Manager, Battery Cell Safety

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 Manager, Battery Cell Safety will be responsible for defining, validating, and managing all cell safety requirements for Rivian’s current and next‑generation battery platforms. This role requires deep technical expertise in lithium‑ion cell failure mechanisms, abuse testing, and regulatory requirements, as well as a strong interest and curiosity in how to advance the state of the art in battery cell abuse tolerance and safety.

The successful candidate will work closely with Systems Engineering, Pack Design, Pack Validation, Manufacturing Engineering, and Pack Advanced Materials teams to ensure our battery systems meet the highest standards for safety and reliability.

• Cell Safety Specification and Standards:
  • Define and maintain comprehensive cell safety specifications and methodologies, including abuse testing requirements (e.g., thermal runaway, hotbox, accelerating rate calorimetry, deformation, nail penetration, overcharge, crush, etc.).
  • Establish and advocate for internal Rivian cell safety standards that exceed minimum industry and regulatory requirements and support pack‑level safety goals.
  • Integrate cell safety requirements into all stages of the cell development cycle, from selection and qualification through to mass production.
• Validation and Testing:
  • Oversee and execute cell‑level abuse testing programs, both internally and with external lab partners.
  • Develop and implement methods for Thermal Runaway Propagation characterization and mitigation strategies.
  • Analyze test data to identify failure modes, determine root causes, and drive design and manufacturing improvements.
• Cross‑Functional
  
  Collaboration:
  • Work directly with the Cell Development team to influence cell design for intrinsic safety.
  • Collaborate with systems and analysis teams to integrate cell safety into cohesive Energy Storage System safety goals.
  • Partner with Pack Engineering to ensure cell‑level safety inputs are correctly integrated into the battery pack and module design.
  • Collaborate with Test and Validation teams to ensure laboratory best practices and operational excellence.
  • Liaise with Regulatory and Homologation teams to ensure compliance with global safety standards.
• Process and Documentation:
  • Document all safety requirements, test plans, and validation reports.
  • Provide technical input into the Cell Safety DFMEA (Design Failure Mode and Effects Analysis) process.
  • Mentor and lead a team of cell safety engineers.

• Education:
  
  Master’s or PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, or a related field.
• Experience:
  • Minimum of 8 years of experience in the battery industry, with at least 4 years focused specifically on Li‑ion cell safety, failure analysis, and abuse testing.
  • Proven experience in defining safety requirements for automotive or high‑energy storage applications.
  • Management experience leading a technical team.
• Skills:
  • Expert‑level knowledge of Li‑ion cell design, thermal abuse behavior, and failure progression.
  • Strong understanding of battery regulatory and safety standards.
  • Proficiency in data analysis tools and simulation software (e.g., MATLAB, Python).
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex technical information to senior leadership.
• Nice to have:
  • Deep understanding of lithium ion battery mechanical design and manufacturing methods.
  • Fluency in dimensional variation analysis as it pertains to safety‑critical design elements of the cell.
  • Familiarity with battery pack manufacturing processes and how they impact the mechanical design of a cell.
  • Experience with Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing…