Sr. Electronic Design & Sustaining Engineer

Rivian and VW Group Technology • Tustin, CA

5h

About The Position

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies is a joint venture between two industry leaders with a clear vision for automotive’s next chapter. From operating systems to zonal controllers to cloud and connectivity solutions, we’re addressing the challenges of electric vehicles through technology that will set the standards for software-defined vehicles around the world.
The road to the future is uncharted. By combining our expertise across connectivity, AI, security and more, we’ll map a new way forward. Working together, we’ll create a future that’s more connected, more intelligent, more sustainable for everyone.

As a Senior Electronic Design Engineer, you will play a key role in the development of cutting-edge zonal hardware that serves as the backbone for power distribution, fault tolerance, and control functions in our next-generation vehicles. We're looking for a hands-on engineer with a solid foundation in electrical engineering, a passion for innovation, self-motivated and the ability to thrive in a fast-paced, collaborative environment. Your contributions will directly influence the performance, safety, and efficiency of future software-defined vehicles.

Requirements

• Bachelor's or Master’s degree in Electrical Engineering or a related field.
• 3+ years of experience in electronic hardware design, preferably in the automotive industry.
• Strong foundation in EE fundamentals; experience with electromechanical systems is a plus.
• Experience designing for automotive environments, including an understanding of hardware/software development life cycles.
• Knowledge of Tier 1 supplier processes, manufacturing constraints, and automotive design standards.
• Familiarity with automotive EMC/EMI design best practices.
• Hands-on experience with lab tools such as oscilloscopes, multimeters, logic analyzers, and similar.
• Strong problem-solving skills and a proactive mindset toward continuous improvement.
• Willingness to travel up to 30% domestically and internationally.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) systems and component release workflows is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Lead the full hardware design lifecycle - from concept, safety decomposition, and requirements definition to schematic capture, layout, validation, and production.
• Design, prototype, and validate robust low-voltage zonal control modules for automotive applications.
• Tackle power electronics challenges, including solid-state circuit breaker design and distributed DC-DC converters for efficient power delivery.
• Ensure signal integrity and interface compatibility across PCBs, sensors, actuators, and communication buses (CAN, SPI, Ethernet, analog/digital I/O).
• Collaborate cross-functionally with mechanical, thermal, software, vehicle dynamics, manufacturing, validation, and supply chain teams.
• Evaluate and integrate new components and technologies (e.g., microcontrollers, high-side drivers, motor drivers), including working with suppliers to co-develop custom solutions.
• Apply EMC best practices throughout design to ensure compliance and system robustness.
• Conduct root cause analysis, troubleshooting, and failure investigations on PCBAs and electronic subsystems.
• Support system integration and validation across build phases — Proto, EVT, DVT, and vehicle-level testing.
• Ensure compliance with functional safety and regulatory standards (ISO 26262, FUSA, etc.).
• Lead cross-functional root‑cause analysis (RCA) for failures identified in manufacturing, field returns, diagnostics logs, and validation testing.
• Perform board‑level electrical debug across power, sensing, comms, and control circuits.
• Identify issues stemming from cross-functional aspects of vehicle ECUs design such as schematic, layout, SI/PI, component robustness, and hardware/software interactions.
• Create detailed FA/RCA reports and drive corrective & preventive actions (CAPA) to HW, SW and system.

Benefits

• Total compensation packages for this position include base salary, eligibility for an annual performance bonus, and eligibility for equity.
• In addition, our benefits package has been designed to support the health and wellness of our employees. Benefit offerings include Flex Time Off, retirement savings plans as well as medical, vision and dental coverage.

What This Job Offers

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