Vehicle Validation Engineer 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. 

In this role, you will lead powertrain validation planning, tracking, and reporting for current and future drive unit programs. Ensuring clear status, risk visibility, mitigation plan and alignment to program milestones. This role is critical in ensuring that each program adequately demonstrates reliability ( per establishedtargets) to meet overall COGS objectives.

You will also be responsible for building and maintaining an aggregated validation view of the full drive unit – integrating powertrain validation, motor and inverter validation led by those respective teams.

In addition, you will support a critical advance project acting as the validation TPM for this subsystem: driving test plans, coverage, asset needs, and execution tracking across functions.

This role is highly visible and fast-paced, with direct impact on launch readiness and product quality.

Powertrain-owned validation suite
- Develop and maintain the end-to-end validation plan for powertrain-owned drive unit tests (component, system, rig, dyno, and vehicle level).
- Drive cross-functional team to deliver on the aligned DVP, ensuring on time completion and develop mitigation & recovery plan as needed
- Build and manage timelines, asset needs, and maturity assumptions for all powertrain validation activities, tied to vehicle and program milestones.
- Track DVP coverage, test execution, pass/fail status, and gaps, ensuring every change has a clear validation strategy.
- Ensure NVH performance is fully confirmed at each drive unit and vehicle pedigree, covering all relevant scenes and maneuvers in alignment with attribute targets.
- Ensure test readiness for all development builds (EV, DV, PV, etc.), including parts, software, test procedures, and resources.
- Drive closure of validation issues, test non-conformances, in partnership with validation engineers, DREs, and reliability.

Aggregated drive unit validation view (Motor + Inverter + Powertrain)
- Build and maintain a single integrated validation view of the full drive unit, combining:

   - Powertrain validation (mechanical/DU level).
   - Motor validation
   - Inverter validation
- Partnering with cross-functional TPMs and validation leads to synchronizing DVPs, coverage, and milestones across teams.
- Create standardized reporting (dashboards, scorecards, status summaries) showing consolidated drive unit validation health, risks, and decision-ready views for leadership while also providing each domain/sub system metrics and key topics
- Ensure vehicle-level validation needs (NVH, durability, thermal, attributes, V&V (Vehicle Validation)) are reflected in component/system validation plans and timing.

Advance Project
- Act as validation TPM for a critical advance project.
- Partner with cross functional engineering teams, controls, safety, and Vehicle Validation team to define and maintain a robust DVP (bench, rig, hardware-in-the-loop, and vehicle tests).

Program management, process, and communication
- Generate and maintain clear timing plans for validation activities that tie directly to Rivian programs milestones and KPIs, vehicle, and launch milestones.
- Lead regular validation status reviews with all Drive unit domains, Vehicle HardwareEngineering, V&V, and Vehicle Line teams.
- Proactively identify risks, dependencies, and contentions (e.g., test units, dyno time, rigs, software drops) and drive mitigation plans.
- Support change management by ensuring validation impact of design/validation issues, cost down initiative is assessed and incorporated into updated DVP plans.
- Partner with Vehicle Validation, Reliability, and Launch teams to align validation scope and readiness for key builds and gateways.
- Drive continuous improvement in validation planning, data consistency, and tooling (Jira, Flow, Smartsheet, dashboards, etc.).

- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Mechatronics, or related Engineering field, or equivalent practical experience.
- 7+ years of experience in technical program management, validation program management, or engineering project management in automotive, EV, or similar complex hardware domains.
- Demonstrated experience managing validation or test programs (DVP/SDVP, test planning, execution tracking, and reporting).
- Proven ability to translate engineering requirements and design changes into validation scope, timing, and asset needs.
- Strong proficiency with project/issue tracking tools (e.g., Jira) and planning tools (Smartsheet, spreadsheets, dashboards).

Salary Range SoCal-Based Applicants: $154,000-$192,500 (actual compensation will be determined based on experience, and other factors permitted by law).
Benefits Summary: Rivian provides robust medical/Rx, dental and vision insurance packages for full-time employees, their spouse or domestic partner, and children up to age 26. Coverage is effective on the first day of employment.

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.

- Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Electrical, Mechatronics, or related Engineering field, or equivalent practical experience.
- 7+ years of experience in technical program management, validation program management, or engineering project management in automotive, EV, or similar complex hardware domains.
- Demonstrated experience managing validation or test programs (DVP/SDVP, test planning, execution tracking, and reporting).
- Proven ability to translate engineering requirements and design changes into validation scope, timing, and asset needs.
- Strong proficiency with project/issue tracking tools (e.g., Jira) and planning tools (Smartsheet, spreadsheets, dashboards).