Staff Technical Writer, Service Engineering

Rivian • Plymouth, MI

6d

About The Position

The Staff Technical Writer, Service Engineering owns the technical content strategy and documentation that enables Rivian’s service network to safely and efficiently repair, diagnose, and maintain Rivian vehicles. The role applies deep cross-program expertise in service manual procedures, technical service bulletins, field service actions, and labor code content across Rivian’s R1, R2, EDV, and off-vehicle product portfolio to solve complex and often ambiguous documentation and serviceability challenges.

The position reports to the Sr. Manager, Service Documentation, within the Service Engineering organization. It leads complex documentation work across vehicle programs, establishes content standards and validation practices, mentors other writers, and partners with engineering, service, diagnostics, quality, and illustration teams to improve documentation quality and technician efficiency. The role also continuously improves the documentation lifecycle, from intake and authoring through review, validation, publication, change control, and feedback correction.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Technical Communications, Engineering, Automotive Technology, or a related technical field, or equivalent practical experience.
• At least 5 years of experience in technical writing, service documentation, or technical publications, ideally within automotive, heavy equipment, or another complex mechanical/electrical industry.
• Ability to translate complex, ambiguous engineering information into clear, accurate, actionable technical content for a skilled trade audience, including for first-of-a-kind or undefined vehicle programs.
• Extensive experience developing and maintaining service manuals, repair procedures, labor time standards, or parts catalogs, and setting standards for this content.
• Advanced comfort reviewing and interpreting 3D CAD models, engineering drawings, and BOMs to support procedure development and identify serviceability issues.
• Strong project management skills and a proven track record managing complex, concurrent documentation deliverables against vehicle program and change-management deadlines.
• Excellent written communication skills and close attention to technical accuracy, consistency, and usability; ability to convey complex technical trade-offs to technical and non-technical stakeholders and leadership.
• Ability to build effective working relationships across a highly matrixed engineering and service organization and influence outcomes with teams outside direct reporting lines.
• Proven ability to exercise independent judgment on new or undefined assignments and to mentor or informally lead other technical writers.

Nice To Haves

• Experience with EV systems, high-voltage components, or automotive diagnostic content.
• Hands-on automotive repair, technician, or service lab experience.
• Familiarity with CATIA, 3DExperience, or similar CAD/PLM tools.
• Experience with DITA/XML, component content management systems (CCMS), or structured authoring tools such as Oxygen.
• Experience using AI-assisted authoring or workflow tools to scale technical documentation output across a team.

Responsibilities

• Serve as primary technical content owner for vehicle systems and programs, authoring, editing, and maintaining service manual repair procedures, including step-by-step instructions, torque specifications, part callouts, and special tool requirements.
• Lead creation and publication of technical service bulletins, field service actions, campaigns, and recall documentation, coordinating with Service Engineering, Diagnostics, and Quality teams and resolving ambiguous or time-critical issues.
• Own development and governance of labor time standards and labor code entries across programs; partner with the Service Lab team to validate procedure steps and time studies and establish time-study best practices.
• Define and maintain consistent, industry-standard naming conventions and system/subsystem classifications for service parts, procedures, and labor operations across the documentation team.
• Establish risk-based validation standards and quality gates for service procedures and other high-impact content, defining what must be confirmed, by whom, and with what evidence before release.
• Ensure corrections are verified, traceable to their source and rationale, communicated to stakeholders, and checked for downstream effects on procedures, labor operations, illustrations, parts references, and training.
• Use content defects, validation findings, field feedback, and available usage signals to assess whether revisions solve underlying problems and to inform future standards and product feedback.
• Partner with the Technical Illustration team to scope, request, and review graphics, exploded views, and diagrams, establishing visual and structural standards for complex procedures.
• Manage complex, concurrent documentation assignments across vehicle programs, track progress and dependencies in Jira, and hold cross-functional partners accountable to change-management and launch milestones.
• Synthesize field feedback, service tickets, and usage data across programs to identify systemic content gaps and drive proactive revisions that improve clarity, accuracy, and technician efficiency.
• Champion authoring standards, structured content practices, and AI-enabled tools across the Service Documentation team to improve authoring speed, consistency, and content quality.
• Mentor and coach Technical Writers, sharing best practices in CAD review, labor time studies, and authoring methodology.
• Represent Service Documentation in cross-functional design and change reviews, providing technical input on downstream serviceability and documentation impacts of proposed vehicle design changes.
• Design and continuously improve the documentation lifecycle from intake and authoring through review, validation, publication, change control, and feedback correction, reducing avoidable delays and rework without compromising quality.

Benefits

• Paid vacation.
• Paid sick leave.
• Insurance benefits including 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 Plan, 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