Staff Vehicle Architecture Engineer

About Us

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies is a joint venture between two industry leaders with a clear vision for automotive’s next chapter. From operating systems to zonal controllers to cloud and connectivity solutions, we’re addressing the challenges of electric vehicles through technology that will set the standards for software-defined vehicles around the world.

The road to the future is uncharted. By combining our expertise across connectivity, AI, security and more, we’ll map a new way forward. Working together, we’ll create a future that’s more connected, more intelligent, more sustainable for everyone.

Role Summary

The Vehicle System Architecture team owns the vehicle-level mechatronic architecture at Rivian VW Group Technologies, from concept through production. We decide where functions live, which controllers exist and what the vehicle can do without, and we back every call with a model.

As a Staff Vehicle System Architect, you own the architecture of a major vehicle domain, feature set or program variant. You turn input from Brands, Program, Cost Engineering, Manufacturing and Reliability into decisions, and you hold them through program gates.

What you'll do

• Lead the vehicle-level architecture for your scope: controller count and placement, functional allocation across zonal and secondary ECUs, LV/HV and sensor/actuator distribution, and packaging, thermal, environmental and NVH constraints.

• Run trade studies with quantified outcomes (cost, mass, range, power, thermal, reliability, manufacturability). Every study ships with its model, parameters and sensitivity analysis.

• Cost down by subtraction before optimization: use the model to show which controllers, harness runs, sensors and requirements the vehicle can do without.

• Build first-principles and stack-up models that connect feature, function, controller and interface, and correlate them against physical tests ahead of lock.

• Ensure reliability, STPA, DFMEA as part of the design process

• Turn ambiguous asks from Brands and partner functions into decisions, negotiate them with OEM Brands, and defend them at program gates.

• Evaluate new technology against the platform roadmap and turn recurring analyses into tooling and AI-assisted pipelines so the team scales with programs.

What you'll deliver

• The architecture concept and boundary diagrams for your scope.

• The STPA or DFMEA set, with findings traced into the architecture and its model.

• Architecture decisions in Flow Engineering, each with its data-driven rationale, cascaded to feature leads.

• A correlated parametric model, where applicable, with an error budget.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

• BS in Electrical, Mechanical, Systems, Aerospace or Computer Engineering, or an equivalent record.

• 10+ years in automotive, aerospace or electromechanical systems engineering, owning architecture decisions on at least one program from concept through production.

• You have built a physics or system model that decided a design.

• Deep expertise in one of E/E architecture, vehicle controls software, thermal and packaging, or mechanical integration, with working knowledge of a second.

• Worst-case and tolerance analysis (WCCA, Monte Carlo, DOE) applied to real designs.

• A record of defending decisions with numbers to engineering leadership and external partners.

Preferred Qualifications

• MS in a relevant engineering field.

• Zonal E/E architecture on a production vehicle.

• Led STPA or DFMEA as a design input on a program.

• Built analysis tooling or automation that other engineers use.

• Worked directly with an OEM, Brand or external customer on architecture decisions.

Total Rewards

We build the exceptional — and we believe the people doing that work should be rewarded accordingly. In addition to a competitive base salary, full-time positions may be is eligible to participate in our annual company performance bonus program.

Payments are discretionary and not guaranteed; actual amounts depend on company results and the terms of the plan in effect, and require active employment at the time of payout. This role is also eligible for equity in the form of Restricted Stock Units (RSUs), subject to board approval and the terms of our equity incentive plans, including applicable vesting requirements.

In addition to our compensation programs, we invest in our people with a comprehensive benefits package designed to support the health, wellbeing, and financial future for full-time employees — including health coverage, retirement savings, time off, and family planning programs. Offerings vary by country. Learn more about our global benefit programs .

External candidates can apply for this role through the Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies careers site ( https://rivianvw.tech/#careers ). If you are a current employee, please apply through our internal job board .

Equal Opportunity

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. 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. We are also committed to ensuring compliance with all applicable fair employment practice laws regarding citizenship and immigration status.

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies 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 and Volkswagen Group Technologies” 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 and Volkswagen Group Technologies 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) record keeping; (vi) ensuring network and information security and preventing fraud; and (vii) as otherwise required or permitted by applicable law.

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies 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 and Volkswagen Group Technologies affiliates; and (iii) Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies’ service providers, including providers of background checks, staffing services, and cloud services.

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