Staff Electrical Engineer, Battery Control Systems

Rivian • Tustin, CA

97d • $154,000 - $192,500

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.

Requirements

• 7+ years of work experience in Battery/Automotive/Aerospace/related industries.
• At least a bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering or similar field.
• Proficiency in creating detailed hardware requirements from first principles.
• Demonstrated experience with engineering analysis and simulation tools such as SPICE and/or MATLAB/Simulink for hardware design and validation.
• Hands-on experience in the design, development, and validation of production BMS hardware and/or software.
• Strong comprehension of BMS sensing technology (voltage, current, temperature) and signal conditioning.
• Deep knowledge of BMS architectural design, including master/slave configurations, internal communication protocols, and distributed sensing within the battery pack.
• Familiarity with structured problem solving techniques (e.g. 8D, Ishikawa/Fishbone Diagrams).
• Strong communication, multitasking, and interpersonal skills, both in presentation and technical writing.
• Experienced with automated requirements management tools (e.g. JAMA, Doors, etc.) and issue tracking tools (Jira, Bugzilla, etc.)

Nice To Haves

• Experience with general RF design principles, especially as it relates to wireless BMS technology.

Responsibilities

• Drive the design and development of the Battery Management System and its associated hardware architecture for electric vehicle battery platforms.
• Develop and optimize critical sensing strategies and hardware for the BMS, including cell/pack voltage, pack current, and temperature measurement.
• Characterize sensor performance and ensure data integrity.
• Ensure the sensing strategies and logic developed maximize system performance to accurately estimate State of Charge (SoC), State of Energy (SoE), State of Health (SoH), and State of Power (SoP) under various operating conditions.
• Define strategies and support hardware development related to additional BMS features like contactor control, precharge control, pyrotechnic fuse control, and pack safety sensing.
• Ensure the BMS hardware supports compliance to functional safety standards and relevant regulatory requirements (e.g., FMVSS 305, UN38.3, ECE R100).
• Perform comprehensive Failure Mode and Effects Analyses (FMEAs), FMEDA, hazard analyses, and risk assessments specific to BMS hardware functionality and their direct impact on battery safety.
• Evaluate various BMS architectures and participate in trade studies for chip selection (e.g., ASICs, microcontrollers, communication chips).
• Lead detailed root cause analysis efforts for complex BMS hardware issues during development, validation, and production phases.
• Collaborate closely with battery pack design engineers, BMS HW design engineers, cell engineers, high voltage component engineers, and software teams to achieve seamless BMS integration and optimal battery performance.
• Support comprehensive test plans for BMS components and systems, including hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) testing, design verification testing, performance validation, and reliability testing.
• Implement lessons learned into future BMS designs to enhance product quality, safety, and performance.
• Drive the BMS hardware technology roadmap from a control, sensing, and safety architecture perspective.
• Transition between high-level architectural design and detailed component-focused engineering tasks as needed.
• Adapt to dynamic development timelines and collaborate across disciplines to ensure timely task completion.

Benefits

• Robust medical/Rx, dental and vision insurance packages for full-time and part-time employees, their spouse or domestic partner, and children up to age 26.
• Full Time Employee coverage is effective on the first day of employment.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Industry: Transportation Equipment Manufacturing
• Education Level: Bachelor's degree