Technical Intern - Vehicle Design Studio, Interiors

Rivian • Irvine, CA

4d

About The Position

Rivian is seeking a Studio Designer to join its Interior Design team as an intern. The role will help define vehicle interiors by creating thoughtful physical spaces and dynamic interactions that improve the cabin experience. The designer will combine rapid sketching and form-giving with 3D visualization, motion, and animation to show how interior selections move, function, and interact in real-world use. The role collaborates with design and engineering partners and presents concepts and animated walkthroughs to executive leadership.

Applicants must be undergraduate or graduate students enrolled in an accredited program during the internship term, with an expected graduation date between May 2028 and December 2029. Applicants must submit a portfolio link or PDF demonstrating sketching, 3D digital modeling, aesthetic judgment, and animation or motion work. Rivian does not provide visa sponsorship for this role. The listed hourly salary range for Irvine, California-based applicants is $25.00–$33.00.

Requirements

• Be an undergraduate or graduate student in an accredited program during the internship term, with an expected graduation date between May 2028 and December 2029.
• Have a background in Transportation Design, Industrial Design, Interior Design, or a related spatial design discipline.
• Demonstrate exceptional ideation and rapid sketching ability to communicate form and function.
• Have deep proficiency or strong working knowledge of Blender or equivalent 3D software, with a portfolio demonstrating high-level visual outputs.
• Submit a portfolio through a website link or PDF attachment demonstrating aesthetic taste, form development, rendering ability, and motion or animation work.
• Bring a collaborative, forward-thinking mindset and eagerness to challenge traditional interior design workflows.

Nice To Haves

• Ability to animate designs to demonstrate physical interaction, motion, and functional mechanics.

Responsibilities

• Create interior concepts through rapid ideation, sketching, and high-fidelity 3D digital modeling.
• Create motion and dynamic 3D animations to demonstrate interior components, kinetic mechanisms, and user interactions.
• Use 3D software such as Blender to create visual inputs and rendered outputs for studio presentations.
• Present design concepts and animated walkthroughs in executive leadership reviews, illustrating the movement and feel of physical components.
• Introduce innovative presentation techniques and animation workflows to expand the design team's capabilities.
• Collaborate with exterior design, CMF, human factors, and engineering teams to carry design intent into physical execution.

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Intern
• Education Level: No Education Listed