Rivian · 1 month ago
Lead Program Engineer, Electronic Hardware
US-CA-Palo Alto
Full-time
Onsite
Lead/Staff
$173K/yr - $216K/yr
10+ years expRivian is a leading automotive company focused on developing cutting-edge electric hardware. The Lead Program Engineer will act as the technical authority for E/E hardware development processes and PLM tools, ensuring efficient collaboration across Rivian and Volkswagen Group brands.
AutomotiveElectric VehicleManufacturingTransportation
Responsibilities
Define and own the long-term vision, strategy, and technical roadmap for E/E development processes, methods, and data governance, with a core focus on enabling multi-brand collaboration
Act as the lead subject matter expert and technical authority for all E/E process and tool initiatives, providing expert guidance to engineering teams and senior leadership
Champion innovation by identifying, evaluating, and advocating for the adoption of next-generation methodologies and standards to enhance engineering quality across all partner projects
Architect and enforce a comprehensive governance framework for all E/E development processes, specifically designed to manage the complexities of developing hardware for both Rivian and Volkswagen Group brands
Author and own the definitive business and technical requirements for the PLM toolchain. Work directly with Rivian IT to ensure their provisioned solutions are robust enough to support secure, multi-tenant collaboration and data exchange
Design and govern standardized data models, access controls, and workflows that facilitate parallel development while protecting the intellectual property of each partner
Conduct regular audits and assessments to measure adherence to established processes and the effectiveness of the toolchain in the multi-brand context
Serve as the primary technical liaison between our internal engineering teams, our counterparts at Rivian and Volkswagen brands, and our partner's IT organization (Rivian IT)
Build consensus and drive alignment on unified process strategies across all engineering disciplines and with senior leadership through influence and data-driven recommendations
Develop and deliver strategic communications and training materials to ensure organizational understanding and adoption of the governed cross-brand collaboration processes
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, Systems Engineering, or a related field required
Minimum of 10+ years of experience in E/E systems development, with a significant portion in a senior technical role focused on process architecture, systems engineering, or PLM strategy
Direct experience in designing and governing processes for cross-company, multi-brand, or joint venture engineering environments is highly desirable
Demonstrated experience in a technical leadership capacity, driving large-scale engineering initiatives and influencing stakeholders without direct authority
Experience working directly with external partners, vendors, or service providers to define technical requirements and oversee solution delivery is essential
Expert-level knowledge of E/E development lifecycles (e.g., V-Model) and deep familiarity with industry standards (ISO 26262)
Deep expertise in the architecture and application of PLM toolchains (e.g., Dassault 3DX, Siemens Teamcenter)
Excellent communication skills, with a proven ability to articulate complex technical concepts to diverse stakeholders from different corporate cultures
Preferred
Master's degree is preferred
Benefits
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, and Rivian covers most of the premiums.
Company
Rivian
Rivian is an automotive technology company that develops products and services to advance the shift to sustainable mobility.
10001+ employees
H1B Sponsorship
Rivian has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (38)
2024 (70)
2023 (54)
2022 (79)
2021 (21)
Funding
Current Stage
Public CompanyTotal Funding
$21.93BKey Investors
Volkswagen GroupUS Department of EnergyIllinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity
2025-06-30Post Ipo Equity· $1B
2024-11-25Post Ipo Debt· $6.6B
2024-05-02Grant· $827M
Leadership Team
Robert Scaringe
Chief Executive Officer
Claire McDonough
Chief Financial Officer
Recent News
Business Insider
2026-01-08
2026-01-07
Business Insider
2026-01-07
Company data provided by crunchbase