Senior Financial Analyst, Product Development

Rivian • Irvine, CA

3d

About The Position

We are seeking a Sr. Financial Analyst, Product Development to elevate how we plan, invest, and make decisions across Rivian’s Product Development portfolio. You will own core financial planning and analysis for development Opex and Capex, translating complex engineering and program activity into clear, data-driven insights.
This role sits at the intersection of Finance, product development operations, process design, and digital enablement—connecting planning tools, ERP data, and analytics into an integrated view of product economics. You will serve as a critical connector between Finance, Product Development, HR, Supply Chain, and other partner teams, shaping how our financial systems and processes work together to support a scalable, insight-rich operating model.
Why This Role Matters
Stewards Product Investment: Ensure Rivian’s Product Development spend—across Opex, Capex, and headcount—is aligned to strategic priorities and delivers maximum return on investment.
Turns Complexity into Clarity: Deconstruct complex BOM, P&L, and program data into simple, actionable insights leaders can use to make fast, high-quality decisions.
Builds Scalable Finance Routines: Strengthen budgeting, forecasting, and month-end close processes so Finance and Product Development can operate with greater speed, accuracy, and confidence.
Drives Cross-Functional Accountability: Partner with Engineering, Supply Chain, HR, and Program Management to align financial plans with technical roadmaps, resource needs, and operating constraints.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics, Business Administration or a related field.
• 3+ years of progressive experience in FP&A, corporate finance, or related roles, with a strong focus on expense management, headcount, and labor cost analysis.
• Demonstrated experience supporting R&D, Engineering, or Product Development organizations or similarly complex, project-based environments.
• Strong analytical and financial modeling skills, with advanced proficiency in Excel (e.g., pivot tables, lookups, complex formulas, scenario analysis).
• Experience working with financial planning systems (e.g., Anaplan, Hyperion, Adaptive Insights) and ERP platforms (e.g., SAP, Oracle NetSuite or similar).
• Proven track record managing budgeting, forecasting, variance analysis, and month-end close processes in fast-paced, high-change contexts.
• Ability to synthesize large, complex datasets into concise, executive-ready narratives and visualizations that drive decisions.
• Strong communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, including the ability to collaborate effectively with non-financial stakeholders at all levels.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently, manage multiple priorities, and meet deadlines with high attention to detail and accuracy.
• Mindset oriented toward continuous improvement, with a bias for simplifying processes, standardizing approaches, and building scalable routines.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in automotive, EV, hardware, or manufacturing environments with exposure to product development lifecycles.
• Prior responsibility for financial support of end-to-end product development (from concept through launch), including Capex-heavy programs.
• Familiarity with data visualization and BI tools (e.g., Power BI, Tableau) to build dashboards and KPIs for operating reviews.
• Professional certifications such as CFA, CPA, or an MBA with a finance focus.
• Experience contributing to or leading finance process and operating model improvements in high-growth or transformation settings.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary finance partner for key areas of the Product Development organization, building trusted relationships with engineering and program leaders.
• Translate technical milestones, product roadmaps, and resource plans into clear financial implications, trade-offs, and recommendations.
• Facilitate regular business reviews that connect performance, variance drivers, and forward-looking risks and opportunities.
• Lead budgeting and forecasting cycles for Product Development Opex and Capex, ensuring plans are grounded in realistic assumptions and aligned with corporate targets.
• Own cadence and deliverables for monthly and quarterly reporting, including dashboards, variance analysis, and executive-ready materials.
• Develop standardized templates and models that improve forecast accuracy, comparability, and speed of iteration across product lines.
• Break down BOM and P&L drivers to identify cost-saving opportunities, quantify investment trade-offs, and highlight margin and efficiency impacts.
• Analyze headcount, labor, and vendor spend to drive improved utilization, throughput, and return on engineering investment.
• Support scenario modeling for new programs, design changes, and roadmap shifts, clearly framing financial upside, risk, and sensitivity.
• Govern PO approval workflows, ensuring spend aligns with budget, policy, and strategic priorities.
• Partner with Accounting to lead the month-end close for Product Development spend, including accruals, reclasses, and reconciliations.
• Strengthen financial controls around Capex, tooling, and long-lead investments to reduce leakage, rework, and surprise overruns.
• Leverage planning tools, ERP systems, and advanced Excel models to build reliable, scalable financial views of Product Development activity.
• Identify and implement process improvements that automate manual reporting, reduce cycle times, and improve data quality.
• Collaborate with Finance Systems, Data, and cross-functional partners to enhance reporting, metrics, and self-service capabilities over time.

Benefits

• 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 on the first of the month following 90 days of employment.
• More information about benefits is available at rivianbenefits.com.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level