Staff Battery Cell Engineer

Rivian • Hayward, CA

15h

About The Position

The Cell Development Engineer will play a critical role in Rivian’s battery cell road mapping and strategic planning, including chemistry optimization, cell form-factor selection, and cell supplier nomination. The role is responsible for battery cell product planning, technical assessment of cell supplier RFPs and RFQs, and preparing new battery technologies for mass production and introduction.

The engineer will lead cell development from design optimization and concept through A-sample design lock, establish cell strategy and technical roadmaps, and work with suppliers and cross-functional teams to deliver cells that meet vehicle requirements and safety, performance, durability, fast-charge, and cost objectives. The role also covers cell testing, validation, modeling, manufacturing-process optimization, analysis of degradation mechanisms, and support for vehicle Battery Management Systems. The engineer will contribute to cell and pack improvements, intellectual property, and technical guidance for other engineers and technicians.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in chemistry, chemical engineering, or materials science, with 8 or more years of experience in lithium-ion battery R&D or manufacturing.
• Experience leading a lithium-ion cell program from concept to Start of Production (SOP) for a high-volume application.
• Strong understanding of cell components and their interactions within a cell.
• Strong understanding of lithium-ion battery electrochemical properties.
• Experience in cell design and development for high-volume production programs.
• Experience developing DFMEA and PFMEA, PPAP, and line audits.
• Demonstrated experience in cell validation.
• Experience with fault tree analysis and DFMEA/PFMEA of electrochemical systems to identify root causes and apply mitigation strategies to development issues.
• Familiarity with electrochemical techniques such as EIS, GITT, CV, and PITT.
• Excellent knowledge of development trends in the lithium-ion battery field.
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision and collaborate closely with colleagues.
• Strong interest in lithium-ion battery development, especially for electric vehicles.
• Strong communication, time-management, and project-management skills.

Nice To Haves

• Ph.D. degree.
• Knowledge of fast-charge development methodology.
• Experience estimating lithium-ion battery lifetime.
• Experience with AI data-analysis tools such as Claude, Codex, and Cursor.
• Understanding of battery-cell integration in automotive HEV, PHEV, or EV applications, or in consumer electronics.
• Working knowledge of SAE, FMVSS, ECE, and GBT/QCT standards and regulations for automotive traction batteries.
• Experience with statistical methods for understanding process capability.

Responsibilities

• Own cell development from cell design optimization and concept through A-sample design lock.
• Develop the cell technical roadmap and overall cell strategy for current and future products.
• Establish strategic relationships with cell vendors and collaborate with Rivian purchasing on cell sourcing.
• Translate vehicle requirements into detailed cell requirements and specifications with cross-functional teams.
• Partner with material engineers and mechanical designers to develop cells meeting safety, performance, fast-charge, durability, and cost objectives.
• Collaborate with vendors on cell development and manufacturing-process optimization.
• Oversee early-stage cell suppliers’ DFMEA and PFMEA development.
• Align cross-functional teams on cell integration into the battery module, pack, and vehicle at the concept stage.
• Develop and execute test methods to evaluate lithium-ion battery cell chemistries, coordinating internal and external testing resources.
• Drive cell selection decisions using test results and comprehensive data analysis.
• Work with modeling engineers to extract parameters and build and validate cell models.
• Collaborate with cell testing, modeling, and safety teams on cell validation and characterization.
• Use electrochemical techniques to identify cell degradation mechanisms and propose mitigation strategies involving cell design, manufacturing processes, or usage.
• Use cell testing data to support control and estimation algorithms in vehicle Battery Management Systems.
• Work with pack design engineers to identify cell and pack design improvements for performance and lifetime.
• Review academic literature on lithium-ion cells and related technologies to advance Rivian’s battery cell technology.
• Develop and secure intellectual property for Rivian battery cell technology.
• Provide training and technical guidance to engineers and technicians.

Benefits

• Paid vacation.
• Paid sick leave.
• Life, medical, dental, vision, short-term disability, and long-term disability insurance for eligible employees.
• Opportunity to participate in Rivian’s 401(k) Plan, subject to eligibility requirements.
• Opportunity to participate in Rivian’s Employee Stock Purchase Program, subject to eligibility requirements.
• Potential eligibility for an annual performance bonus and equity awards.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior