Senior Supplier Development, Industrialization & Quality Engineer - Body & Battery Structures

Rivian•Plymouth, MI

3d•Onsite

About The Position

Rivian’s Supply Chain team is seeking a technical professional to ensure the stability and performance of its global supply chain. The Senior Supplier Development, Industrialization & Quality Engineer is an individual contributor responsible for quality performance and continuous improvement for an assigned commodity or group of suppliers. With moderate autonomy, the engineer ensures supplier manufacturing capabilities meet design requirements and quality expectations. The role proactively identifies supplier-level challenges and proposes solutions to mitigate risks before they affect production. It leads the APQP/PPAP process for the assigned area, maintains relationships with supplier counterparts to resolve recurring issues, and uses expert analysis and data-driven insights to influence sourcing decisions. The position serves as technical owner for assigned suppliers’ industrialization and manages final quality sign-off. The role is based onsite in Normal, Illinois, or Plymouth, Michigan, and requires 50–75% primarily domestic travel. It reports to the Sr. Manager - Supplier Development, Industrialization & Quality.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or a related technical field.
At least 3 years of relevant supplier development experience.
Experience managing commodities and understanding factors affecting them, including economic and technology landscapes.
Experience with cold/hot stamping, sheet-metal forming, fixture-based assembly, MIG welding, robotic welding, manual welding, e-coat interfaces, and final assembly processes.
Ability to evaluate fixture datum strategies, clamping, weld-gun access, poka-yoke, dimensional capability, and repeatability.
Ability to drive controls for weld defects, dimensional variation, distortion, missing welds, spatter, undercut, porosity, burn-through, and rework.
Advanced knowledge of manufacturing techniques and supplier performance ownership.
Strong information-sharing and communication skills, including the ability to align larger working groups and defuse conflicts.
Ability to manage KPIs and mitigate quality risks effectively.
Ability to identify and manage priorities to meet area-specific milestones on time.
Ability to travel regularly, primarily domestically, averaging 50–75%.

Responsibilities

Own quality performance for Body/Battery Structures suppliers, maintaining Low-to-No Risk (CL3) status.
Oversee action plans for CL2 suppliers to prevent regression into higher-risk categories.
Identify supplier challenges and propose solutions to remove risks before they affect production.
Apply problem-solving methods such as 5-Why, Fishbone, and Is/Isn't to resolve recurring issues.
Lead the APQP/PPAP process for assigned parts and ensure suppliers meet technical and documentation standards.
Set clear expectations and monitor supplier timelines to ensure on-time delivery of quality milestones.
Serve as the technical owner for industrialization of assigned suppliers and manage final quality sign-off.
Use data-driven insights to influence peers and sourcing decisions.
Manage personal priorities and assigned-area milestones, driving improvement and results with moderate autonomy.