Vehicle Operator II, Autonomy Systems Validation (1st Shift)

Rivian•Miami, FL

About The Position

The Vehicle Operator II plays a hands-on operational and instructional role in testing, safety validation, and ground support for Autonomy Systems Validation. Reporting to the Operations Coordinator, this position serves as a senior driver of prototype vehicles on public roads and private test tracks, as well as an on-shift floor lead and driver trainer/coach. The role oversees vehicle preparation, ground support, data offloading, pre- and post-trip operations, and shift handovers while onboarding and coaching vehicle operators to support safe, effective testing.

Requirements

At least 2 years of professional automotive driving, autonomous vehicle testing, or vehicle fleet operations experience.
Demonstrated formal or informal experience coaching, mentoring, or training peers.
Strong interpersonal, coaching, written, and verbal communication skills, including the ability to provide constructive feedback and explain technical concepts simply.
Ability to maintain focus while driving or monitoring autonomous systems for 6–8 hours per day in a fast-paced environment.
Ability to lift, maneuver, and move up to 50 pounds and remain active across shop floors, proving grounds, or field testing sites.
Willingness to travel up to 20% for off-site field testing and flexibility to work overtime, non-standard shifts, or weekends as testing schedules require.
Proficiency with laptops, smartphones, and enterprise collaboration tools such as Google Docs, Sheets, and Maps.
Ability to work first shift, 6:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Nice To Haves

Formal experience as a Driver Trainer, Lead Safety Driver, or Operations Lead in AV testing, proving grounds, or commercial fleet environments.
Hands-on experience with Jira, Confluence, or equivalent engineering ticketing platforms.
Familiarity with Linux/Unix navigation, embedded software flashing, CAN networks, and hardware/electrical diagnostics.
Experience testing or supporting Level 4 autonomous driving systems.

Responsibilities

Assist the Operations Coordinator with training materials and onboarding, and deliver hands-on driving and safety instruction to new vehicle operators.
Evaluate operator performance and provide coaching on disengagement protocols, defensive driving, test procedures, and safety standards.
Guide operators on standard workflows, logging procedures, software flashing, and vehicle preparation.
Serve as the on-shift floor contact for driver questions and encourage continuous learning, psychological safety, and open feedback.
Safely operate prototype vehicles in autonomous, semi-autonomous, and manual modes in varied weather, traffic, and road conditions for up to eight hours daily.
Maintain situational awareness and perform manual disengagements and safety interventions when needed.
Execute defined test cases, specialized driving scenarios, and edge-case evaluations on public roads and closed-course facilities.
Assist with shift handovers, driver readiness, route assignments, and vehicle allocations.
Conduct and supervise pre-trip and post-trip inspections, basic system checks, hardware setups, and sensor calibrations or cleaning.
Track vehicle health, coordinate routine maintenance and repairs with service technicians, and manage fleet charging.
Oversee end-of-shift data logging, onboard hardware, data transfers to local edge hardware or cloud servers, and transfer verification.
Maintain site and shop-floor readiness, test equipment, tooling, and sensor platforms.
Perform basic system diagnostics, guide initial troubleshooting, and perform or verify over-the-air software updates.
Identify and investigate hardware, software, and sensor anomalies; create detailed tickets and escalate critical issues to engineering teams.
Write clear post-drive reports, operational logs, and safety feedback on system behavior and edge cases.