UIUC Research Park Intern - Computation Methods, Thermal Analysis

Rivian; Champaign (IL); On-site; USD 34,000 - 55,000; Part time

Job summary

Rivian Automotive is seeking student interns for Spring 2027 at the Research Park in Champaign. You will develop computational methods for flow and thermal simulations, focusing on CFD, FE analysis, ROMs, ML, and automation.

The role supports 20 hours per week in Fall/Spring and 40 hours in Summer, with a weekly status update and a monthly project review. You must be an undergraduate or graduate student with an expected graduation date between Dec 2027 and May 2029, enrolled in an accredited

Qualifications

• Must be currently pursuing a Masters or PhD in Engineering at UIUC.
• Actively pursuing a degree or closely related in Engineering.
• Strong background in mathematical analysis, scientific computing, and algorithm development.

Responsibilities

• Perform multiphase CFD simulations for motor cooling using in-house/commercial tools.
• Develop in-house multiphase CFD solvers.
• Conduct conjugate heat transfer FE analysis of motor using in-house/commercial tools.
• Develop in-house FE solvers for thermal simulations.
• Develop reduced-order models for physics-based simulations of flow and thermal systems.
• Apply computational geometry techniques to develop, modify, and analyze engineering designs.
• Develop scripts to streamline product development and automate workflows.
• Use data analysis, meta-modeling, and ML to enhance simulation efficiency.
• Perform design optimization through simulation-driven analysis.

Skills

C/C++

Fortran

MATLAB

Python

HPC

Cloud computing

Multiphase CFD

FE thermal analysis

ML/AI

Data analysis

Education

Masters or PhD in Engineering

Enrollment at UIUC

Engineering-related degree

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

Internship Term: Spring 2027

Rivian internships are experiences optimized for student candidates. To be eligible, you must be an undergraduate or graduate student in an accredited program during the internship term with an expected graduation date between December 2027 through May 2029. Rivian's Internship Program requires active student enrollment. Information regarding your expected degree completion date is collected solely to verify eligibility and determine your availability for future full-time opportunities. Rivian is an equal opportunity employer and does not use graduation dates to determine the age of applicants or as a basis for discriminatory hiring decisions.

If you are not pursuing a degree, please see our full time positions on our Rivian careers site.

Note that if your university has specific requirements for internship programs, it is your responsibility to fulfill those requirements.

No Visa Sponsorship

In this role, you will assist in developing computational methods for flow and thermal simulations. The project(s) will primarily focus on one or more of the following: scientific computing, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) of multiphase flows, finite-element analysis (FEA) of thermal components, 0D/1D simulation of thermo-fluid systems, reduced-order modeling (ROM), numerical heat transfer and thermodynamics, computational geometry, meta modeling, data analysis, calibration, machine learning (ML), process automation, and optimization.

Responsibilities

• Perform multiphase CFD simulations for motor cooling using in-house/commercial tools.
• Develop in-house multiphase CFD solvers.
• Conduct conjugate heat transfer FE analysis of motor using in-house/commercial tools.
• Develop in-house FE solvers for thermal simulations.
• Develop reduced-order models for physics-based simulations of flow and thermal systems.
• Apply computational geometry techniques to develop, modify, and analyze engineering designs.
• Develop scripts to streamline product development and automate workflows.
• Use data analysis, meta-modeling, and machine learning to enhance simulation efficiency.
• Perform design optimization through simulation-driven analysis.

Qualifications

• Must be currently pursuing a masters or PhD degree at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign.
• Actively pursuing a degree or one closely related in Engineering
• Strong background in mathematical analysis, scientific computing, and algorithm development.
• Proficiency in programming: C/C++, Fortran, MATLAB, Python, etc.
• Experience in high-performance computing (HPC) and cloud computing.
• Proficiency in multiphase computational fluid dynamics (CFD).
• Expertise in finite-element (FE) thermal analysis.
• Experience in statistical methods: data analysis, machine learning (ML), and artificial intelligence (AI).
• Must be enrolled at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign.
• Must be able to work out of our office at Research Park.
• Must be available for 20 hours per week in the Fall and Spring and 40 hours in the summer.
• This project will require a weekly task status update and a monthly project update

#LI-HH2

Pay Disclosure

The salary range for this role is $25.00-40.00/hr for Illinois 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.

We offer a comprehensive package of benefits including but not limited to paid vacation, paid sick leave, and medical insurance benefits. Internship positions are not eligible for retirement benefits.

• Paid vacation
• Paid sick leave
• Medical insurance benefits
• Internship positions are not eligible for retirement benefits.

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 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.