Staff Technical Program Manager, Vehicle Validation

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

Job summary

Rivian is seeking a senior Vehicle Validation leader to own the validation roadmap for California programs, from concept through engineering sign-off. You will translate DFMEAs, requirements, and risks into a cohesive validation strategy across validation pillars and coordinate across engineering, program, test, manufacturing, launch, service, and quality teams.

You will establish dashboards, monitor DVP/SDVP coverage, drive mitigation, and ensure findings feed back into requirements and future

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or a related field is required.
• 8+ years in automotive or complex electro‑mechanical products with cross‑functional leadership experience.
• Deep understanding of vehicle development milestones and how DVPs, DFMEAs, requirements, and build phases support validation.
• Experience planning and orchestrating validation at vehicle or subsystem level, including DVP creation and test/issue closure.
• Fluency with Jira, Confluence, Jama, dashboards, and related data systems to drive decisions, not just report.
• Ability to influence across functions and lead projects with diverse stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Own and continuously improve the integrated vehicle validation roadmap from concept through engineering sign‑off, with decision‑ready deliverables.
• Translate DFMEA, NUDD, requirements, and known product risks into an integrated vehicle validation strategy across Rivian’s validation pillars.
• Build and maintain the integrated vehicle validation plan, including tests, vehicles, maturity, and configuration.
• Lead cross‑functional alignment across engineering, program, test, manufacturing, launch, service, quality, and other partner teams.
• Re‑plan quickly when content, software, build timing, or readiness changes create risk, maintaining a credible path to milestones and launch.
• Establish dashboards and metrics, audit DVP and SDVP coverage, and provide data‑backed updates for accountability and fast decisions.
• Proactively identify gaps and risks, drive mitigation and issue closure, and ensure findings feed back into requirements, DFMEAs, and future plans.
• Apply validation governance and continuous improvement efforts, standardizing methods and tools.

Skills

Dashboards

Data analysis

Influencing

Cross-functional

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or related technical field

Tools

Jira

Confluence

Jama

Job description

Role Summary

Vehicle Validation at Rivian ensures every product delivers exceptional function, quality, reliability, and real-world performance. We perform verification and validation against data-driven requirements that reflect how our customers use our vehicles, connecting DFMEAs, requirements, and validation plans into a cohesive, decision-oriented process.

Responsibilities

• Own and continuously improve the integrated vehicle validation roadmap from concept through engineering sign‑off, with decision‑ready deliverables.
• Translate DFMEA, NUDD, requirements, and known product risks into an integrated vehicle validation strategy across Rivian’s validation pillars.
• Build and maintain the integrated vehicle validation plan, including what tests run when, on which vehicles, at what maturity, and with what configuration.
• Lead cross‑functional alignment across engineering, program, test, manufacturing, launch, service, quality, and other partner teams to align validation coverage, asset plans, timing, and readiness.
• Re‑plan quickly when content, software, build timing, or readiness changes create risk, maintaining a credible path to key milestones and launch.
• Establish dashboards and metrics, audit DVP and SDVP coverage, and provide clear, data‑backed updates that support accountability and fast decision‑making.
• Proactively identify gaps and risks, drive mitigation and issue closure, and ensure findings are fed back into requirements, DFMEAs, and future plans.
• Apply validation governance and continuous improvement efforts, including standardizing methods and tools.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or a related technical field.
• Typically 8+ years of experience in automotive or complex electro‑mechanical products, including significant experience in technical program management, systems engineering, validation, or similar cross‑functional leadership roles.
• Deep understanding of vehicle development milestones, systems engineering, and how DVPs, DFMEAs, requirements, and build phases support validation and launch decisions.
• Demonstrated experience planning and orchestrating validation at the vehicle or major subsystem level, including DVP creation, asset planning, schedule integration, and test or issue closure.
• Strong fluency with tools such as Jira, Confluence, Jama, dashboards, and related data systems to drive decisions, not just reporting.
• Proven ability to influence across functions and levels, operate with limited supervision, lead projects with diverse stakeholders, and make a compelling case for change.

Pay Disclosure

The salary range for this role is $154,000 – $192,500 for California based applicants. 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.

Benefits

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 paid vacation, paid sick leave, and a competitive portfolio of insurance benefits covering life, medical, dental, vision, short‑term disability, and long‑term disability. Eligible employees may also participate in Rivian’s 401(k) Plan and Employee Stock Purchase Program. Full‑time employee coverage is effective on the first day of employment. Part‑time employee coverage is effective the first of the month following 90 days of employment.

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.