Pre-Production Quality 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.

The Staff Pre-production Quality Engineer is a senior technical and leadership role accountable for defining, communicating, and executing the pre-production quality strategy across all launch phases.

In addition to end-to-end quality accountability for readiness across all launch phases, they serve as the primary reference for selected commodities and key validation processes, drive cross-functional alignment, and elevate quality standards through lessons learned, process efficiency, and mentorship.

• Translate program, design vision, engineering quality targets & standards, and leadership expectations, into clear phase-specific deliverables, actionable technical requirements and build instructions for pre-production and production teams. In addition to set priorities for next steps within team and cross-functional teams.
• Facilitate agreement on risks, priorities, and mitigation plans across Design, ME/PE, Production, Process / Corporate Quality, and Program teams.
• Act as the go-to technical contact for assigned commodities, guiding design, validation, and manufacturing decisions from a quality perspective.
• Own and refine at least one major validation process (RQA, Water Test, Quality Gates, etc.), ensuring it is robust, efficient, and aligned to build-in-quality principles.
• Provide in depth design for manufacture (DFM) feedback to the Product Engineering team to ensure that our assembly processes are cost efficient, robust and deliver high quality results.
• Proactively identify design, manufacturability, and feasibility risks; facilitate solutions that balance design intent and production reality.
• Solve technically complex problems using fundamental, data driven methodologies. Aptitude for learning systems quickly.
• Lead complex issue resolution;
  Direct cross-functional root cause validation and decision-making for high-impact issues, ensuring clear containment, corrective actions, and robust validation.
• Model best practices for RC and coach others on clear problem statements, evidence-based analysis, realistic implementation plans, and strong recurrence prevention
• Define and validate process capability.
• Help drive and ensure activities that span multiple teams are fully closed, including document updates, system updates, and communication of outcomes.
• Institutionalize lessons learned;
  Capture and embed lessons learned into standards, processes, and templates to drive continuous improvement across future launches.
• Audit and help develop Control Plans
• Audit and help develop inspection work instructions for Quality Gates based on specifications and standards.
• Establish and continuously refine processes for design handoffs, build events, sample reviews, and approvals to improve efficiency and reduce errors, in addition to developing and standardizing internal processes.
• Ensure all technical documentation, build instructions, quality gates, and material lists are accurate, complete, and promptly updated as changes occur.
• Create and deliver concise, insight-driven quality status for any launch phase, focusing on wins, key risks, and support needs tied to launch readiness. (Executive-ready reporting)
• Provide accurate, balanced updates in informal leadership touch points, maintaining discretion, clarity, and solution orientation (Confident informal communication)
• Mentor less-experienced engineers (RIV-5, interns, or group leaders), modeling high standards in technical depth, communication, and ownership.
• Up-level quality culture;
  Champion a build-in-quality mindset by influencing how teams think about risk, readiness, and the cost of inaction.

• BS/MS/PhD in…