Sr. Staff Vehicle Program Manager

Rivian•Plymouth, California

21h

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. Lead vehicle program management for the next-generation EDV, overseeing technical and business execution including electrical architecture, autonomy, and propulsion. As the operational engine, you hold end-to-end accountability from concept to launch, driving timing, governance, and KPIs while meeting investment, COGS, and quality targets. Partnering with the Chief Engineer, you balance innovation with business viability. You possess high autonomy to pause or escalate decisions, ensuring cross-functional alignment with macro-business objectives. Reporting to the Sr. Vehicle Line Director, you translate product vision into actionable technical and financial KPIs.

Requirements

12+ years in automotive program management or engineering leadership, with a proven track record of delivering large-scale vehicle programs from concept through launch.
Demonstrated ability to operate in highly ambiguous environments, making high-stakes decisions with incomplete data.
Comprehensive knowledge of automotive cost structures, with direct experience managing total landed cost, BOM/Non-BOM COGS, and large-scale CAPEX budgets.
Strong "first principles" engineering approach; prior Design & Release (D&R) experience in complex systems (e.g., Battery, Chassis, Body, or EE) is highly preferred.
Proven ability to influence VP-level stakeholders and build cross-functional consensus on high-level strategic decisions.
Ability to understand the end-to-end technical landscape (e.g., how engineering choices impact manufacturing and serviceability) and use this knowledge to drive trade-off decisions that optimize the full vehicle program.

Responsibilities

Operationalize the program strategy by translating high-level product vision into actionable technical and business roadmaps.
Lead daily execution & identify bottlenecks early.
Drive cross-functional status reviews and ensure the program rhythm meets all critical milestones.
Maintain rigorous ownership of the program’s financial targets, including Total Investment (CAPEX/ED&D) and Unit Economics.
Implement and monitor cost-down initiatives to ensure the product remains within margin targets.
Partner with Global Supply Chain to define sourcing strategies that align with technical requirements; oversee tooling maturity and supplier capacity to de-risk the master schedule.
Oversee the planning, budgeting, and procurement of validation assets relevant to your zone; ensure the full scope of testing is rigorous and synchronized with build phases.
Exercise full authority to pause or escalate decisions not aligned with cost, timing, or quality benchmarks.
Act as the final programmatic "Agreer" in RAPID, ensuring accountability across engineering and supply chain teams.
Provide clear, data-driven transparency to executive leadership regarding program trajectory.
Synthesize complex status updates into actionable insights that enable the VLD and executive leadership to make quick and accurate decisions.
Bridge the "gray areas" between functional domains.
Coordinate between manufacturing, supply chain, marketing, and service to ensure the vehicle design is manufacturable, serviceable, and commercially viable.
Partner with the assistant chief engineers to balance technical requirements with program constraints.
Provide necessary tension on build readiness, cost, and schedule to ensure the product delivers on brand promises without compromising business viability.