Autonomous Jobs in Illinois (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. 

As our Autonomy Systems Validation team continues to scale, we are seeking an experienced Regional Manager, Autonomy Systems Validation to oversee operations across multiple testing locations. In this role, you will be responsible for leading, mentoring, and managing a team of Operations Coordinators who oversee our day-to-day vehicle testing, data collection, and hardware/software integration. 

You will bridge the gap between regional site operations and senior engineering leadership, ensuring that safety protocols are strictly enforced, operational KPIs are met, and testing procedures are standardized across all regional locations. This role requires a strategic leader with strong operational experience in fast-paced, high-tech environments. 

• Directly manage, mentor, and evaluate multiple Operations Coordinators across the region, fostering a positive, professional, and high-performing work environment. 

• Ensure Operations Coordinators effectively manage vehicle operators, resolve localized conflicts, and maintain high safety and performance standards. 

• Oversee and standardize regional training and onboarding programs developed by Operations Coordinators. 

• Standardize and implement operational processes, testing procedures, and safety work instructions across all regional sites. 

• Aggregate regional operational data to set, monitor, and analyze key performance indicators. 

• Develop, manage, and present high-level operational reports and dashboards to senior leadership and engineering teams. 

• Optimize regional resource allocation, ensuring efficient vehicle and personnel scheduling across multiple sites. 

• Serve as the primary regional point of contact collaborating with hardware and software engineering teams to achieve strategic testing goals. 

• Ensure regional compliance regarding vehicle inspections, initial software/hardware troubleshooting, and the secure transfer of drive data from vehicles to the cloud. 

• Oversee the regional readiness of essential tools, equipment, and testing assets. 

• Ensure Operations Coordinators effectively manage vehicle operator teams who safely operate prototype test vehicles in autonomous, semi-autonomous, and manual modes across diverse weather, traffic, and road conditions.

• Oversee site-level leadership to guarantee operators maintain constant vigilance, execute safety protocols, and seamlessly perform manual interventions or disengagements when necessary.

• Audit and guide Operations Coordinators to ensure operators precisely execute pre-defined test cases, edge-case evaluations, and specialized scenarios on both public roads and closed-course facilities.

• Must be able to travel frequently to various regional testing sites as needed. 
• Proven experience in a regional, multi-site, or high-level supervisory role, preferably within professional automotive driving, fleet management, or autonomous vehicle testing. 
• Ability to manage and develop supervisory-level employees. 
• Experience collaborating with external staffing agencies and managing high-volume contract workforces, including a proven track record of projecting and scaling driver headcount across multiple locations. 
• Strong proficiency in using data analytics, Google tools (Docs, Sheets, Maps), and dashboards to drive operational decisions. 
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; ability to create complex regional updates into concise reports. 
• Self-motivated, highly organized, and capable of making sound decisions in fast-paced, high-stress environments. 
• Since this is a critical infrastructure role, regional managers are required to work on-site at Rivian’s facilities.

Bonus Qualifications 

• Deep proficiency with Atlassian products (Jira, Confluence). 
• Technical background in troubleshooting and debugging automotive hardware and software systems.

The salary range for this role is $119,500- $149,400 for Chicago, IL 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). There is no fixed deadline for this application; applications are accepted on an ongoing basis until the role is filled or the opening is no longer needed.

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.

• Must be able to travel frequently to various regional testing sites as needed. 
• Proven experience in a regional, multi-site, or high-level supervisory role, preferably within professional automotive driving, fleet management, or autonomous vehicle testing. 
• Ability to manage and develop supervisory-level employees. 
• Experience collaborating with external staffing agencies and managing high-volume contract workforces, including a proven track record of projecting and scaling driver headcount across multiple locations. 
• Strong proficiency in using data analytics, Google tools (Docs, Sheets, Maps), and dashboards to drive operational decisions. 
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; ability to create complex regional updates into concise reports. 
• Self-motivated, highly organized, and capable of making sound decisions in fast-paced, high-stress environments. 
• Since this is a critical infrastructure role, regional managers are required to work on-site at Rivian’s facilities.

Bonus Qualifications 

• Deep proficiency with Atlassian products (Jira, Confluence). 
• Technical background in troubleshooting and debugging automotive hardware and software systems.