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 Vehicle Validation at Rivian ensures every product delivers exceptional function, quality, reliability, and real-world performance. We perform both verification and validation against data-driven requirements that reflect how our customers use our vehicles—connecting DFMEAs, requirements, and validation plans into a cohesive process. As Sr. Program Manager, you’ll lead cross-functional integration—bringing together engineering, test, prototyping, and manufacturing to align test plans, targets, build milestones, and system functionality from concept through launch. You’ll develop and track comprehensive hardware and software validation plans, ensuring complete verification and validation coverage. You’ll foster collaboration across vehicle programs, align resources, balance cost, risk, timing, and scope, and help teams close gaps—creating the clarity needed to deliver vehicles that exceed expectations. Responsibilities Coordinate validation timelines, build plans, and program milestones in partnership with engineering and cross-functional teams. Support the full validation cycle—from requirements through production sign-off—covering both component and vehicle-level testing. Integrate plans across engineering, purchasing, manufacturing, quality, and test teams to ensure alignment and readiness. Identify gaps and risks early, manage escalations, and work with stakeholders to drive resolution. Provide clear updates on progress, risks, and mitigation plans to leadership. Contribute to continuous improvement of validation processes and tools. Qualifications Typically 5+ years of experience in automotive or related industries, with at least 3 years in program management or similar cross-functional roles. Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, or equivalent combination of education, training, and hands-on experience. Understanding of vehicle development milestones, systems engineering, and program delivery. Familiarity with production, retrofit, and prototype build processes. Proven ability to work collaboratively across teams, communicate effectively, and enable high-quality outcomes. Passion for problem-solving, continuous learning, and delivering exceptional products to customers. Pay Disclosure The salary range for this role is $121,500 - $151,900 for California 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.
Sr. Program Manager, Vehicle Validation
This role is for a Sr. Program Manager focused on Vehicle Validation at Rivian. The primary responsibility is to lead cross-functional integration of engineering, test, prototyping, and manufacturing to align test plans, targets, build milestones, and system functionality from concept through launch. The role involves developing and tracking hardware and software validation plans, ensuring complete verification and validation coverage, and managing risks and resolutions to deliver vehicles that exceed expectations. Experience in automotive program management and understanding of vehicle development milestones are required.
What you'd actually do
- Coordinate validation timelines, build plans, and program milestones in partnership with engineering and cross-functional teams.
- Support the full validation cycle—from requirements through production sign-off—covering both component and vehicle-level testing.
- Integrate plans across engineering, purchasing, manufacturing, quality, and test teams to ensure alignment and readiness.
- Identify gaps and risks early, manage escalations, and work with stakeholders to drive resolution.
- Provide clear updates on progress, risks, and mitigation plans to leadership.
Skills
Required
- automotive program management
- cross-functional leadership
- validation planning
- risk management
- communication
- problem-solving
Nice to have
- systems engineering
- production, retrofit, and prototype build processes
What the JD emphasized
- at least 3 years in program management or similar cross-functional roles
- Understanding of vehicle development milestones, systems engineering, and program delivery
- Familiarity with production, retrofit, and prototype build processes