Principal Vehicle Line Manager

Rivian•Irvine, CA

About The Position

In this role, you lead the business and technical execution for a major vehicle zone (Upperbody or Underbody). Collaborating with the Vehicle Line Director (VLD), you will decompose overarching product vision and targets into actionable technical and financial deliverables while overseeing the end-to-end execution of your domain. You are responsible for the cross-functional orchestration of your zone to guarantee the zone successfully meets all program objectives.

Requirements

12+ years in automotive program management or engineering leadership, with a proven track record of delivering large-scale vehicle programs from concept through launch.
Demonstrated ability to operate in highly ambiguous environments, making high-stakes decisions with incomplete data.
Comprehensive knowledge of automotive cost structures, with direct experience managing total landed cost, BOM/Non-BOM COGS, and large-scale CAPEX budgets.
Strong "first principles" engineering approach; prior Design & Release (D&R) experience in complex systems (e.g., Battery, Chassis, Body, or EE) is highly preferred.
Proven ability to influence VP-level stakeholders and build cross-functional consensus on high-level strategic decisions

Nice To Haves

Prior Design & Release (D&R) experience in complex systems (e.g., Battery, Chassis, Body, or EE) is highly preferred.

Responsibilities

Operationalize the VLD’s program strategy by translating high-level product vision into actionable technical and business roadmaps.
Own your zone’s Unit Economics (COGS) and Total Investment (CAPEX/ED&D); ensure zone-level decisions align with the VLD's total program margin targets.
Lead technical cost-down initiatives and value engineering; identify financial risks early and present technical counter-proposals to protect the program's target margin.
Partner with Global Supply Chain to define sourcing strategies that align with technical requirements; oversee tooling maturity and supplier capacity to de-risk the master schedule.
Convert high-level business objectives into tangible feature goals; leverage benchmarking to drive innovation and ensure zone features contribute to the total vehicle value proposition.
Direct the zone through Design Maturity (DM1-5) and Manufacturing Readiness; ensure engineering excellence is maintained from initial design to final assembly.
Oversee the planning, budgeting, and procurement of validation assets relevant to your zone; ensure the full scope of testing is rigorous and synchronized with build phases.