Sr. Studio & Perceived Quality Engineer

Rivian•Irvine, CA

2d•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Studio Perceived Quality Engineer is a dynamic, multi-faceted role that bridges the gap between creative design and engineering excellence. You are largely responsible for ensuring that the sensory experience and design execution of our adventurous products live up to our brand’s promise. By combining a keen eye for aesthetics with technical rigor, you will convert subjective sensory inputs into objective engineering specifications, championing good, fundamental design across the entire vehicle. This role goes beyond traditional Perceived Quality. You will act as a core Studio Design Engineer, working closely with all disciplines to arbitrate technically challenging areas and integrate architectural engineering into appealing creative designs. You will lead early attribute consumer research, theme packaging development, and feasibility for interior and exterior Class ‘A’ surfaces. The ideal candidate is self-motivated, technically proficient, possesses an unusual blend of creativity and engineering acumen, and is ready to mentor others while driving world-class vehicle-level craftsmanship.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Design Engineering, Transportation Design, or a related technical discipline.
5 years’ experience with Craftsmanship, Perceived Quality, or Studio Engineering in automotive, or similar high quality product engineering discipline.
Deep knowledge of part and assembly tolerance stack analysis, GD&T, and statistical qualification of equipment, design for manufacturing (feasibility limitations of part design)
A keen eye for aesthetics, and a deep understanding of the technical and manufacturing limitations required to achieve premium perceived quality.
3+ years experience with Catia V5 or V6 (or similar CAD software).
Strong understanding of material impact on overall craftsmanship, component manufacturing tooling requirements, lead times, and design for manufacturing.
Excellent communication and task-management skills; ability to influence cross-functional teams and build strong relationships in a highly confidential, fast-paced studio environment.

Nice To Haves

Proficiency in VRED and Class A surface modeling is preferred.
Working knowledge of domestic and global homologation, legal, and safety requirements is preferred.

Responsibilities

Lead craftsmanship development: Drive vehicle-level craftsmanship and establish criteria for excellence through competitive benchmarking and early attribute research related to Gap + Flush, Firmness + Feel, and Craftsmanship Execution
Set objective specifications: Define and provide specifications to Studio, Engineering, and Supplier teams for visible part interfaces, haptics, paint, surface quality, and more vehicle attributes.
Drive interface maturation: Support interface/section maturation, drive proven interface characteristics into program master sections, and verify Studio and Engineering conformance to inputs.
Validate and verify: Support dimensional variation analysis and risk assessment studies. Virtually validate data for craftsmanship excellence and triage associated issues on physical prototype builds for rapid resolution.
Manage build standards: Translate requirements into a detailed build standard and lead the handoff to production teams.
Vehicle Audits: perform vehicle and part level reviews for Studio Aesthetic standards to detect issues early, and triage issues for rapid resolution.