Rivian · 11 hours ago
Lead Program Manager, Early Program Development
Irvine, CA
Full-time
Onsite
Mid, Senior Level
$154K/yr - $192K/yr
4+ years expRivian is a company dedicated to building emissions-free Electric Adventure Vehicles and fostering a culture of innovation. The Lead Program Manager will bridge high-level product strategy and engineering execution, overseeing the integration of new programs from concept to production-ready development while collaborating across multiple functions.
AutomotiveElectric VehicleManufacturingTransportation
Responsibilities
Collaborate cross-functionally to establish competitive benchmarks, pricing studies, and volume sensitivities for early-stage programs
Identify and gather insights on key positioning elements and features that drive program volume and price targets
Manage the program business case inputs, including tracking BOM COGS, non-BOM costs (conversion, logistics, warranty), and investment envelopes
Lead deep dives with Advanced Product Development teams to develop early concepts
Facilitate cross-functional studies to identify mission-critical "one-way door" decisions, ensuring rapid iteration and data-driven technical direction
Build and maintain trade-off matrices and decision frameworks to resolve disconnects between product feature objectives and financial/technical constraints
Partner with Manufacturing Engineering, Procurement, and Logistics to develop operational strategies that support the product definition
Translate program cost targets into clear operational objectives for manufacturing footprint, logistics, and supply chain
Execute ad hoc technical and business analyses to support leadership decision-making, including value stream mapping, cash cycle, and make-vs-buy studies
Qualification
Required
Passionate about business execution and interest in solving difficult and ambiguous problems
4-7+ years of experience in Technical Program Management, Product Development or Industrial Engineering in a hardware-intensive industry (Automotive, Aerospace, or Energy)
Strong technical literacy; ability to speak the language of engineering and manufacturing to evaluate architecture and complexity trade-offs
Proficient in building structured decision frameworks and trade-off matrices to solve complex, ambiguous problems
Ability to handle financial modeling
Strong communication skills with the ability to synthesize technical deep dives into clear recommendations for executive reviews
Benefits
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, 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
2026-01-20
2026-01-19
Business Insider
2026-01-19
Company data provided by crunchbase