Technical Program Manager, Vehicle Validation

Role Summary

Vehicle Validation at Rivian ensures every product delivers exceptional function, quality, reliability, and real-world performance. We perform verification and validation against data-driven requirements that reflect how our customers use our vehicles, connecting DFMEAs, requirements, and validation plans into a cohesive, decision-oriented process.

As a Staff Technical Program Manager, Vehicle Validation, you will lead the vehicle-level validation roadmap across programs from concept through launch and beyond. You will provide the program management spine that aligns vehicle-level DVPs, validation assets and build plans, cross-functional timing, risk, and readiness, while raising the bar on how Rivian plans, governs, and improves validation across the function.

• Own and continuously improve the integrated vehicle validation roadmap from concept through engineering sign-off, with decision-ready deliverables.
• Translate DFMEA, NUDD, requirements, and known product risks into an integrated vehicle validation strategy across Rivian’s validation pillars.
• Build and maintain the integrated vehicle validation plan, including what tests run when, on which vehicles, at what maturity, and with what configuration.
• Lead cross-functional alignment across engineering, program, test, manufacturing, launch, service, quality, and other partner teams to align validation coverage, asset plans, timing, and readiness.
• Re-plan quickly when content, software, build timing, or readiness changes create risk, maintaining a credible path to key milestones and launch.
• Establish dashboards and metrics, audit DVP and SDVP coverage, and provide clear, data-backed updates that support accountability and fast decision-making.
• Proactively identify gaps and risks, drive mitigation and issue closure, and ensure findings are fed back into requirements, DFMEAs, and future plans.
• Apply validation governance and continuous improvement efforts, including standardizing methods and tools.

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or a related technical field.
• Typically 8+ years of experience in automotive or complex electro-mechanical products, including significant experience in technical program management, systems engineering, validation, or similar cross-functional leadership roles.
• Deep understanding of vehicle development milestones, systems engineering, and how DVPs, DFMEAs, requirements, and build phases support validation and launch decisions.
• Demonstrated experience planning and orchestrating validation at the vehicle or major subsystem level, including DVP creation, asset planning, schedule integration, and test or issue closure.
• Strong fluency with tools such as Jira, Confluence, Jama, dashboards, and related data systems to drive decisions, not just reporting.
• Proven ability to influence across functions and levels, operate with limited supervision, lead projects with diverse stakeholders, and make a compelling case for change.

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