Senior Recruiter

Rivian•Atlanta, GA

About The Position

At Rivian, we’re on a mission to keep the world adventurous forever. This means creating vehicles that shift the world toward a sustainable future, and it starts with the people we hire. Our Talent Acquisition team isn't just "filling roles"; we are the architects of the teams building the next generation of electric vehicles, from Autonomy and R&D to the G&A backbone that supports our global operations. Note: This is not an active, single job opening. This is an invitation to join our Talent Community. By applying here, you are expressing interest in future Recruiting and TA Leadership opportunities across our Engineering and G&A verticals. Why This Role Matters Build the teams that build Rivian: You’ll directly shape the engineering and G&A teams responsible for everything from autonomy and vehicle hardware to finance, legal, and people operations — roles that influence safety, profitability, and our long‑term product roadmap. Turn “Back to Basics” into a system: You’ll help translate our Back to Basics focus into concrete recruiter workflows, interview practices, and intake rhythms that remove noise, reduce process debt, and free up time for high‑impact sourcing and closing. Scale sourcing in highly competitive markets: You’ll design and run sourcing strategies — including AI‑assisted talent mapping and outbound — for “top 1%” talent across AI/ML, electrical hardware, and niche G&A domains where the market is thin, and expectations are high. Elevate candidate experience at scale: You’ll ensure that every candidate — whether for a single role or part of a broader talent community — experiences a clear, respectful, and timely journey, even as we scale globally and optimize for speed. Make recruiting more data‑driven and adventurous: You’ll turn data and experimentation into everyday practice, using funnel metrics, time‑to‑fill, conversion rates, and qualitative feedback to propose changes that make recruiting more effective, not just faster.

Requirements

5–10+ years of full‑cycle recruiting experience in high‑growth technical, product, or corporate environments, with a strong track record in at least one of: engineering (software, hardware, autonomy) and G&A (Finance, Legal, People or related functions).
Demonstrated success as a senior individual contributor: owning complex searches, influencing senior stakeholders, and shaping recruiting strategy for critical roles.
Proven ability to design and execute sourcing strategies for hard‑to‑fill and leadership roles, including direct sourcing, talent mapping, and long‑term nurture of high‑potential candidates.
Experience working with modern ATS and HR tech ecosystems (e.g., Greenhouse, Ashby, iCISM, Workday, CRM tools, scheduling, and assessment platforms) and comfort learning new systems quickly.
Demonstrated use of data and funnel metrics (pass‑through rates, time‑to‑fill, offer acceptance, source performance) to diagnose issues, propose experiments, and influence stakeholders.
Hands‑on experience improving or standardizing core recruiting processes (intake, interview design, feedback, offers, approvals) with an eye toward both candidate experience and recruiter efficiency.
Familiarity with AI/automation concepts in recruiting — from sourcing assistance and knowledge retrieval to templated communications — and a practical view of where they add value vs. risk.
Strong stakeholder management and storytelling skills, with the ability to translate market realities, candidate insights, and pipeline data into clear recommendations for hiring managers and leaders.
Demonstrated commitment to inclusive, bias‑aware hiring practices, and comfort coaching interviewers and managers toward structured, evidence‑based decision‑making.
Experience working in fast‑paced, ambiguous environments, with the ability to prioritize, context‑switch, and maintain high standards across multiple concurrent searches.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to adapt tone and level of detail for candidates, peers, and senior leadership.
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent practical experience in Business, Human Resources, Psychology, or a related field.

Nice To Haves

Experience recruiting in automotive, EV, advanced manufacturing, or high‑growth technology environments where engineering and G&A scale in parallel.
Prior exposure to or partnership with People Operations, HRIS, or People Analytics teams on projects related to recruiting process, reporting, or tool implementation.
Familiarity with continuous improvement, service design, or operating model methodologies (e.g., Lean, design thinking, service design) applied to people or talent processes.
Experience supporting global or multi‑site recruiting (e.g., R&D hubs, manufacturing locations, and distributed corporate teams) with sensitivity to local talent markets and regulations.
Demonstrated leadership in mentoring other recruiters, contributing to team playbooks, or standing up new recruiting programs (e.g., communities of practice, sourcing sprints, or hiring manager training).

Responsibilities

Act as a strategic recruiting partner to leaders across EV R&D, Autonomy, Hardware, and G&A, turning headcount plans and org designs into prioritized hiring strategies and clear success profiles.
Lead intake and calibration for critical roles, clarifying must‑have vs. stretch requirements, mapping competencies to interview plans, and coaching managers on structured, evidence‑based evaluation.
Provide market and compensation insight for technical and corporate talent, using data and search feedback to influence role design, level, and location decisions in partnership with People and Finance.
Own end‑to‑end recruiting for high‑impact roles — from first brief and sourcing strategy through debrief, offer, close, and handoff into onboarding.
Design and run core priority journeys (e.g., workforce planning & intake, interview design & calibration, offer & close, post‑hire feedback loops) that can be reused across similar role families.
Drive structured decision‑making: prepare interview panels, facilitate debriefs, and ensure clear documentation of rationale, tradeoffs, and risk for each hiring decision.
Build and execute multi‑channel sourcing plans (direct outreach, referrals, niche communities, events) that consistently generate high‑caliber pipelines for hard‑to‑fill technical and G&A roles.
Use ATS, CRM, and AI‑assisted tools to map markets, re‑engage past talent, prioritize outreach, and track response and conversion rates over time.
Package and share sourcing playbooks and message frameworks for key profiles (e.g., Staff/Principal Engineers, senior Finance or Legal leaders) so they can be scaled across TA.
Identify and remove process friction in the recruiter and hiring manager journey — simplifying intake, scheduling, feedback collection, and approvals wherever possible.
Help define and protect recruiter “Golden Hours”: time‑boxed sourcing and closing windows supported by clear SLAs, templates, and standardized workflows.
Use funnel and performance data from ATS and Workday to spot bottlenecks, run lightweight experiments, and recommend changes that improve both speed and quality of hire.
Identify high‑ROI use cases for AI and automation in sourcing, screening, scheduling, and communications, ensuring they reduce manual work without eroding quality or fairness.
Partner with People Operations, HRIS, IT, and vendor teams to tune recruiting tools (ATS, CRM, Workday integrations, interview platforms) so they reflect real recruiter and candidate needs.
Maintain clean, structured recruiting data, enabling accurate reporting, talent insights, and compliance across geographies and business lines.
Act as a brand ambassador for Rivian’s mission and culture, tailoring narratives to highly sought‑after talent while staying transparent about stage, challenges, and opportunities.
Design and maintain clear communication cadences so candidates receive timely updates, thoughtful closure, and a consistent experience across engineering and G&A roles.
Champion inclusive, bias‑aware hiring practices, including structured interviews, consistent rubrics, diverse panels, and equitable slate and sourcing practices.