Sr. Battery Cell Modeling Engineer

Rivian•Tustin, CA

About The Position

The Battery Cell Modeling Engineer is a key technical role within the Battery Cell Engineering team. In this Sr-level position, you will be responsible for creating validated P2D models for characterizing DCFC capability of cells, linking cell testing data and physical modeling results to program decisions and cross-functional workflows. You will anchor the team's first-principles capabilities, focusing on deep physics and heat-generation modeling to free up existing resources and drive next-gen cell development.

Requirements

M.S. or PhD in Applied Mathematics, Physics, Mechanical Engineering, or Chemical Engineering.
5+ years of academic/industry experience in modeling complex physical systems, with a mastery of lithium-ion battery operating principles.
Expertise in P2D modeling, charge transport, and reaction kinetics.
Strong instincts for automation and building scalable modeling frameworks.

Responsibilities

Lead the development and validation of P2D and electrochemical-thermal models specifically aimed at defining the fast-charge boundaries of new and active cell programs.
Use a first-principles approach to go deeper on heat generation mechanisms, moving beyond standard CFD approaches to provide high-fidelity cell models.
Act as the primary technical point of contact for active programs (e.g., P2D support), ensuring cell models are accurately represented in vehicle-level performance targets.
Champion an "automation-first" mindset, building frameworks that allow for faster, more repeatable simulation runs and standardizing outputs with minimal manual intervention.
Work with thermal and system engineers to integrate cell models into broader battery thermal management systems, addressing temperature non-uniformity and pack-level behavior.