Sr. Fasteners Engineer

Rivian•Tustin, CA

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

Rivian is on a mission to keep the world adventurous forever. This goes for the emissions-free Electric Adventure Vehicles we build, and the curious, courageous souls we seek to attract. As a company, we constantly challenge what’s possible, never simply accepting what has always been done. We reframe old problems, seek new solutions and operate comfortably in areas that are unknown. Our backgrounds are diverse, but our team shares a love of the outdoors and a desire to protect it for future generations. This role is responsible for end-to-end technical support of Standard Components, across supplier engagement, drawing and CAD release, revision control, PPAP / deviation disposition, production-change implementation, supply risk response, and lab testing and validation of hardware. The role serves as the engineering focal point for external suppliers and cross-functional Rivian teams, ensuring that fastener/joint technical requirements are reflected as supplier deliverables and that changes are reflected consistently in drawings, part numbers, supplier documentation, inventory, POs, orders, shipment priorities, and manufacturing use. The role partners with Materials Planning, Supply Chain, Purchasing, Supplier Development, Quality, Operations, and Manufacturing; it provides the technical content and engineering disposition needed to support those teams’ transactional and execution responsibilities. The role can be located in either Rivian’s Tustin CA offices, Normal IL plant, or our Plymouth MI offices

Requirements

7+ years of experience as a fasteners, mechanical, materials, quality, or supply chain engineer in a manufacturing environment
BS in Mechanical Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering or other relevant field.
Experience with CAD/PLM software and methods, such as CATIA/ENOVIA, for editing and release of 3D/2D part drawings.
Expertise with industry standards and the ability to author in-house fastener and fastener installation specs/standards.
Familiarity with primary automotive structures with critical fastening quality requirements, such as Body, Interior and Chassis assemblies.
Working knowledge of commonly used automotive materials, their manufacturing methods and their influence on joint design, fastener selection and validation. Includes aluminums, steels, multiple grades of plastic, sealants, adhesives and composites.
Top-notch communication skills to external Supplier and Tier partners.
Comfortable providing 1:1 support to design and manufacturing engineers, and providing best practices guidance and technical presentations to the engineering community.
Ability to specify and execute industry standard fastener and joint mechanical tests, as well as design custom tests for analysis of fastened components and assemblies.
Comfortable as a primary technical point of contact for diagnosing and containing emergent Manufacturing and Service part concerns.

Nice To Haves

Advanced degree in relevant engineering discipline
Direct experience with industry standard components manufacturers.
Knowledge of statistical process control methods
Capable of safely operating basic metallographic laboratory equipment and performing failure analysis and testing on fastener components and joints.

Responsibilities

Own the technical supplier interface for Standard Components. Lead and participate in supplier technical reviews; translate Rivian application, performance, assembly, material, coating, thread, retention, and dimensional/packaging requirements into supplier actions; resolve open technical issues through documented decisions, follow-up, and closure.
Manage engineering drawings, CAD, redlines, and revision release. Create, review, mark up, and release 2D/3D CAD and production drawings; incorporate changes to geometry, tolerances, thread form, coatings, patches, materials, markings, and application callouts; maintain revision notes and communicate released versus preliminary status to suppliers and internal stakeholders.
Control part-number, suffix, supersession, and configuration alignment. Review whether new or substitute part numbers are backward compatible; determine when a change requires a new suffix or revision; align Rivian part numbers with supplier part numbers; and ensure the correct part number and revision are reflected in drawings, supplier documentation, SAs, POs, inventory, and production records.
Define and review PPAP, deviation, certification, and supplier-quality requirements.
Review supplier PPAP packages, dimensional layouts, deviation requests, material/coating certifications, hydrogen-embrittlement documentation, process evidence, and performance requirements; identify missing or inadequate requirements; provide technical disposition; and coordinate corrective updates before release or production use.
Coordinate samples, lab trials, lineside validation, and production readiness. Define sample quantities and destinations; coordinate shipment and receipt with suppliers, shipping, and Rivian labs; align test methods and torque/tooling requirements; review results with DRE, manufacturing, supplier development, and operations; and provide engineering approval or conditions for shipment and production use.
Provide engineering support for inventory, demand, POs, and supplier orders. Work with Purchasing re: supplier part availability, on-hand inventory, consumption rates, runout risk, shipment status, and order quantities when engineering changes or supplier constraints affect production.
Lead engineering change implementation into production.
Determine whether legacy parts may continue, whether a supplier may proceed with tooling or production, and what controls are required for a transition; align the released drawing, part-number configuration, PPAP status, inventory disposition, torque programming, and supplier/plant timing.
Act as the cross-functional escalation point for Standard Components risks. Identify technical or supply risks early, escalate decisions requiring DRE, Quality, Supplier Development, Planning, or Global Supply approval, and maintain clear written communication of decisions, owners, timing, and release conditions.