Sr. Manager - Global Facilities

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies•Palo Alto, CA

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Sr. Manager, Facilities Strategy & Operations is both the strategic architect and operational backbone of RV Tech's Palo Alto HQ and global sites — owning long-term real estate strategy and infrastructure while ensuring day-to-day operations are safe, functional, and exceptional. This is a foundational hire: many of the frameworks, vendor relationships, tools, and processes this role owns either don't exist yet or are being built in real time, so we're looking for a self-starting leader who brings equal parts vision and execution — someone who can define the strategy on Monday and be hands-on solving a facilities problem on Tuesday. You'll partner closely with Engineering, Finance, IT, People, executive leadership and counterparts at Rivian and will be a key voice in how RV Tech scales its physical footprint as the company grows. This role is onsite 5 days a week in our Palo Alto, Ca office.

Requirements

10+ years facilities management experience, with both strategic program-building and hands-on operational ownership (not just inheriting existing programs)
Track record managing budgets, financial models, and vendor negotiations / management
Proven team leadership — hiring and retaining talent
Deep technical knowledge of building systems (mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire)
Comfortable with data/AI tools, dashboards, KPI frameworks, translating data into executive insights
Strong communication skills for senior/cross-functional audiences
Experience with CMMS (Fexa, Archibus, or similar); MS Office/Google Workspace
Willingness to be on-site, travel up to 25%, and respond to critical incidents off-hours

Nice To Haves

High-growth tech, automotive, or EV company experience
Experience with R&D/engineering-heavy facilities
Sustainability, energy management, or workplace experience background
CFM or FMP certification
BI tools (Tableau, Looker) and/or space platforms (Robin, Envoy)
PM tools: Smartsheet, Airtable, Confluence; using AI tools

Responsibilities

Own RV Tech's multi-year global facilities strategy and real estate transaction lifecycle (site search and selection, LOIs, lease negotiation/administration, lease administration), including build vs. outsource decisions
Lead site planning and space strategy as well as facility design/construction and new site openings, including an NSO checklist ensuring day-one operational readiness
Build BI dashboards/frameworks for real-time visibility into facilities performance, spend, and capacity; drive continuous improvement via benchmarking
Own day-to-day operations across sites (maintenance, janitorial, space management, safety, vendor services and utilities management) and coordinate a network of internal team, site contacts and vendors
Build operational plans: preventative/reactive maintenance, SLAs, CMMS, ticketing, escalation, and emergency response
Own EHSS: OSHA/environmental compliance, incident management, physical security (guards, SOC, access, TISAX/ISO 27001), coordinating with Rivian at shared sites
Manage the Small Works program for post-occupancy improvements
Build and manage global vendor network (janitorial, EHS/security, catering, HVAC, electrical, landscaping, etc.); run competitive bidding with Procurement and work with Rivian to establish our own vendor base
Own 5-year CapEx and annual OpEx budgets; financial modeling for site decisions; forecasts/actuals reporting to leadership
Build and lead a small, high-performing internal team plus outsourced partners
Serve as primary point of contact for facilities needs/escalations; align with Rivian/VW Group counterparts on shared standards