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

Rivian•South San Francisco, CA

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, the role connects field-testing drivers with ground logistics and facilities. The position operates prototype vehicles on public roads and private test tracks, serves as an on-shift floor lead and driver trainer, and oversees vehicle preparation, ground support, data offloading, trip operations, and shift handovers. It also involves onboarding, training, and coaching vehicle operators to support safe and effective testing. The role requires operating vehicles in autonomous, semi-autonomous, and manual modes, supporting fleet readiness and test-site operations, and diagnosing or escalating system issues. The stated first-shift schedule is 6:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.; the role may also require overtime, non-standard shifts, or weekends as testing schedules require, and travel up to 20%.

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.
Excellent interpersonal, coaching, written, and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain complex technical concepts simply and deliver constructive feedback.
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 campaigns.
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 the stated 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.
Prior experience testing or supporting Level 4 autonomous driving systems.

Responsibilities

Assist the Operations Coordinator with training materials, onboarding programs, and hands-on driving and safety instruction for new vehicle operators.
Evaluate operator performance and provide coaching on disengagement protocols, defensive driving, test procedures, operational workflows, logging, software flashing, and vehicle preparation.
Serve as the on-shift floor point of contact for driver questions and foster continuous learning, psychological safety, and open feedback.
Operate prototype test vehicles in autonomous, semi-autonomous, and manual modes across varied weather, traffic, and road conditions, for up to eight hours daily.
Maintain situational awareness and perform manual disengagements and safety interventions when needed.
Perform defined test cases, specialized driving scenarios, and edge-case evaluations on public roads and closed-course test facilities.
Support 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 calibration and cleaning.
Track vehicle health, coordinate maintenance or repair appointments with service technicians, and manage fleet charging logistics.
Oversee end-of-shift data logging, manage onboard hardware, offload system data to local edge hardware or cloud servers, and verify transfer integrity.
Maintain site and shop-floor readiness, test equipment, tooling, and sensor platforms.
Perform basic diagnostics, guide initial troubleshooting, and perform or verify over-the-air software updates.
Identify, isolate, and debug hardware, software, and sensor anomalies; create detailed tickets and escalate critical issues to engineering teams.
Prepare clear post-drive reports, operational logs, and safety feedback documenting system behavior and edge cases.