Powertrain NVH 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 Powertrain NVH Engineer is part of the NVH Attributes team and plays a critical role in driving the noise, vibration refinement of Rivian electric powertrains. The position is responsible for leading powertrain‑focused NVH development, spanning electric motors, gearboxes, bearings, differentials, pumps, mechanical disconnect systems, mounts, and full drive unit assemblies. This engineer will collaborate closely with powertrain design, controls, CAE, manufacturing, and vehicle integration teams to execute component, subsystem, and vehicle‑level NVH testing, diagnose root causes, and drive design improvements that elevate Rivian’s refinement, sound quality, and customer experience.

This role requires a high degree of hands‑on agility and physical engagement, including the ability to install and remove sensors and powertrain hardware, manipulate test setups, and support vehicle and dynamometer testing. It requires the ability to lift, move, and handle test equipment and powertrain components, work in confined or industrial spaces, and stand or move for extended periods during test execution.

The role will be located at Rivian’s Plymouth, MI engineering offices, with expected travel to testing and development facilities across the U.S. (Arizona, Michigan, Illinois, Atlanta, Texas, etc.).

• Lead powertrain NVH development across electric drive units, including electric motors, gearboxes, bearings, differentials, pumps, mechanical disconnect solenoids, housings, mounts, and vehicle integration.
• Plan and execute component, subsystem, and vehicle‑level NVH testing in both laboratory and on‑road environments with a focus on electric powertrain sources and their interactions.
• Perform sound power measurements for motors, gearboxes, pumps, and complete drive units to support target setting, benchmarking, and design validation.
• Lead and apply Blocked Force Transfer Path Analysis (TPA) and traditional TPA methods to quantify source strengths from motors, gears, bearings, pumps, and disconnect mechanisms, and identify dominant NVH paths into the vehicle.
• Generate in‑depth diagnostics using FRFs, modal analysis, and operating deflection shape (ODS) analysis to isolate structure‑borne and airborne noise mechanisms across rotating and actuated powertrain components.
• Analyze and influence electric motor NVH, including Permanent Magnet Synchronous Motors (PMSM) and induction motors, electromagnetic excitation, torque ripple, rotor–stator interactions, rotor construction, skew strategies, and mechanical‑electromagnetic coupling.
• Investigate and resolve NVH concerns related to bearings, gear meshes, differentials, pumps, and mechanical disconnect solenoids, including tonal noise, broadband noise, transient events, and order‑related phenomena.
• Lead NVH development of powertrain mounting systems, including rubber and elastomeric mounts, and evaluate mount tuning effects on system and vehicle NVH.
• Plan and conduct NVH tests to correlate and validate CAE models, enabling predictive powertrain NVH development and robust design decisions.
• Partner closely with design, controls, CAE, manufacturing, and vehicle integration teams to implement NVH‑driven design changes efficiently and pragmatically.
• Translate complex NVH data into clear, concise, and actionable technical reports and recommendations for engineering leadership and cross‑functional stakeholders.
• Develop and standardize robust NVH test procedures, data processing workflows, and automation tools to improve efficiency, repeatability, and scalability across programs.
• Actively contribute to continuous improvement initiatives,…