Sr. Technical Specialist - Interiors

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 Sr. Staff Technical Specialist, you will serve as a technical authority within Rivian’s Interior Engineering team, driving architectural innovation and fundamental first-principles thinking from initial concept through volume production. You will be responsible for leading complex problem-solving initiatives, mentoring design release engineers, and fostering deep cross-functional collaboration to deliver world-class, sustainable interior systems. This role demands a unique blend of strategic vision, first-principals acumen, and commitment to advancing Rivian Interiors through engineering excellence.

• Foster a culture of trust, continuous improvement, and innovation.
• Architect comprehensive technical requirements and specifications that decompose from systems to components using first-principles foundations.
• Champion and coach first-principles engineering with cross functional teams to resolve complex architectural and system-level challenges.
• Mentor Design Release Engineers to develop products that meet functional requirements in advanced-development, development, and launch phases
• Drive D-FMEA development and cascade critical learnings across the enterprise to mitigate risk.
• Institutionalize Prevent Recurrence Actions within new designs to ensure continuous product excellence.
• Guide the development of Product Validation plans, ensure coordinated validation activities, and sign off system validation results
• Develop digital validation methods to support engineering design freeze.
• Advance the Interior Technical Roadmap by pioneering breakthrough technologies.
• Execute system strategies that meet program targets for mass and financial performance.
• Exhibit “Rivian Compass” values in everything you do

• 15+ years delivering full-lifecycle automotive interiors from concept through high-volume production.
• BS in Mechanical Engineering or other related engineering discipline required
• Demonstrated record in applying first-principles engineering to solve high-stakes technical problems.
• Expertise in interior materials, manufacturing processes, and commercial and financial drivers.
• Systems-level thinker committed to driving iterative design and continuous improvement.
• Strong knowledge of FMVSS, ECE, GB, NCAP and other automotive regulatory and consumer requirements
• Strategic ability to balance complex tradeoffs between design, package, and function, prioritizing on a premium customer experience.
• Proficiency in Catia V6 and Enovia for design analysis and data management.
• Willingness to travel globally to support critical vehicle and component launch operations.

The salary range for this role is $176,200 - $220,300 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…