UIUC Research Park Intern - Validation

Rivian; Champaign (IL); On-site; USD 34,440 - 55,104; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid vacation

Paid sick leave

Medical insurance benefits

Job summary

Rivian is offering an internship for summer 2026 focused on SoC validation in Champaign, Illinois. Ideal candidates are students in electrical or computer science engineering programs with strong skills in C/C++. Responsibilities include validating SoC designs, documenting progress in a tracking system, and building benchmark tools.

The internship provides a salary ranging from $25.00 to $40.00 per hour, and Rivian promotes a diverse and inclusive working environment.

Qualifications

• Currently pursuing a degree at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign.
• Actively pursuing a related degree in Electrical or Computer Science Engineering.
• Prior experience in AMD Zynq FPGA PetaLinux development is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Work with SoC validation team to refine and execute the SoC validation plan.
• Use C/C++ and FPGA technology to validate SoC for the next generation.
• Generate test coverage reports.
• Build benchmark tools for performance evaluation.
• Document validation progress in tracking system.

Skills

Proficient in C/C++

Scripting languages (e.g., Python, Linux shell)

Good knowledge in FPGA design and Verilog

Strong analytical skills

Written and verbal communication skills

Experience in embedded software development

Experience with SoC peripheral interfaces (e.g., JTAG, I2C)

Education

Pursuing a bachelor’s, master’s, or PhD degree

Degree in Electrical or Computer Science Engineering

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

Internship Term: Summer 2026

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 2026 through May 2028. 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.

Responsibilities

• Work with SoC validation team to refine and execute the SoC validation plan
• Use C/C++ software and FPGA technology to validate SoC for the next generation hardware design, enable SoC internal functional blocks and peripheral interfaces.
• Generate test coverage reports
• Build benchmark tools to evaluate performance of the hardware system, including throughput, latency, resource utilization, IO or compute frequency metrics
• Document validation progress and results in Rivian’s tracking system, to maintain good traceability

Qualifications

• Must be currently pursuing a bachelor’s, master’s, or PhD degree at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign
• Actively pursuing a degree or one closely related in Electrical or Computer Science Engineering
• Proficient in C/C++ and scripting language (e.g., Python, Linux shell, etc.)
• Good knowledge in FPGA design and Verilog languages
• Strong analytical skills, written and verbal communication skills, and a team player
• Experience with courses or projects focusing on platform/embedded software development
• Prior experience in SoC peripheral interfaces like JTAG, I2C, UART, SPI, ethernet, DDR, PCIe is a plus
• Prior experience in AMD Zynq FPGA PetaLinux development is a plus

Pay Disclosure

The salary range for this role is $25.00–40.00 per hour for normal 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. 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].

Candidate Data Privacy

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.