Head of Business Platforms (Enterprise Applications & AI)

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies • Palo Alto, CA

3d • Hybrid

About The Position

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies is seeking a senior technology leader to own the strategy, architecture, and evolution of its enterprise business platforms across People, Finance, Procurement, and Legal. The role reports directly to the Head of Enterprise IT and is accountable for both the long-term vision and successful execution of the business platforms strategy.

The leader will act as a strategic partner to executive leadership, translating business priorities into scalable technology solutions and guiding an established Finance Applications organization. The role calls for deep People Technology and enterprise transformation experience, strong technical and architectural judgment, and the ability to build and scale technology capabilities in fast-moving environments.

The Business Platforms team supports critical enterprise applications and aims to connect people, processes, data, and technology through integrated, seamless, AI-enabled experiences. The role will guide a lean, globally distributed team and use automation and strategic partners to deliver business outcomes while avoiding unnecessary complexity. The position is based in the Palo Alto, California office, with three days per week onsite.

Requirements

• 10 or more years of experience in technology, including significant experience building or running business platforms with small teams.
• Experience building or significantly transforming a business technology function, including establishing capabilities, operating models, architecture, and teams in a rapidly evolving or resource-constrained environment.
• Ability to independently develop a technology vision and translate it into actionable roadmaps, architectural decisions, and successfully delivered solutions.
• Deep technical and architectural understanding of enterprise platforms, including ERP, HRIS, APIs, integrations, data architecture, and modern application ecosystems.
• Hands-on experience with complex enterprise technology implementations and the ability to critically assess solution designs, vendor recommendations, and business requirements.
• Track record of delivering meaningful technology outcomes with lean teams by balancing direct execution, automation, and external partnerships.
• Experience applying AI, automation, and modern technology approaches to improve business processes, productivity, and employee experiences.
• Strong strategic thinking, technical curiosity, and executive communication skills, along with a pragmatic, hands-on approach to problem-solving.
• Experience navigating complex technology transformations, making difficult trade-offs, overcoming setbacks, and taking ownership of outcomes.

Nice To Haves

• Experience building or scaling business technology capabilities in startups, high-growth companies, or entrepreneurial environments.
• Hands-on experience with SAP S/4HANA, Workday, SAP Concur, ZIP, or comparable enterprise platforms.
• Experience designing AI-enabled enterprise architectures, agent-based workflows, or unified employee experiences across multiple systems of record.
• Experience in automotive, manufacturing, or complex global organizations.
• Background in corporate carve-outs, technology separations, or establishing independent enterprise technology capabilities.
• A first-principles approach that prioritizes simplicity, standardization, automation, and long-term scalability over unnecessary customization.

Responsibilities

• Independently develop and execute a multi-year technology strategy connecting enterprise applications, data, automation, and AI.
• Lead the architecture, implementation, operations, and continuous improvement of core applications across Finance, People, Legal, and Procurement, including ERP, HRIS, expense management, and related platforms.
• Guide architecture and implementation decisions, challenging vendors, partners, and business requirements to ensure solutions are scalable, sustainable, and aligned with long-term strategy.
• Promote an out-of-the-box-first approach that maximizes native platform capabilities, minimizes unnecessary customization, and reduces technical debt and complexity.
• Create connected, intuitive employee experiences that simplify interactions with enterprise technology and enable collaboration between people and AI.
• Use native platform AI capabilities, intelligent workflows, and cross-platform automation to eliminate repetitive work, reduce administrative overhead, and improve business operations.
• Establish capabilities, processes, and an operating model for delivery at scale; lead and develop a small global team while leveraging automation and strategic partners.
• Partner with Finance, People, Legal, and Procurement leaders to understand needs, challenge established processes, and translate opportunities into practical technology solutions.
• Own platform reliability, security, compliance, vendor relationships, and technology investments, delivering measurable improvements in efficiency, employee experience, and business outcomes.

Benefits

• Competitive base salary.
• Eligibility for an annual company performance bonus program for full-time positions; payments are discretionary and not guaranteed.
• Eligibility for equity in the form of Restricted Stock Units (RSUs), subject to board approval and applicable plan terms and vesting requirements.
• Comprehensive benefits package for full-time employees, including health coverage, retirement savings, time off, and family planning programs; offerings vary by country.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed