Vehicle Dynamics Engineer Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

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.
Role Summary
Rivian is looking for a Senior Vehicle Dynamics Engineer to join our Southern Californiabased team. In this role, you won't just be a passenger in the development process, you'll be the one shaping how our vehicles interact with the road (and the dirt). You will help bridge the gap between traditional mechanical hardware tuning and the software defined
architectures with active chassis controls. Your mission is to deliver the "Rivian DNA" driving experience.
Responsibilities
1. Passive Hardware Tuning
You are the architect of the vehicle's mechanical foundation. You will lead the development
and testing for:
Chassis Hardware: Tuning and optimizing springs, anti-roll bars, and bushings.
Damper Tuning: Optimizing valve codes for passive damping to ensure a robust
baseline.
Tire Development: Evaluate tire submissions and guide the development process
to achieve the full vehicle attribute targets.
2. Active Systems Calibration
You will be responsible for calibrating the software logic that controls:
Active Damping: Semi-active or fully active hydraulic control strategies.
Air Suspension: Manage the ride heights and load leveling calibrations.
Electronic Power Steering (EPS): Tuning steering feel and effort build.
3. Testing & Evaluation
Travel on-site to support the various test locations utilized:
Subjective Evaluations: Conduct ride comfort, limit handling, and off-road
capability assessments. You must be able to translate a "feel" into actionable
engineering direction.
Objective Testing: Instrument vehicles and analyze data (VBox, Dewesoft, MATLAB)
to validate performance against internal metrics.
4. Virtual Integration
Work closely with the Multi-Body Dynamics (MBD) Simulation team:
Sim Synergy: Provide real-world subjective to objective correlation data to refine
their models and use their virtual tuning results to hit the ground running during
physical testing
Qualifications
Education: Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Automotive Engineering,
or a related field.
Experience: 3-5 years of automotive experience in vehicle dynamics or chassis
development.
Technical Skills: Proficiency in data acquisition tools (CANape, Dewesoft, or
similar).
o Familiarity with simulation software (CarSim, CarMaker, or ADAMS) is a plus.
Mindset: You thrive in the gray area where subjective meets objective. You are
comfortable with rapid iteration and possess a deep passion for automotive tech.
Pay Disclosure
The salary range for this role is $121,500-151,900 for Southern 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 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.
Equal Opportunity
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
Candidate Data Privacy and Technology
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.
AI does not make hiring decisions: Qualified candidate applications are reviewed by a member of our team, and all decisions throughout the process are made by humans. We use AI to support efficiency and consistency, not to replace human judgment. We are committed to a fair, thoughtful, and equitable experience for every candidate.
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.