Automotive Program Manager Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

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. 

Lead vehicle program management for the next-generation EDV, overseeing technical and business execution including electrical architecture, autonomy, and propulsion. As the operational engine, you hold end-to-end accountability from concept to launch, driving timing, governance, and KPIs while meeting investment, COGS, and quality targets. Partnering with the Chief Engineer, you balance innovation with business viability. You possess high autonomy to pause or escalate decisions, ensuring cross-functional alignment with macro-business objectives. Reporting to the Sr. Vehicle Line Director, you translate product vision into actionable technical and financial KPIs

The essential functions of the position include, but are not limited to:
Operational Execution & Governance: Operationalize the program strategy by translating high-level product vision into actionable technical and business roadmaps. Lead daily execution & identify bottlenecks early. Drive cross-functional status reviews and ensure the program rhythm meets all critical milestones.
Financial & COGS Stewardship: Maintain rigorous ownership of the program’s financial targets, including Total Investment (CAPEX/ED&D) and Unit Economics. Implement and monitor cost-down initiatives to ensure the product remains within margin targets.
Strategic Sourcing Leadership: Partner with Global Supply Chain to define sourcing strategies that align with technical requirements; oversee tooling maturity and supplier capacity to de-risk the master schedule.
Validation & Asset Strategy: Oversee the planning, budgeting, and procurement of validation assets relevant to your zone; ensure the full scope of testing is rigorous and synchronized with build phases
Strategic Escalation & Decision Authority: Exercise full authority to pause or escalate decisions not aligned with cost, timing, or quality benchmarks. Act as the final programmatic "Agreer" in RAPID, ensuring accountability across engineering and supply chain teams.
Executive Visibility & Statusing: Provide clear, data-driven transparency to executive leadership regarding program trajectory. Synthesize complex status updates into actionable insights that enable the VLD and executive leadership to make quick and accurate decisions.
Cross-Functional Orchestration: Bridge the "gray areas" between functional domains. Coordinate between manufacturing, supply chain, marketing, and service to ensure the vehicle design is manufacturable, serviceable, and commercially viable.
ACE Partnership: Partner with the assistant chief engineers to balance technical requirements with program constraints. Provide necessary tension on build readiness, cost, and schedule to ensure the product delivers on brand promises without compromising business viability

The salary range for this role is $196,000-$245,000 for Southern California based applicants, and $179,000-$223,700 for Michigan 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 employee coverage is effective the first of the month following 90 days of employment. More information about benefits is available at rivianbenefits.com. 

You can apply for this role through careers.rivian.com (or through internal-careers-rivian.icims.com if you are a current employee).

Rivian is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local fair employment practices laws. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information or characteristics, physical or mental disability, marital/domestic partner status, age, military/veteran status, medical condition, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Rivian is committed to ensuring that our hiring process is accessible for persons with disabilities. If you have a disability or limitation, such as those covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act, that requires accommodations to assist you in the search and application process, please email us at candidateaccommodations@rivian.com.

Rivian may collect, use and disclose your personal information or personal data (within the meaning of the applicable data protection laws) when you apply for employment and/or participate in our recruitment processes (“Candidate Personal Data”). This data includes contact, demographic, communications, educational, professional, employment, social media/website, network/device, recruiting system usage/interaction, security and preference information. Rivian may use your Candidate Personal Data for the purposes of (i) tracking interactions with our recruiting system; (ii) carrying out, analyzing and improving our application and recruitment process, including assessing you and your application and conducting employment, background and reference checks; (iii) establishing an employment relationship or entering into an employment contract with you; (iv) complying with our legal, regulatory and corporate governance obligations; (v) recordkeeping; (vi) ensuring network and information security and preventing fraud; and (vii) as otherwise required or permitted by applicable law. 

Rivian may share your Candidate Personal Data with (i) internal personnel who have a need to know such information in order to perform their duties, including individuals on our People Team, Finance, Legal, and the team(s) with the position(s) for which you are applying; (ii) Rivian affiliates; and (iii) Rivian’s service providers, including providers of background checks, staffing services, and cloud services. 

Rivian may transfer or store internationally your Candidate Personal Data, including to or in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the European Union and in the cloud, and this data may be subject to the laws and accessible to the courts, law enforcement and national security authorities of such jurisdictions.  

How We Use AI in Our Hiring Process: To ensure transparency, we want candidates to know that Rivian uses iCIMS Talent Cloud Artificial Intelligence (TCAI) and AI-enabled tools to assist with screening, reviewing, organizing and highlighting profiles and applications that match the key requirements for each role.

Participation in AI profile matching is entirely voluntary. If you prefer that your profile not be used in this process, you can opt out at any time. Opting out means your profile will be excluded from automated matching and will not be surfaced for additional roles through this system. Your current application remains active and will not be affected in any way.

Please note that we are currently not accepting applications from third party application services.