Structural Simulation Engineer

About Us

Rivianis 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.

As a Staff Structural Simulation Engineer, you will lead structural and thermo-mechanical risk management for advanced vehicle electronics through high-fidelity numerical simulations. You will define critical design requirements for integrated PCB layouts, enclosures, and cooling architectures to ensure aggressive hardware reliability targets are met. Your role involves establishing material characterization protocols and sophisticated model correlation to maintain world-class simulation fidelity. You will serve as a technical authority, driving strategic cross-functional decisions and leading complex root-cause analysis for pioneering electrical hardware to guide multidisciplinary teams toward engineering excellence.

• Risk Management & Strategy:
  Spearhead structural and thermo-mechanical design risk management for low-voltage electronics assemblies within pioneering vehicle electrical hardware.
• Numerical Simulation & Analysis:
  Execute multi-scale numerical simulations (e.g., random vibrations, shock, thermal-cycling) for electronics assemblies to establish and meet aggressive functional performance and reliability targets.
• Haptic Switches & Tactile Interfaces:
  Conduct structural stiffness assessments and actuation mechanics simulations for haptic switches and touch surfaces to define baseline tactile feel, deformation limits, and long-term switch response.
• Human Comfort & Aggressive Ergonomic Loading:
  Perform non-linear structural evaluations under human comfort loading and aggressive abuse scenarios (such as localized over-actuation, high-impact press forces, and mishandling) to prevent plastic deformation or fatigue failure.
• Sensor & Low-Voltage Electronics Packages:
  Direct multi-physics simulations for critical low-voltage electronic modules and sensing hardware (e.g., radar, ultrasonic, optical, and positional sensors) to minimize thermal/mechanical distortion and structural deflection under operational and environmental stress.
• PCB & Component Optimization:
  Define structural risk margins, dictate component selection, and optimize component layout on heterogeneously integrated printed circuit boards, driving significant performance gains.
• Design Guidance & Architecture:
  Deliver comprehensive design guidance, including setting enclosure stiffness requirements, defining thermal stack-up, optimizing cooling architecture, and specifying material systems to electronics assembly design teams.
• Material Characterization & Database Management:
  Establish material characterization protocols and manage the centralized simulation material database for critical electronics components, polymers, and elastomers, ensuring simulation fidelity.
• Benchmarking & Model Correlation:
  Direct, manage, and validate structural benchmarking activities, including sophisticated model correlation through advanced techniques like sine-sweep testing and high-fidelity strain gauge measurements.
• Validation & Root-Cause Analysis:
  Provide simulation expertise and strategic support to reliability engineering teams for complex root-cause analysis during rigorous testing and validation cycles.
• Cross-Functional Technical Leadership:
  Drive critical, cross-functional program decisions and consensus across multidisciplinary engineering teams, serving as a technical authority to ensure unparalleled product and engineering excellence.

• Master's Degree in Mechanical or Aerospace Engineering or equivalent;
  Ph.D. preferred.
• 3-5 years (Ph.D) / 5-7 years (M.S.) of relevant industry experience working on problems in Structural Mechanics for electronics assemblies.
• Solid understanding of theoretical and experimental structural mechanics with excellent domain knowledge in Non-Linear analysis, Explicit Analysis, Linear Dynamics and Vibrations, and Coupled Thermal-Structural analysis.
• Demonstrated expertise in IC package (electronics package) design, materials, and common Chip-Package Interaction (CPI) failure modes across diverse…