Sr. Field Service Engineer, Northern California

Rivian • Sacramento, CA

6h • $87,300 - $118,600

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.

The Sr. Field Service Engineer acts as the technical bridge between real-world vehicle usage and Rivian’s engineering and product development teams. You will drive field issue detection, structured root cause analysis, and corrective action implementation, ensuring every customer experience informs our continuous product improvement journey. This role supports diagnostic and repair strategies, champions product feedback from the field, and enables scalable quality solutions across all Rivian vehicle systems.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Automotive Engineering, or related technical discipline.
• 5+ years of direct experience in automotive product engineering, service engineering, field quality engineering, or reliability engineering.
• Deep technical understanding of complex vehicle systems including electric drive systems, HV batteries, infotainment, and embedded controls.
• Strong experience in diagnosing system-level failures and collaborating on design or process improvements.
• Skilled in formal problem-solving tools and root cause methodologies (8D, 5-Whys, Fault Tree Analysis).
• High proficiency with vehicle diagnostic tools, CAN tools, and data analysis platforms (Databricks, Tableau, etc.).
• Hands-on field experience supporting vehicle diagnostics and repairs.
• Strong cross-functional collaboration skills with Product Development, Manufacturing, Reliability, and Quality organizations.
• Effective communicator, able to clearly present complex technical issues to engineering and non-technical audiences.
• Passion for innovation, adventure, and making a real-world impact through sustainable product development.
• Commitment to travel up to 75% throughout Northern California and Northwest Nevada.

Nice To Haves

• 7-10+ years as ASE Certified Master Level Technician highly desired.
• Coding or scripting experience (Python, C/C++) is highly desirable for tool development and automation.
• Knowledge of Linux, Android-based systems, and OTA update processes is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Act as a field product expert across Rivian’s vehicle platforms (HV Battery, Drive Units, Infotainment, ADAS, Chassis Systems, etc.).
• Lead structured field investigations for early-life failures, durability issues, and emergent customer trends.
• Partner with Field Service Technicians and Service Engineering to deliver advanced diagnostics, while capturing field learnings for upstream product corrections.
• Drive root cause analysis efforts using formal methodologies (5-Whys, Fishbone, Fault Tree) and close quality loops with Engineering and Reliability teams.
• Develop rapid diagnostic and repair plans that prioritize customer uptime and serviceability, including software and hardware solutions.
• Create detailed field diagnostics and technical documentation to inform Service and Design loops.
• Collaborate with Diagnostic Engineering, Diagnostics Specialists, and Quality teams to streamline diagnostics, improve detection methods, and refine repair procedures.
• Support the development of remote diagnostic and field data capture tools to proactively monitor vehicle performance and identify trends.
• Mentor and train service locations on best practices for advanced diagnostics and early issue detection.
• Implement incident response protocols for critical field events requiring immediate data gathering or technical resolution.
• Drive field validation initiatives to ensure corrective actions and new product updates are effective under real-world conditions.
• Champion a culture of product ownership, collaboration, and continuous improvement across field service and engineering functions.
• Frequent travel (up to 75%) is required. Must be able to travel in your region on a weekly basis.

Benefits

• The successful candidate may be eligible for annual performance bonus and equity awards.
• We offer a comprehensive package of benefits for full-time and part-time employees, their spouse or domestic partner, and children up to age 26, including but not limited to paid vacation, paid sick leave, and a competitive portfolio of insurance benefits including life, medical, dental, vision, short-term disability insurance, and long-term disability insurance to eligible employees.
• You may also have the opportunity to participate in Rivian’s 401(k) Plan and Employee Stock Purchase Program if you meet certain eligibility requirements.
• Full-time employee coverage is effective on their first day of employment. Part-time employee coverage is effective the first of the month following 90 days of employment.
• More information about benefits is available at rivianbenefits.com.

What This Job Offers

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