What you'd actually do

Lead the end-to-end engineering development of tires and tire-wheel assemblies for Rivian, from concept to production, through compressed program timing, making clear prioritization decisions across simultaneous projects, suppliers, and milestones.

Own program-level tire engineering deliverables including requirement definition, DFMEA / DVPR alignment, design standards, validation planning, release documentation, and engineering sign-off.

Balance & Translate vehicle-level attribute targets into tire-level technical requirements, drive technically sound compromise decisions and lead tire tuning direction in partnership with Vehicle Dynamics, NVH, Studio, Aerodynamics, Crash, and Chassis teams.

Use data-driven engineering judgement and strong statistical analysis to interpret test and supplier data, identify trends, quantify trade-offs, and make confident recommendations under uncertainty.

Use first-principles thinking to lead structured complex problem solving for tire-related development and production issues, including structured root cause analysis, corrective action definition, data-driven decision making. and robust cross-functional execution.

Skills

Required

Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Automotive Engineering, Motorsport Engineering, or related field
10+ years of relevant experience in tire design, tire development, tire tuning, or tire systems engineering at an OEM or tire supplier
Demonstrated ability to independently support all of the above responsibilities
Excellent statistical and analytical skills
Strong leadership aptitude, including mentoring, technical ownership, influencing without direct authority, and representing tire engineering in cross-functional and leadership forums
Experience operating effectively in fast-paced development environments with compressed timing, incomplete information, and multiple simultaneous program demands

Nice to have

Master's degree preferred

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 Join Rivian’s Vehicle Hardware Engineering – Chassis – Product Development team as a key contributor in bringing our electric adventure vehicles to life. As a Lead Tire Engineer, you will be responsible for the development of passenger car radial and light truck radial tires, tire-wheel assemblies, and related tire system deliverables for Rivian electric vehicles from concept through production and into engineering sign-off. This role is expected to technically lead tire development for assigned vehicle programs, working cross-functionally with Chassis, Vehicle Dynamics, Range & Efficiency, NVH, Studio, CAE, Purchasing, Test & Development, Manufacturing, and suppliers to define requirements, mature concepts, tune performance, and deliver robust production-ready solutions. The Lead Tire Engineer must be capable of balancing competing tire performance attributes including range and rolling resistance, ride and handling, NVH, appearance, studio intent, durability, homologation, and cost while operating effectively in a fast-paced development environment with compressed program timing. Responsibilities Lead the end-to-end engineering development of tires and tire-wheel assemblies for Rivian, from concept to production, through compressed program timing, making clear prioritization decisions across simultaneous projects, suppliers, and milestones. Own program-level tire engineering deliverables including requirement definition, DFMEA / DVPR alignment, design standards, validation planning, release documentation, and engineering sign-off. Balance & Translate vehicle-level attribute targets into tire-level technical requirements, drive technically sound compromise decisions and lead tire tuning direction in partnership with Vehicle Dynamics, NVH, Studio, Aerodynamics, Crash, and Chassis teams. Use data-driven engineering judgement and strong statistical analysis to interpret test and supplier data, identify trends, quantify trade-offs, and make confident recommendations under uncertainty. Use first-principles thinking to lead structured complex problem solving for tire-related development and production issues, including structured root cause analysis, corrective action definition, data-driven decision making. and robust cross-functional execution. Develop collaborative relationships with tire suppliers, test partners, and internal stakeholders to ensure timely delivery of submissions, test articles, technical studies, and production-ready solutions. Support tire modeling, simulation, and correlation activities, using virtual and physical development methods to reduce risk and improve development efficiency. Present technical recommendations, risks, and status clearly to leadership, program teams, and executive stakeholders. Mentor less-experienced engineers and demonstrate leadership aptitude through technical direction, coaching, and strong ownership of team outcomes. Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Automotive Engineering, Motorsport Engineering, or related field required; Master’s degree preferred. 10+ years of relevant experience in tire design, tire development, tire tuning, or tire systems engineering at an OEM or tire supplier. Demonstrated ability to independently support all of the above responsibilities. Excellent statistical and analytical skills, with the ability to work confidently with test data, correlation exercises, DOE-style trade studies, trend analysis, and objective performance metrics. Strong leadership aptitude, including mentoring, technical ownership, influencing without direct authority, and representing tire engineering in cross-functional and leadership forums. Experience operating effectively in fast-paced development environments with compressed timing, incomplete information, and multiple simultaneous program demands. Willingness to travel as required to support tire builds, testing, supplier visits, and production support. Pay Disclosure The salary range for this role is $137,800 - $172,200 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. 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.