Rivian · 4 hours ago
Director, People Operational Excellence & AI
US-CA-Palo Alto
Full-time
Onsite
Director/Executive
$162K/yr - $231K/yr
10+ years expRivian is seeking a Director of People Operational Excellence & AI to evolve and scale work processes within the People organization. This role focuses on simplifying, standardizing, and modernizing People processes while embedding AI capabilities to enhance service delivery.
AutomotiveElectric VehicleManufacturingTransportation
Responsibilities
Design the People Operating System: You will define how core People work is structured, standardized, and executed—from COEs to Shared Services to People Partners—so that Rivian can scale without losing clarity or quality
Unlock Capacity with AI & Automation: By thoughtfully applying AI, workflow automation, and better knowledge management, you will help teams move from manual, reactive work to proactive, strategic impact
Connect People, Process, and Platforms: You will act as a bridge between People, IT, and Systems, ensuring that our technology stack (Workday, ServiceNow, iCMS, and new AI tools) actually reflects how work happens on the ground
Drive Change at a Pivotal Moment: As Rivian grows and our footprint expands, this role will be central to how we standardize global practices, enable Shared Services, and build the People infrastructure that supports long
Lead and develop a small team responsible for work mapping, process redesign, and new ways of working across the People organization
Set clear goals, operating rhythms, and standards for the team, including diagnostics, pilots, and scaled rollouts
Coach and performance-manage team members, creating opportunities for growth, stretch assignments, and cross-functional exposure
Lead initiatives that re-balance and realign work across the People organization, identifying what should be standardized, centralized, or redesigned to improve scale, clarity, and experience
Partner with COEs, People Partners, and Shared Services to determine where work should live over time and guide transitions, ensuring continuity, quality, and readiness
Support the evolution of the People operating model, focusing on how work actually gets done—not just how the org chart is drawn
Own end-to-end process redesign for priority People journeys (e.g., onboarding, job changes, performance, rewards) especially where work crosses teams, systems, or regions
Establish common standards for process design, documentation, and handoffs to reduce variability and enable smoother execution
Ensure processes are clearly documented and accessible, supporting training, adoption, and ongoing improvement
Identify friction points, inefficiencies, and avoidable demand, and lead simplification efforts with measurable impact on experience and throughput
Identify high-value opportunities to apply AI, workflow automation, and knowledge management to People processes to improve experience, quality, and capacity
Translate transformation goals into clear requirements and priorities for People platforms (Workday, ServiceNow, iCMS) and AI initiatives
Partner closely with IT, People Systems, and Data teams to ensure solutions are designed around real People workflows, with strong measurement and feedback loops
Lead change management, communication, and adoption strategies for work transitions, process redesign, and new digital capabilities
Build strong partnerships with COEs, People Partners, Shared Services, and IT to align priorities, sequencing, and messaging
Coach and influence leaders and teams through periods of transition, helping them navigate trade-offs, clarify roles, and embed new ways of working
Qualification
Required
10+ years of experience in People Operations, HR transformation, operational excellence, or related fields within complex, scaling organizations
Demonstrated experience leading process redesign, work transitions, shared-services enablement, or HR operating model changes
Strong working knowledge of People technology ecosystems, including Workday and ServiceNow, and familiarity with ATS platforms (e.g., iCMS) and how workflows, data, and integrations support People processes
Familiarity with AI and automation concepts (e.g., workflow automation, knowledge management, agent assist, analytics) and their application within service delivery or operational environments
Proven systems thinker who can connect strategy, operations, experience, and technology into coherent, actionable roadmaps
Experience partnering closely with IT and digital teams to define requirements, evaluate solution options, and prioritize work across platforms
Excellent communication, facilitation, and storytelling skills, with the ability to synthesize complex operational and technical inputs and guide cross-functional decision-making
Proven ability to set direction, delegate effectively, and manage capacity across a team during periods of high change
Track record of building inclusive, high-trust team cultures that balance performance, growth, and well-being
Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree or equivalent experience preferred
Preferred
Experience in high-growth technology, EV, manufacturing, or similarly complex environments
Background in Lean, Six Sigma, design thinking, or service design applied to People/HR processes
Prior responsibility for global HR operations, shared services, or HR service delivery models
Company
Rivian
Rivian is an automotive technology company that develops products and services to advance the shift to sustainable mobility.
10001+ employees
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