Rivian
Sr. Staff Vehicle Program Manager
How your CV stacks up
Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role
?%
Sr. Staff Vehicle Program Manager
Program Manager, Next Generation Electric Adventure Vehicle (EDV)
About Rivian
Rivian is on a mission to keep the world adventurous forever. This goes for the emissions-free Electric Adventure Vehicles we build, and the curious, courageous souls we seek to attract. As a company, we constantly challenge what's possible, never simply accepting what has always been done. We reframe old problems, seek new solutions, and operate comfortably in unknown areas. Our backgrounds are diverse, but our team shares a love of the outdoors and a desire to protect it for future generations.
Role Summary
Lead vehicle program management for the next-generation Electric Adventure Vehicle (EDV), overseeing technical and business execution—including electrical architecture, autonomy, and propulsion. As the operational engine, you hold end-to-end accountability—from concept to launch—driving timing, governance, and KPIs while meeting investment, COGS, and quality targets. Partnering with the Chief Engineer, you balance innovation with business viability.
You possess high autonomy to pause or escalate decisions, ensuring cross-functional alignment with macro-business objectives. Reporting to the Sr. Vehicle Line Director, you translate product vision into actionable technical and financial KPIs.
Responsibilities
The essential functions of this role include, but are not limited to:
-
Operational Execution & Governance Leaders: Translate high-level product vision into actionable technical and business roadmaps. Lead daily execution, identify bottlenecks early, and drive cross-functional status reviews to ensure the program rhythm meets all critical milestones.
-
Financial & COGS Stewardship Maintain rigorous ownership of financial targets, including Total Investment (CAPEX/ED&D) and Unit Economics. Implement and monitor cost-down initiatives to ensure the product remains within margin targets.
-
Strategic Sourcing Leadership Partner with Global Supply Chain to define sourcing strategies aligned with technical requirements, while overseeing tooling maturity and supplier capacity to de-risk the master schedule.
Reasons to use Rodeo
Start with a chat, not a search bar
Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
It searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
-
Validation & Asset Strategy Plan, budget, and procure validation assets relevant to your zone, ensuring rigorous and synchronized testing with build phases.
-
Strategic Escalation & Decision Authority Exercise full authority to pause or escalate decisions not aligned with cost, timing, or quality benchmarks. Serve as the final "Agreer" in RAPID, ensuring accountability across engineering and supply chain teams.
-
Executive Visibility & Statusing Provide clear, data-driven transparency to executive leadership regarding program trajectory. Synthesize complex updates into actionable insights for quick decision-making.
-
Cross-Functional Orchestration Bridge "gray areas" between functions: manufacturing, supply chain, marketing, and service, ensuring the vehicle design is manufacturable, serviceable, and commercially viable.
-
ACE Partnership Partner with assistant chief engineers to balance technical requirements with program constraints, providing tension on build readiness, cost, and schedule while delivering on brand promises without sacrificing business viability.
Qualifications
- Experience: 12+ years in automotive program management or engineering leadership, with a proven track record delivering large-scale vehicle programs from concept through launch.
- Strategic Autonomy: Ability to operate in highly ambiguous environments, making high-stakes decisions with incomplete data.
- Financial Acumen: Deep knowledge of automotive cost structures, direct experience managing total landed cost, BOM/Non-BOM COGS, and large-scale CAPEX budgets.
- Technical Breadth: Strong "first principles" engineering approach; prior Design & Release (D&R) experience in complex systems (e.g., Battery, Chassis, Body, or EE systems) highly preferred.
- Influential Leadership: Ability to influence VP-level stakeholders and build cross-functional consensus on high-level strategic decisions.
- Systems Thinking: Capacity to understand the end-to-end technical landscape (e.g., engineering choices impacting manufacturing and serviceability) and optimize decisions accordingly.
Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
Pay Disclosure & Benefits
- Salary Range:
- Southern California: $196,000–$245,000
- Michigan: $179,000–$223,700 (Based on factors including experience, location, and organization-specific needs.)
Additional compensation may include annual performance bonuses and equity awards.
Benefits
Rivian offers a comprehensive benefits package for employees (and eligible dependents), including:
- Paid vacation & sick leave
- Competitive insurance:
- Life, medical, dental, and vision
- Short-term & long-term disability insurance
- 401(k) plan
- Employee Stock Purchase Program (eligibility-based)
- Coverage begins on Day 1 (full-time) or 90 days in (part-time).
For full details: rivianbenefits.com
Apply & Equal Opportunity Notice
Apply here: careers.rivian.com (Internal candidates: internal-careers-rivian.icims.com)
Equal Opportunity Employer Rivian complies with all federal, state, and local fair employment practices laws and does not discriminate based on race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender, disability, age, military status, medical condition, or any other protected characteristic.
Candidate Accessibility
If you require accommodations during recruitment, contact: candidateaccommodations@rivian.com.
Data Privacy Notice
Rivian collects, uses, and may share Candidate Personal Data (including contact, employment, and demographic details) for legality, compliance, and recruitment. This data may be stored internationally (e.g., US, EU) and used by internal teams, affiliates, and third-party providers (e.g., background check services).
We do not accept applications from commercial or placement agencies.
“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Jessica, London
Skills