Staff Software Engineer - Manufacturing Automation Controls Platform

Rivian•Riverdale, GA

11d•Hybrid

About The Position

Rivian is looking for visionary, boundary-breaking software and controls engineers who will be responsible for redefining the standards for manufacturing engineering automation, unlocking the potential of innovative technologies across our assembly lines. As a Software Engineer on the Manufacturing Automation Controls Platform Development team, your primary focus will be on developing and architecting company-wide standards rather than line deployment. You will leverage a hybrid skill set—combining deep industrial controls domain knowledge with modern software engineering practices. Beyond building core PLC libraries in traditional IEC 61131-3 languages, you will develop software infrastructure, automatic code generation tools, CI/CD deployment pipelines, and static analyzers for controls code. Additionally, you will engineer scalable Ignition HMI/SCADA templates and design custom software tooling that enables end-user controls engineers to configure and deploy projects easily without needing to open the designer environment. These are exciting times for the Manufacturing Automation Controls team, and we need your unique talents to architect the next generation of automation tools and ensure Rivian continues to Keep the World Adventurous Forever. This role is located at our Atlanta, GA facility and reports directly to a Sr. Manager, ME Software Engineering.

Requirements

7+ years of software and automation controls engineering experience in high-volume manufacturing, platform engineering, or an equivalent advanced technical field.
Strong proficiency in modern software development using languages such as Python, Go, C#, or C++ for tool building, API creation, or automated generation pipelines.
Advanced proficiency with either Rockwell (Studio 5000/Logix) or Beckhoff (TwinCAT) PLCs, including mastery of traditional IEC 61131-3 languages (Structured Text, Ladder Logic, Function Block Diagram).
Demonstrated proficiency in Inductive Automation Ignition, with deep experience architecting applications in the Ignition Perspective module.
Solid foundation in source control (Git), software design patterns, build pipelines, and CI/CD tools.
Practical experience designing, querying, and integrating industrial equipment with relational databases (e.g., PostgreSQL, MySQL, MS SQL Server).
BS, MS, or equivalent in Automation Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechatronics, or a related technical discipline.
Working knowledge of industrial communication protocols (EtherNet/IP, EtherCAT, OPC UA, MQTT).

Responsibilities

Platform & Standards Engineering: Architect, build, and maintain enterprise controls standards, reusable PLC libraries, and HMI/SCADA platform modules for deployment across manufacturing operations.
Developer Tooling & Automation: Design and implement software tools to streamline the engineering lifecycle, including automated PLC code generators, static code analysis tools, and unit testing frameworks.
CI/CD & DevOps: Establish automated continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) pipelines for controls codebase testing, versioning, and deployment.
No-Code / Low-Code Tooling: Develop higher-level user applications and interfaces that allow end-user engineers to configure, parameterize, and implement automation projects without needing direct access to the HMI/SCADA designer environment.
HMI / SCADA Frameworks: Create modular, high-performance HMI templates and SCADA architectures using Inductive Automation Ignition, with a heavy emphasis on the Perspective platform.
Database & Data Integration: Architect schema designs and data interfaces linking PLCs and edge platforms with relational databases for configuration, recipe management, and line diagnostic tracking.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with manufacturing line deployment teams, device integration teams, and enterprise IT/MES groups to align standards, validate data propagation, and improve cell bring-up efficiency.