Staff Quality Engineer

Rivian•Normal, IL

12h•Onsite

About The Position

We are seeking a highly experienced and strategic Staff Quality Engineer to join our expanding Electric Vehicle (EV) manufacturing team. This staff-level role requires a deep, cross-functional understanding of the entire vehicle system. You will operate as a technical authority and lead, driving structural improvements, establishing long-term quality processes, and mentoring the quality team with minimal managerial oversight.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Electrical, Mechanical, Industrial, Mechatronics, or a related field)
8+ years of dedicated quality engineering experience in automotive or EV manufacturing, with a track record of driving systemic process improvements
Deep subject matter expertise in at least one major vehicle system (e.g., Propulsion, Thermal, Chassis, or E/E) and comprehensive knowledge of vehicle-level integration
Proven, hands-on experience managing customer complaints and driving containment actions in high-volume production environments
Expert-level knowledge of ISO 9001/IATF 16949, APQP, and advanced statistical methods.
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills (8D or similar method problem-solving experience)
Demonstrated experience with GD&T
Proven experience acting as a lead or principal engineer with significant autonomy; ability to influence cross-functional leadership
Must be able to travel at least 20%, travel may increase in time
This position is subject to cover 1st / 2nd / 3rd shift if needed
Must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds
Strong interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills, bilingual is a plus (English / Spanish)
Team player - ability to work in a fast-paced, highly ambiguous, multi-cultural environment with cross-functional teams

Nice To Haves

SIX SIGMA GreenBelt is a Plus

Responsibilities

Act as a technical authority for entire vehicle systems, ensuring holistic integration and quality
Design and implement robust quality management processes that create a scalable and healthy quality system for the plant
Coordinate and mentor the broader quality team, providing technical guidance and driving alignment across departments without daily managerial intervention
Serve as the primary technical lead for complex quality challenges, driving resolution with autonomy and high-level strategic decision-making
Own the end-to-end customer complaint process specifically for EV manufacturing issues (e.g., interiors, exteriors, LVE, chassis, HV). Identify and solve quality issues within our factory quality gates, ensuring defects are contained effectively and fixed with robust corrective actions
React quickly to quality escalations, initiating and driving immediate containment actions on the shop floor to protect the customer
Lead structured investigations (5D/8D, Kaizen methodology), prepare professional customer-facing reports, and ensure the timely implementation and closure of all corrective actions
Coordinate and lead cross-functional teams, including Production, Engineering, and Supplier Quality, to quickly resolve urgent manufacturing and field quality issues
Investigate complex component failures using established problem-solving tools (e.g., 5 Why, Fishbone diagrams, Fault Tree Analysis)
Conduct production line audits to verify the effectiveness of containment actions and prevent defect recurrence
Provide real-time data analysis and quality feedback to support fast-paced EV production goals
Update essential quality documents (quality alerts, work instructions, process documents) based on lessons learned from field and manufacturing issues
Serve as the designated leader for a specific Quality Loop or special project, acting as the single point of contact for the entire factory regarding the project's status, corrective actions, and overall resolution