Sr. EMC Test Engineer

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies•Irvine, CA

5d•Onsite

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. We are looking for a Senior EMC Test Engineer to own our EMC validation programs for automotive electronic components and modules supplied to Rivian and Volkswagen Group. This role is accountable for the full cycle — writing test plans, making engineering disposition calls, and representing the company directly to OEM engineers. The right candidate brings 10+ years of EMC testing and engineering experience in the automotive sector, with strong command of SAE J1113, ISO 11452, ISO 7637-2, CISPR 25, and relevant OEM specifications. We will also consider candidates from Aerospace (RTCA DO-160), Defense (MIL-STD-461), or Consumer Electronics (IEC 61000 series) backgrounds, provided they can demonstrate the engineering judgment and customer-facing maturity this role requires. This is an individual contributor role with no direct reports. You will provide informal technical direction to senior and mid-level technicians on your programs.

Requirements

10+ years of EMC testing and engineering experience in the automotive sector
Strong command of SAE J1113, ISO 11452, ISO 7637-2, CISPR 25, and relevant OEM specifications.
Candidates from Aerospace (RTCA DO-160), Defense (MIL-STD-461), or Consumer Electronics (IEC 61000 series) backgrounds will be considered, provided they can demonstrate the engineering judgment and customer-facing maturity this role requires.
Engineering Oversight Level EMI test receivers, spectrum analyzers, and RF signal chains (signal generator, amplifier, directional coupler, power meter, antenna) — independently configure receiver bandwidth, detector mode, and IF bandwidth; assess substitution loss, mismatch uncertainty, and calibration factors against standard requirements.
LISNs, CDNs, BCI clamps, injection probes, transient/pulse generators, and ESD simulators — validate configurations, assess measurement uncertainty contributions, verify waveform parameters, and identify setup deviations before data collection begins.
Semi-anechoic chambers and test benches — determine facility suitability for applicable test methods, frequency ranges, and OEM specification requirements.
EMC test automation platforms (NSG, EMC32, TILE!, or equivalent) — build, validate, and troubleshoot test sequences independently without relying on technicians for configuration.
Microsoft Office — produce OEM-quality test reports in Word; handle data reduction, statistical analysis, and uncertainty budgeting in Excel.
12V / 24V / 48V vehicle electrical systems — solid understanding of load dump, jump start, reverse battery, and alternator load behavior, and what each means for test severity and waveform selection.
Automotive communication protocols — CAN, CAN FD, LIN, Automotive Ethernet (100BASE-T1 / 1000BASE-T1), FlexRay — sufficient working knowledge to define monitoring criteria, recognize protocol anomalies under immunity stress, and evaluate FPC failures.
PCB EMC risk factors — ground plane topology, decoupling placement, critical net routing, and connector filtering — sufficient depth to conduct a meaningful pre-compliance layout review.

Nice To Haves

Python, MATLAB, or equivalent scripting for post-processing and report automation
iNARTE EMC Engineer Certification
EV / HEV high-voltage EMC experience (CISPR 12, UN ECE Regulation 10, SAE J551) and/or EMC simulation familiarity (ANSYS SIwave, CST Studio, ANSYS HFSS, or Hyperlynx) for participation in design review discussions.

Responsibilities

Extract and interpret all applicable EMC requirements from OEM customer documents; author EMC Test Plans mapping requirements to test methods, test levels, DUT operating modes, monitoring criteria, and pass/fail criteria — with documented technical justification for any scope exclusions subject to OEM review.
Maintain EMC Test Plans currency through design revision cycles — revising EMC Test Plans in response to design changes, OEM specification updates, and engineering change requests (ECRs) to ensure test scope accurately reflects the current hardware configuration at all times.
Coordinate with Technical Program Managers and 3rd party test labs to schedule EMC milestones that align with DVP&R requirements and OEM program gates, flagging schedule risks early.
Author and issue final EMC Test Reports ready for direct OEM submission, and maintain revision control across all test plans and reports.
Review all test data on assigned programs, evaluate result validity and margin adequacy, and document formal dispositions — Pass, Fail, Deviation, or Retest Required — with clear technical rationale in the test record.
Separate real DUT failures from instrumentation artifacts, ambient noise, and test setup issues; apply measurement uncertainty analysis before making any borderline call.
Lead root cause analysis with the ECU Design team using signal path tracing, susceptibility frequency correlation, and emissions spectrum analysis; work with the EMC Design Engineer to determine retest scope following design changes.
Serve as the primary EMC technical contact for Rivian and Volkswagen Group on assigned programs — present test results and dispositions directly at design validation reviews and supplier technical review milestones.
Partner with the EMC Design Engineer to respond to OEM technical questions, audit findings, and non-conformance notices with technically accurate documentation, within required response windows.
Support PPAP with the EMC Design Engineer by compiling EMC compliance evidence packages, test report summaries, and engineering sign-offs to meet customer-specific PPAP level requirements.
Direct senior and mid-level technicians on test setup, DUT harness design, monitoring methodology, and pass/fail criterion application across all assigned programs.
Review and approve test harness designs, ground plane configurations, and load box assemblies before first-article testing to confirm they meet OEM harness geometry and standard configuration requirements.
Join bench-level testing on complex or first-article setups as the engineering decision-maker; make real-time calls to stop or modify testing when measurement system or setup issues threaten data validity.