Senior Financial Analyst, Product Development

Rivian•Irvine, CA

17h

About The Position

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. We are seeking a Senior Financial Analyst – Product Development to evolve and scale how we plan, manage, and measure investment in Rivian’s future products. This role sits at the intersection of Finance, product development operations, process design, and digital enablement, with a clear mandate: build robust, repeatable financial disciplines that help Rivian make faster, better product decisions. You will be a core member of the Product Development Finance team, leading key planning, forecasting, and reporting processes across product programs and owning financials for major areas of product development spend. As a connector between Finance, Product Development, Engineering, Supply Chain, and our technology teams, you will help shape how tools like SAP, Adaptive Insights, and our analytics platforms work together to support a scalable, data-driven operating model for product investment. Why This Role Matters Shape the economics of future products: You will guide how we allocate and manage hundreds of millions in product development investment, directly influencing margin, capital efficiency, and program viability. Create the operating rhythm for Product Development Finance: You will design and refine the core financial processes—budgeting, forecasting, month-end close, and BOM tracking—that keep product programs aligned and accountable. Turn data into decisions: You will transform large, complex data sets into clear insights and recommendations that help leaders in Product Development, Engineering, and Supply Chain move with confidence. Standardize how work gets done: You will design and improve end-to-end finance workflows across programs and sites, reducing friction, increasing transparency, and enabling teams to focus on the highest-value work. Connect tools, teams, and timelines: You will partner closely with Accounting, FP&A, and systems teams to ensure our financial tools, data structures, and processes actually reflect how product development happens on the ground.

Requirements

3–5 years of progressive experience in Finance, FP&A, Product Development Finance, or a related analytical role within complex or fast-paced organizations.
Demonstrated experience owning budgeting, forecasting, and month-end close processes, including variance analysis and reporting to senior stakeholders.
Strong analytical and modeling skills, with the ability to build financial models from the ground up and translate results into clear, actionable insights.
Proven experience collaborating with cross-functional partners (e.g., Engineering, Program Management, Supply Chain) to align financials with operational plans.
Working knowledge of core accounting and financial principles, including how they apply to R&D and product development investment.
Experience designing or improving financial processes, templates, or operating rhythms that increase clarity, efficiency, and consistency across teams.
Proficiency with Excel, PowerPoint, and ERP/financial systems; experience with SAP and Adaptive Insights (or similar planning tools) is strongly preferred.
Ability to manage multiple priorities in a dynamic, high-growth environment while maintaining accuracy, attention to detail, and a sense of urgency.
Strong communication and storytelling skills, with the ability to simplify complex financial topics for non-finance audiences.
Demonstrated ability to build trust-based relationships, influence without direct authority, and contribute to an inclusive, collaborative team culture.
Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, or a related field; advanced degree (e.g., MBA) or relevant certification (e.g., CPA, CFA) is a plus.

Nice To Haves

Experience in automotive, EV, hardware, manufacturing, or high-growth technology environments with complex product development lifecycles.
Background in process improvement methodologies (e.g., Lean, Six Sigma) or design thinking/service design applied to financial workflows.
Prior responsibility for supporting global or multi-site operations, including coordination across time zones and regulatory environments.
Hands-on experience implementing or enhancing planning and reporting tools (e.g., Adaptive Insights, SAP modules, or similar platforms).
Track record of driving change in how organizations plan, measure, and communicate product development investment and outcomes.

Responsibilities

Operate as a key member of a lean, high-impact Product Development Finance team supporting multiple vehicle and technology programs.
Build strong partnerships with Product Development, Engineering, Program Management, and Supply Chain leaders to align financial plans with program milestones and technical realities.
Mentor peers and junior analysts by sharing best practices in modeling, storytelling, and process design, elevating the overall quality of financial insights delivered to stakeholders.
Establish clear working rhythms with cross-functional partners (e.g., recurring reviews, forecast checkpoints, variance deep dives) that create predictability and shared accountability.
Own end-to-end financial management for a major area of product development spend, including budgeting, forecasting, tracking, and variance analysis.
Lead initiatives that align product development spend with cost and profitability targets, challenging assumptions and identifying trade-offs to protect long-term value.
Partner with Program, Engineering, and Supply Chain teams to connect engineering activity, program scope, and BOM decisions to their financial impact.
Support the evolution of how Product Development work is financially structured (e.g., by program, system, or function) so that reporting reflects how work is actually executed.
Lead the planning and forecasting cadence for assigned product programs, ensuring timelines, inputs, and outputs are clear, consistent, and actionable.
Manage and support the month-end close process for Product Development Finance, including accruals, reclasses, and reconciliations in partnership with Corporate Accounting.
Build and maintain robust financial models that track investment, BOM, and operating costs across development phases, enabling scenario analysis and “what-if” decision support.
Deliver timely, accurate reporting and insights to Finance and business leaders, translating complex data into clear narratives, visuals, and recommendations.
Design and refine core financial processes for priority product development journeys (e.g., program budgeting, engineering headcount planning, BOM and prototype material tracking, change control).
Establish clear standards for documentation, approvals, and handoffs across Finance, Product Development, and Accounting to reduce rework and ambiguity.
Identify friction points and avoidable demand in current workflows, and lead simplification efforts with measurable impact on cycle time, data quality, and partner experience.
Codify best practices into templates, playbooks, and training materials so new programs and team members can ramp quickly and operate consistently.
Leverage tools such as SAP, Adaptive Insights, Excel, and analytics platforms to build reliable, scalable reporting and planning solutions for Product Development Finance.
Partner with Finance Systems, IT, and Data teams to improve data structures, integrations, and automation that support forecasting, BOM tracking, and spend visibility.
Identify high-value opportunities to streamline manual reporting and reconciliations through better data pipelines, standardized inputs, and workflow improvements.
Ensure data is governed, accurate, and well-understood so that leaders can trust dashboards, models, and reports when making time-sensitive decisions.
Lead communication and change management for updates to financial processes, tools, and rhythms within the Product Development Finance ecosystem.
Synthesize complex technical and financial inputs into clear, compelling stories that help non-finance partners understand trade-offs and choose a path forward.
Influence senior leaders by framing options, risks, and recommendations in the context of Rivian’s broader product, cost, and growth strategy.
Foster a culture of transparency, curiosity, and continuous improvement, encouraging partners to engage early on financial implications of design and scope decisions.