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 areas that are unknown. Our backgrounds are diverse, but our team shares a love of the outdoors and a desire to protect it for future generations.
Role Summary:The Charging & Energy Systems team is responsible for the end‑to‑end system architecture, integration, and performance of Rivian’s charging and energy products — spanning DC fast charging, home and destination charging, and the software and cloud services that enable them. We work across hardware, embedded software, cloud, mobile, and vehicle teams to deliver safe, reliable, and delightful charging experiences for our customers.
The Staff Systems Engineer, Charging & Energy is a senior individual contributor who owns system‑level outcomes for major charging and energy products and features. You will define and drive architectures, requirements, DFMEAs, and validation strategies that span hardware, firmware, communications, and cloud/mobile interfaces. You operate as a technical leader and integrator — similar to our current Staff Systems Engineers on the team — independently creating and driving critical deliverables to completion, often in ambiguous or under‑resourced spaces, and directly improving the quality of systems engineering within C&E.
This role is expected to:
Lead multi‑quarter, cross‑functional efforts in the charging and energy domain
Serve as the go‑to systems owner for complex, safety‑ and customer‑critical functions
Mentor and uplevel other engineers in systems engineering tools, practices, and decision‑making
Primary Point of Contact: Act as the critical interface between the Charging & Energy team and the dedicated PCBA design engineering team for all electrical and layout-related functions.
Lifecycle Ownership: Drive hardware products from infancy through mass production and field support, ensuring design intent is maintained and field-performance data is looped back into future iterations.
Design Strategy: Establish best practices for schematic capture, layout, and library management within Altium Designer, ensuring seamless transitions to manufacturing.
Strategic Component Selection: Conduct deep-dive component analysis, evaluating technical performance, power efficiency, thermal characteristics, and long-term supply chain viability.
Advanced Simulation: Lead pre- and post-layout simulations (SPICE, Signal Integrity (SI), and Power Integrity (PI)) to mitigate risks and validate performance before fabrication.
Specialized Board Design: Direct the development of high-power/high-current PCBAs, focusing on copper weight optimization, busbar integration, and thermal management, alongside custom embedded computer products (SoCs, high-speed memory).
Rigorous Reviews: Lead schematic and layout reviews with a focus on DFM (Design for Manufacturing), DFT (Design for Test), and EMC/EMI compliance.
Architecture Mapping: Define how LV control boards and embedded platforms interface with the broader system, software, and cloud layers.
Validation Strategy: Work with test teams to define system/sub-system DVPs, ensuring 100% traceability from high-level system requirements to component-level validation.
Root Cause Analysis: Lead complex hardware bring-up and debug sessions for field or lab failures, utilizing high-speed oscilloscopes, logic analyzers, and thermal imaging.
Education: Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field.
Hardware Expertise: Typically 8+ years of relevant experience in EE design and PCBA development, with a proven track record of bringing complex hardware to market.
Altium Mastery: Expert-level proficiency in Altium Designer for multi-layer, high-density, or high-power designs.
Domain Depth: Direct experience in designing custom embedded computer PCBAs and LV control boards, as well as high-power/high-current carrying PCBAs.
Analytical Rigor: Expert knowledge in component-level analysis, worst-case modeling, and circuit simulation (SPICE or equivalent).
Leadership: Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional technical teams and serve as a primary liaison between specialized design groups and system organizations.
Salary Range California-Based Applicants: $154,000-$192,500 (actual compensation will be determined based on experience, and other factors permitted by law).
Benefits Summary: Rivian provides robust medical/Rx, dental and vision insurance packages for full-time employees, their spouse or domestic partner, and children up to age 26. Coverage is effective on the first day of employment.
Rivian is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local fair employment practices laws. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information or characteristics, physical or mental disability, marital/domestic partner status, age, military/veteran status, medical condition, or any other characteristic protected by law.
Rivian is committed to ensuring that our hiring process is accessible for persons with disabilities. If you have a disability or limitation, such as those covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act, that requires accommodations to assist you in the search and application process, please email us at candidateaccommodations@rivian.com.
Rivian may collect, use and disclose your personal information or personal data (within the meaning of the applicable data protection laws) when you apply for employment and/or participate in our recruitment processes (“Candidate Personal Data”). This data includes contact, demographic, communications, educational, professional, employment, social media/website, network/device, recruiting system usage/interaction, security and preference information. Rivian may use your Candidate Personal Data for the purposes of (i) tracking interactions with our recruiting system; (ii) carrying out, analyzing and improving our application and recruitment process, including assessing you and your application and conducting employment, background and reference checks; (iii) establishing an employment relationship or entering into an employment contract with you; (iv) complying with our legal, regulatory and corporate governance obligations; (v) recordkeeping; (vi) ensuring network and information security and preventing fraud; and (vii) as otherwise required or permitted by applicable law.
Rivian may share your Candidate Personal Data with (i) internal personnel who have a need to know such information in order to perform their duties, including individuals on our People Team, Finance, Legal, and the team(s) with the position(s) for which you are applying; (ii) Rivian affiliates; and (iii) Rivian’s service providers, including providers of background checks, staffing services, and cloud services.
Rivian may transfer or store internationally your Candidate Personal Data, including to or in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the European Union and in the cloud, and this data may be subject to the laws and accessible to the courts, law enforcement and national security authorities of such jurisdictions.
Please note that we are currently not accepting applications from third party application services.