Lead CAE Model Build Engineer

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

The Lead CAE Model Build Engineer serves as the technical backbone of the virtual validation process. You will own the full-vehicle assembly pipeline, acting as the primary bridge between Design (CAD) and Analysis (CAE). This role requires managing the complex logistics of model maturation while technically executing high-fidelity model builds for Safety, NVH, Durability and Vehicle Dynamics.

Responsibilities

• Model Build Management & Planning:
• Define and track the CAE model build timeline, ensuring alignment with vehicle program milestones (Gate reviews, Prototype releases).
• Resource planning for external vendors or internal teams to ensure model delivery targets are met.
• Serve as the single source of truth for model versioning and configuration management.
• Data Integration & Communication:
• Lead inter-team communication to gather geometry, BOM, and fastener data from Body, Chassis, Powertrain, and Interior teams.
• Resolve geometry conflicts and connection issues directly with Design Engineers prior to mesh generation.
• Standardize part naming conventions and hierarchy to ensure seamless PDM/PLM data synchronization.
• Technical Execution (ANSA & Solvers):
• General: Oversee the master assembly of full-vehicle FEA models within ANSA, utilizing Include management and Task Manager workflows.
• Safety (LS-DYNA): Manage occupant and structural safety model assembly, ensuring correct contact definitions, material mapping, and barrier setups.
• NVH (Optistruct): Lead the creation of trimmed body models, defining mass distribution, connection stiffness, and load case setups for modal and FRF analysis.
• Durability (Abaqus & LS-DYNA): construct implicit and explicit models for fatigue and strength analysis, focusing on bolt preload retention, bushing non-linearity, and sub-modeling techniques.
• Process Development & Automation:
• Develop and maintain Python scripts for ANSA to automate repetitive tasks (batch meshing, connector realization, quality checking).
• Design model databases to be "AI-Ready" by standardizing metadata and topology, facilitating future predictive modeling and surrogate model training.
• Create common connection master files to allow rapid switching between discipline-specific representations (e.g., changing a spot weld from a rigid element for Safety to a ACM/CWELD for NVH automatically).

Qualifications

• Education: Bachelor's or Master's degree in Mechanical, Aerospace, or Civil Engineering.
• Experience: 12+ years of dedicated CAE Model Build experience in an automotive OEM or Tier 1 environment.
• Software Mastery:
• ANSA: Expert-level proficiency is mandatory. Must be capable of complex batch meshing, morphing, and database management.
• Solvers: Deep understanding of deck formatting, control cards, and element formulations for LS-DYNA, Optistruct, and Abaqus.
• PDM:
  Experience with PDM systems (Enovia, Teamcenter)
• Domain Knowledge: Solid understanding of Body-in-White (BIW) structures, fastening technologies (SPR, FDS, laser welds), and plastics modeling.

Preferred Skills

• Proficient in Python for CAE automation.
• Excellent cross-department communication skills
• Experience implementing AI/ML workflows in engineering (data cleaning for training sets).

Pay Disclosure

The salary range for this role is $154,000-$192,500 for Southern 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…