Materials Welding Technician

About Rivian 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. Role Summary The Materials Welding Technician will support the Materials Engineering team by increasing validation throughput for welding and joining work, with a primary focus on coupon preparation, cut-and-etch, metallographic sample prep, weld performance validation testing, and weldability DOE execution for steel and light-metal applications. This role is intended to support engineers and SDEs working on welding specifications, production joints, supplier quality, and durability-critical validation activities across current and future Rivian programs. This position will be joining-focused, with the core scope centered on steels and light metals, while also providing secondary support to adjacent lab activities such as corrosion and reliability testing as required by program priorities. Responsibilities Execute welding validation activities for development and production-related programs, including coupon builds, welding trials, welding schedule evaluations, and structured DOE support for steels and light metals. Prepare and evaluate welded samples through sectioning, mounting, polishing, cut-and-etch, macro/micro review, and related lab characterization methods to assess weld quality and joint performance. Partner with Materials Engineers, Welding Engineers, and Supplier Development Engineers to generate data needed for weld specifications, production joint validation, and supplier issue resolution. Maintain accurate records of test setups, welding parameters, sample traceability, weld inspections and characterization, and results to support engineering decisions and formal reporting. Help prepare samples and fixtures for mechanical, metallographic, corrosion, and reliability-related lab work as needed to support broader Materials Engineering priorities. Support lab organization, equipment upkeep, consumables management, and safe operating practices for welding and materials characterization activities. Contribute to continuous improvement of test methods, lab workflows, and validation turnaround time. Qualifications Associate's degree in mechanical, materials and welding technology with 5 years of hands-on experience in welding technology, materials testing, or a related field. Hands-on experience with welding validation or fabrication support in an engineering, manufacturing, supplier, or laboratory environment. Experience in preparing and evaluating weld samples, including sectioning, polishing, etching, and dimensional or visual assessment of weld quality. Working knowledge of common joining processes used for sheet or structural metallic assemblies, especially resistance spot welding, broader familiarity with GMAW, laser welding, or other joining methods is a plus. Ability to execute test plans with good discipline, maintain traceable records, and communicate clear observations to engineers and technicians. Comfortable working in a hands-on lab setting with fixtures, saws, polishers, microscopes, and related test equipment. Strong attention to detail, organization, and safety. Willingness to learn new techniques, processes, and test methods as the team grows Preferred qualifications Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical, Welding, or Materials Engineering or 8 years of industry experience Experience supporting weld development for automotive steel and aluminum applications. Familiarity with metallography, weld cross-sections, button size evaluation, peel/chisel checks, or mechanical test sample preparation. Advanced metallographic preparation and imaging such as cross-polarization color etching, dissimilar metals multi-process etching, electrolytic etching, and submicron surface preparation Experience in a broader range of materials characterization techniques, such as optical microscopy, hardness test, tensile test etc. Exposure to corrosion or durability-related lab testing. Experience in working with supplier validation samples, engineering DOEs, or launch-related issue resolution. Familiarity with welding standards, weld acceptance criteria, or structured lab documentation workflows. Pay Disclosure The Hourly pay range for this role is $34.17 - $42.71 for Illinois based applicants. This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. An employee’s position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to, specific competencies, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, shift, and organizational needs. The successful candidate may be eligible for annual performance bonus and equity awards. We offer a comprehensive package of benefits for full-time and part-time employees, their spouse or domestic partner, and children up to age 26, including but not limited to paid vacation, paid sick leave, and a competitive portfolio of insurance benefits including life, medical, dental, vision, short-term disability insurance, and long-term disability insurance to eligible employees. You may also have the opportunity to participate in Rivian’s 401(k) Plan and Employee Stock Purchase Program if you meet certain eligibility requirements. Full-time employee coverage is effective on their first day of employment. Part-time employee coverage is effective the first of the month following 90 days of employment. More information about benefits is available at rivianbenefits.com. You can apply for this role through careers.rivian.com (or through internal-careers-rivian.icims.com if you are a current employee). There is no fixed deadline for this application; applications are accepted on an ongoing basis until the role is filled or the opening is no longer needed. Equal Opportunity 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. Candidate Data Privacy 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. Please note that we are currently not accepting applications from third party application services.