strong problem-solving methodologies (5-Why, 8D, Fishbone, Six Sigma) and risk mitigation tools (DFMEA, PFMEA, Process Control Plans).
• Expertise with Jira, Confluence, Jama, and PLM environments for tracking and collaboration.
• Excellent communication skills to synthesize failures into clear status visuals for executives.
• First-principles approach with urgency and ownership in fast-paced, ambiguous settings.

Responsibilities

• Develop program plans, monitor execution, publish leadership status reports, and drive proactive issue mitigation.
• Manage cross-functional priorities for battery sub-systems, plant production, field performance, and rapid issue resolution.
• Coordinate pack production and delivery to GA; oversee RCIs and corrective actions.
• Provide leadership and structure for DVIs, containment, and resolution of RCs in manufacturing.
• Oversee field service program management and customer performance tracking; ensure availability of service packs and critical components.
• Close the improvement loop by feeding field learnings back into new pack development.

Skills

Technical program management

Cross-functional leadership

EV battery systems

Problem solving

Executive communication

Education

Bachelor's in Engineering

Master's in Engineering or MBA preferred

Tools

Jira

Confluence

Jama

PLM (Enovia/3DEXPERIENCE)

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

Are you a seasoned technical program leader with a passion for driving execution in high‑voltage systems? Do you thrive in a dynamic, highly cross‑functional environment where your leadership directly impacts production stability, engineering rigor, and customer satisfaction? Join our team at Rivian as an HV Battery Staff Technical Program Manager in Tustin CA, where you will lead the charge in coordinating end‑to‑end execution—from plant floor execution to field performance diagnostics—ensuring our cross‑functional teams align effort to maximize value for the business and deliver an exceptional customer experience.

Responsibilities

• Establish comprehensive program plans, perform execution monitoring, author leadership status reports, and drive proactive issue mitigation across various team objectives and goals.
• Drive strategic priority management across cross‑functional team members for the overarching areas of Battery/sub‑system/component supply, plant production execution and delivery, field/customer performance, and rapid issue resolution:
  • Coordinate supplied pack production and delivery to General Assembly (GA):
    • Manage end‑to‑end demand and supply alignment to secure production throughput and inventory health.
    • Oversee root cause (RC) concern investigations and fast‑track corrective action implementation.
  • Oversee R1 and R2 In‑House pack production and delivery to GA:
    • Monitor, report, and systematically drive down manufacturing shop floor scrap.
    • Provide technical leadership and structure to accelerate hospital asset disposition decisions.
    • Manage the cross‑functional tracking, validation, and execution of engineering deviations (DVIs).
    • Direct the containment and permanent closure of manufacturing root cause concerns (RCs).
  • Direct Field Service program management and customer performance tracking:
    • Oversee complex field failure data analysis and coordinate necessary design or software mitigation changes.
    • Guarantee service pack, High Voltage Distribution Box (HVDB), and critical component availability across Product Distribution Centers (PDCs) to support rapid field replacements.
    • Optimize battery remanufacturing (Reman) workflows to efficiently recover and rebuild replaced assets.
    • Establish second‑life battery application streams to recover asset replacement costs and maximize business value.
  • Close the continuous improvement loop:
    • Systematically feed production data and field service lessons learned back into new pack development programs to eliminate risk and prevent issue recurrence.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in technical program management, engineering leadership, or operations within the automotive, electric vehicle, battery manufacturing, or aerospace industries.
• A Bachelor’s degree in an engineering discipline (Mechanical, Electrical, Systems, Mechatronics, or related); a Master’s degree or MBA is highly preferred.
• Proven leadership capability with a track record of running complex, high‑visibility, cross‑functional programs from early concept development through manufacturing launch and serial production.
• Deep technical familiarity with electric vehicle high‑voltage battery system architectures, component development lifecycles, and field reliability metrics.
• Strong command of disciplined problem‑solving methodologies (e.g., 5‑Why, 8D, Fishbone, Six Sigma) and risk‑mitigation tools (DFMEA, PFMEA, and Process Control Plans).
• Expertise with industry‑standard tracking and collaboration platforms, specifically Jira, Confluence, Jama, and PLM environments (such as Enovia/3DEXPERIENCE).
• Exceptional communication skills, with a demonstrated capability to synthesize complex engineering failures into clear status visuals and actionable mitigation steps for executive leadership.
• A first‑principles approach to technical constraints, combined with a high degree of urgency, strong personal ownership, and comfort operating in fast‑paced, ambiguous areas.

Pay Disclosure

The salary range for this role is USD 154,000 - 192,500 for 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 [e-mail].