Sr. Manufacturing Engineer - (Body - Upperbody)

Rivian•Normal, IL

15h•Onsite

About The Position

Rivian’s Body Manufacturing Engineering team designs, launches, and continuously improves manufacturing systems that produce safe, high-quality vehicles at scale. The Senior Manufacturing Engineer supports body manufacturing programs and owns projects across process design, equipment specification, supplier development, installation, commissioning, validation, and production ramp-up. The role partners with Product Design, Manufacturing, Quality, Controls, and external suppliers to develop robust processes and equipment. It includes participating in design reviews and workshops, supporting design-for-manufacturability activities, developing process documentation and work instructions, contributing to PFMEA, managing equipment installations, leading FAT/SAT activities, and ensuring manufacturing systems meet quality, efficiency, reliability, and throughput goals. Based at Rivian’s Normal, Illinois plant, the role supports R1 and EDV production and the R2 industrialization effort. It also leads major program changes to legacy products and processes across the Normal plant’s body lines, with future responsibilities supporting the relocation of these operations to Georgia. The position reports directly to a Manager, Manufacturing Engineering.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in engineering or a similar technical field.
3–5+ years of manufacturing engineering experience leading and executing programs in body shops from concept to launch, or relevant experience.
Strong problem-solving skills and aptitude for learning systems quickly.
Experience managing large automation projects of $1 million or more with multiple stakeholders.
Substantial knowledge of automotive body assembly processes, including welding, bonding, and riveting.
Strong understanding of lean manufacturing principles and continuous improvement methodologies.
Excellent communication, collaboration, and project management skills.
Experience with data analysis, process monitoring, and quality systems, ideally in a body shop.
Knowledge of current and emerging technologies and digitization trends relevant to industrial manufacturing.
Experience with 2D and 3D software such as AutoCAD, SolidWorks, and CATIA.
Understanding of GD&T principles.

Responsibilities

Define body manufacturing concepts for lines, including layout, process, equipment selection, and joining methodology, to meet dimensional, throughput, cost, and safety targets on a new underbody line and existing shops.
Manage the design procurement, installation, and validation of production equipment, tooling, robotics, joining, and conveyance from concept through launch.
Act as the principal point of contact for manufacturing needs of the Product Design team, ensuring products are feasible for high-volume production.
Oversee installation, acceptance testing, and ramp-up of manufacturing equipment and lines.
Apply lean manufacturing principles, relieve bottlenecks, analyze process data and performance, and identify improvement opportunities.
Troubleshoot technical issues and mediate competing technical requirements to ensure process stability and quality.
Manage multiple high-value projects concurrently, develop and adhere to schedules, and coordinate with internal and external stakeholders to meet project objectives.
Author and maintain Rivian body equipment and process specifications and templates for use across programs.
Provide leadership with clear, concise, regular status updates on risk, cost, schedule, headcount, and mitigations.
Design and develop automated production lines for product flow, ergonomics, efficiency, scalability, standardization, and continuous quality monitoring.
Provide design-for-manufacturing feedback to the Product Design Engineering team.