Rivian · 1 week ago
Staff Pre-Production Quality Engineer
Normal, IL
Full-time
Onsite
Senior Level, Lead/Staff
$126K/yr - $157K/yr
6+ years expRivian is on a mission to keep the world adventurous forever, focusing on emissions-free Electric Adventure Vehicles. The Staff Pre-production Quality Engineer is a senior technical and leadership role responsible for defining and executing the pre-production quality strategy across all launch phases, ensuring quality accountability and driving cross-functional alignment.
AutomotiveElectric VehicleManufacturingTransportation
Responsibilities
Translate program, design vision, engineering quality targets & standards, and leadership expectations, into clear phase-specific deliverables, actionable technical requirements and build instructions for pre-production and production teams. In addition to set priorities for next steps within team and cross-functional teams
Facilitate agreement on risks, priorities, and mitigation plans across Design, ME/PE, Production, Process / Corporate Quality, and Program teams
Act as the go-to technical contact for assigned commodities, guiding design, validation, and manufacturing decisions from a quality perspective
Own and refine at least one major validation process (RQA, Water Test, Quality Gates, etc.), ensuring it is robust, efficient, and aligned to build-in-quality principles
Provide in depth design for manufacture (DFM) feedback to the Product Engineering team to ensure that our assembly processes are cost efficient, robust and deliver high quality results
Proactively identify design, manufacturability, and feasibility risks; facilitate solutions that balance design intent and production reality
Solve technically complex problems using fundamental, data driven methodologies. Aptitude for learning systems quickly
Lead complex issue resolution; Direct cross-functional root cause validation and decision-making for high-impact issues, ensuring clear containment, corrective actions, and robust validation
Model best practices for RC and coach others on clear problem statements, evidence-based analysis, realistic implementation plans, and strong recurrence prevention
Define and validate process capability
Help drive and ensure activities that span multiple teams are fully closed, including document updates, system updates, and communication of outcomes
Institutionalize lessons learned; Capture and embed lessons learned into standards, processes, and templates to drive continuous improvement across future launches
Audit and help develop Control Plans
Audit and help develop inspection work instructions for Quality Gates based on specifications and standards
Establish and continuously refine processes for design handoffs, build events, sample reviews, and approvals to improve efficiency and reduce errors, in addition to developing and standardizing internal processes
Ensure all technical documentation, build instructions, quality gates, and material lists are accurate, complete, and promptly updated as changes occur
Create and deliver concise, insight-driven quality status for any launch phase, focusing on wins, key risks, and support needs tied to launch readiness. (Executive-ready reporting)
Provide accurate, balanced updates in informal leadership touch points, maintaining discretion, clarity, and solution orientation (Confident informal communication)
Mentor less-experienced engineers (RIV-5, interns, or group leaders), modeling high standards in technical depth, communication, and ownership
Up-level quality culture; Champion a build-in-quality mindset by influencing how teams think about risk, readiness, and the cost of inaction
Qualification
Required
BS/MS/PhD in Engineering, Physics, Mathematics, Business, or similar field/equivalent experience
6+ years of quality experience in production or engineering environment
4+ years' experience launching products from prototype into series production
Production Operations Knowledge - Has a firm understanding of how complex production lines operate including production control, material handling, supply chain, quality, and production team
Understanding of how the manufacturing validation process runs in relation to complex new products that stretch across various engineer teams and manufacturing centers/factories (methodology, validation plans, associated KPIs)
Able to work under pressure while managing competing demands and tight deadlines of multiple simultaneous projects and challenges
Team player - Ability to work in a fast-paced, highly ambiguous, multi-cultural environment with cross-functional teams
Demonstrated success influencing without direct authority, aligning leaders with competing priorities (quality vs cost vs timing vs scope)
In‑depth understanding of technical documentation (drawings, specs, test plans, control plans, PFMEA outputs)
In‑depth understanding of data management & transformation, including extracting, cleaning, and presenting data to drive decisions
Strong analytical and problem‑solving skills, with demonstrated experience using 8D or similar methods
Experience with 2D & 3D software (AutoCAD, Solidworks, and Catia)
Experienced/High proficiency in AIAG Core Tools and significant CQI publications and standards
Detail oriented with strong record-keeping and organizational skills
Ability to travel both domestically and internationally as required. (20%), travel may increase in time
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
2026-02-05
The Motley Fool
2026-02-03
Company data provided by crunchbase