Staff Electrical Systems Engineer

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies•Irvine, CA

1d•$171,100 - $235,300•Onsite

About The Position

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies is a joint venture between two industry leaders with a clear vision for automotive’s next chapter. From operating systems to zonal controllers to cloud and connectivity solutions, we’re addressing the challenges of electric vehicles through technology that will set the standards for software-defined vehicles around the world. The road to the future is uncharted. By combining our expertise across connectivity, AI, security and more, we’ll map a new way forward. Working together, we’ll create a future that’s more connected, more intelligent, more sustainable for everyone. RV Tech — the Rivian and Volkswagen Group joint venture — builds the electrical and electronic foundation of a software-defined vehicle platform used by both partner OEMs. Our Electrical Systems Hardware Engineering group owns the vehicle's electrical system architecture and domain definition. As a Staff engineer, you own the architecture and integration of several electrical domains on US-based programs, covering both electrical system definition and low-voltage power distribution.

Requirements

BS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field
~8+ years in electrical systems engineering on automotive or comparable complex embedded products
Ownership of an electrical system or domain through a full development cycle
Expertise in LV/HV power systems, electrical distribution, and wiring harness design
Requirements decomposition, interface definition, and validation coverage
Experience developing and negotiating technical requirements with component suppliers
Working knowledge of vehicle networks (CAN, CAN-FD, LIN, Automotive Ethernet)
Familiarity with ISO 26262 functional safety as applied to electrical systems

Nice To Haves

Zonal or centralized E/E architecture experience on a production program
eFuse or solid-state power distribution, DC-DC converter sizing, or 12V/48V bus design
Power mode and sleep/wake state machine specification
Circuit simulation for load, transient, and fault analysis (SPICE, Saber, or equivalent)
Electrical design tooling
MS in Electrical Engineering or a related field

Responsibilities

Own the electrical architecture for your assigned domains: low- and high-voltage (LV/HV) power distribution, harness strategy, and electrical interface definitions
Define zonal topology inputs — zonal ECU count and placement — and allocate devices and device I/O to zonal controllers
Define LV power architecture: supply strategy across batteries, DC-DC converters, and eFuses; bus management, power modes, and fault handling
Develop mission profiles and accessory power requirements, including load budgets and quiescent current targets
Decompose vehicle- and system-level specifications into subsystem, component, and zonal interface requirements with full traceability
Develop and negotiate requirements with component suppliers and internal component owners
Define hardware-driven software requirements for embedded software teams
Review schematics for conformance to the defined architecture
Develop and execute validation plans across unit, software-in-the-loop (SIL), hardware-in-the-loop (HIL), and vehicle-level testing
Lead root cause analysis and resolution of electrical issues through development and validation
Evaluate and recommend next-generation technologies, and support the R&D needed to mature them
Align electrical system boundaries with vehicle systems and software teams, and confirm designs scale across both Rivian and Volkswagen Group programs