Sr. Staff Power Electronics Mechanical Engineer

Rivian•Carson, CA

4d•Onsite

About The Position

As a Senior Staff Mechanical Engineer, you will serve as a technical authority and people leader for the mechanical development of our next-generation traction inverter systems from initial concept through mass production. You will own the end-to-end mechanical architecture of critical subsystems including busbars, metal housings, sealing interfaces, HV/LV harnesses, stampings and PCBAs, while directly managing a team of mechanical engineers. This role demands both deep technical expertise and the organizational influence to align cross-functional teams, drive supplier strategy, and shape engineering standards across the broader Power Electronics organization. This position is based at our Carson, CA facility and reports directly to the Mechanical Engineering Director.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering or a related engineering discipline; Master’s degree preferred.
8+ years of engineering experience specifically in the development and packaging of Power Electronics assemblies.
High-level proficiency in CATIA V5 or V6 (3DEXPERIENCE), specifically within Part Design and Assembly Design workbenches.
Proven track record designing for high-pressure die casting, injection molding and sheet metal fabrication at production scale.
Deep expertise in high-voltage busbar design, HV/LV wire harness routing and integration and sealing/gasket systems.
Practical experience with joining and integration technologies: laser welding, press-fit, soldering, heat staking and thermal interface materials (TIM).
Expert command of GD&T (ASME Y14.5) and a track record developing system-level DFMEAs and validation plans spanning mechanical, electrical and thermal domains.
Working knowledge of the ENOVIA Product Lifecycle Management environment.
Extensive experience managing external technical suppliers, ensuring quality and timeline adherence.
Demonstrated ability to lead structured root-cause analysis (8D, Fishbone, 5-whys) on complex field and manufacturing failures.
General knowledge of mechanical best practices for PCBA design and integration.
Prior experience in the Automotive industry (Tier 1 or OEM), ideally in EV powertrain or high-voltage systems.
Thrives in a fast-paced environment.
Proficiency with Microsoft Project, Visio, and the standard Office suite.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree preferred.

Responsibilities

Directly manage, mentor, and develop a team of mechanical engineers, setting clear goals, providing technical guidance, and conducting performance reviews.
Define team structure, workload allocation, and hiring needs in partnership with the Mechanical Engineering Director.
Cultivate a culture of engineering excellence and continuous improvement within the team.
Serve as the principal mechanical architect for traction inverter assemblies, owning design decisions from system-level packaging through component-level detail using CATIA V6/3DEXPERIENCE.
Define and enforce mechanical design standards, design guidelines, and best practices across the Power Electronics engineering team.
Lead architecture reviews and design phase gate decisions, ensuring solutions are scalable, manufacturable and aligned with program objectives.
Design and engineer complex subsystems including high-pressure die castings, injection-molded plastics, busbars, sheet metal, HV/LV harnesses, sealing interfaces and PCBA mechanical integration.
Own the full mechanical release cycle in ENOVIA, governing data integrity, design maturity, and BOM accuracy across multiple concurrent programs.
Drive weekly technical reviews with suppliers to resolve open design items, enforce DFM alignment, and maintain delivery commitments.
Act as the senior technical escalation point for Supply Chain and Supplier Quality on critical path issues.
Support the generation of high-impact engineering documents including Component Technical Specifications (CTS), Statements of Work (SOW), system-level DFMEAs, and assembly manuals.
Establish and maintain top-level assembly BOMs with full attribute integrity across complex, multi-variant product configurations
Lead mechanical readiness for pre-production and production line commissioning, including the design of test fixtures, assembly aids, and error-proofing solutions.
Partner with Manufacturing Engineering as a senior stakeholder in production line design, validation and launch.
Own the root cause investigation process for field failures and prototype escapes, driving systemic design improvements and lessons learned documentation that benefit future programs.
Support the development and execution of Design Verification (DV) test plans, ensuring long-term reliability and regulatory compliance.