Lead Program Manager, Returnable Container Operations & Logistics

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.

Rivian is seeking a highly motivated, floor‑focused, and strategically minded Lead Program Manager, Returnable Container Operations & Logistics to architect, direct, and oversee the end‑to‑end physical lifecycle, strategy, and execution of our reusable packaging and container fleet. This is not a traditional, desk‑bound corporate PM role. As a Lead, you will serve as the ultimate subject matter expert and senior escalation point, actively bridging shop floor reality with external partner accountability to ensure our manufacturing facilities have 100% container availability to support production.

You will have primary operational and financial authority over our 3rd‑Party Logistics (3PL) container management vendor, acting as the strategic liaison between component suppliers, the 3PL, and executive internal teams. Your mission is to drive overarching fleet optimization strategy, establish strict enterprise‑wide maintenance and cleaning protocols, design systems to minimize loss, and champion circular economy practices across our supply chain.

This role requires leading by example on the floor and mentoring cross‑functional peers, and will be onsite in Normal, IL.

• Cleaning & Process Governance: Architect, implement, and govern the standardized processes for cleaning returnable packaging. Set enterprise‑wide quality standards, specific procedural steps, and strict cleaning cadences.
• Preventative Maintenance (PM) Strategy: Design and oversee the strategic rollout of preventative maintenance schedules for all existing and new returnable packaging assets. Lead this initiative from the front, setting the standard for rigorous cadences to maximize asset lifecycle and ROI.
• Systemic Asset Control: Direct and optimize comprehensive internal and external (parts suppliers) physical asset counts. Develop systemic processes for these intervals (quarterly/semi‑annual) to maintain absolute inventory integrity, proactively identify shrinkage trends, and eliminate fleet loss.

• Gemba Leadership & Floor Presence: Maintain a commanding daily presence on the production and warehouse floor. Act as a senior operational leader to directly observe container utilization, identify systemic bottlenecks, and drive cross‑functional process improvements face‑to‑face with Plant Operations and Material Supply leadership.
• Data‑Driven Optimization: Leverage advanced data analytics to architect a predictive, proactive container planning model, transitioning the network away from reactive "shortage response." Set the benchmark for auditing physical container flows to validate and refine systemic data.

• Vendor Strategy & Enforcement: Command overall operational and cost accountability for the 3rd‑party container operations vendor (3PL). Steer strategic vendor relationships and aggressively track performance against strict SLAs regarding container sorting, cleaning, maintenance, and dispatching.
• Root Cause & Systemic Compliance: Lead complex root‑cause analyses for critical supply chain issues and serve as the final authority on escalations. Design and enforce overarching chargeback mechanisms for component…