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Rivian

Makes electric pickups, SUVs and delivery vans

Senior Materials Engineer - Metals

Mechanical EngineeringUpdated on Nov 12
Full-timeIn-person

About the Job

Requirements

  • A master's degree in Materials Science, Metallurgical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a closely related field is required.
  • At least 5 years of experience in automotive-related product development environments is required.
  • Experience with automotive steel sheet grades, including advanced high-strength steels and HSLA steels, and processing such as hot rolling, cold rolling, and finishing is required.
  • A strong metallurgical background in steels is required, including phase transformations, heat treatment, hardenability, microstructure-property relationships, weldability, coatings, corrosion mechanisms, and failure modes.
  • Working knowledge of aluminum and other light-metal systems is required, including casting, extrusion, sheet, forming, joining, and corrosion considerations.
  • Experience supporting end-to-end product development is required.
  • Hands-on experience with microscopy, formability testing, mechanical testing, corrosion evaluation, and interpretation of materials laboratory and failure-analysis report data is required.
  • Familiarity with manufacturing processes such as stamping, hemming, casting, forging, machining, welding, brazing, heat treatment, and surface finishing is required.
  • The candidate must be able to work independently across functions in fast-moving engineering environments.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills are required, including the ability to explain complex technical issues clearly to varied audiences.

Responsibilities

  • Lead material selection and technology development for steel and ferrous alloys across Rivian products.
  • Provide light-metal materials support when needed within a broader team of metallurgical experts.
  • Define material requirements, specifications, validation plans, and acceptance criteria for components, assemblies, and manufacturing processes involving metals.
  • Partner with design, computer-aided engineering, manufacturing, quality, corrosion, durability, purchasing, and supplier-development teams to achieve material performance targets.
  • Drive failure analysis and root-cause investigations related to mechanical properties, microstructure, corrosion, coating performance, heat treatment, joining, and forming of metallic components.
  • Evaluate tradeoffs across performance, cost, manufacturability, mass, and supply-base capability to select metal technology and processing solutions.
  • Support development and release of material standards, test methods, design guidelines, and best practices for engineers, fabricators, production staff, and service technicians.
  • Review and approve supplier technical packages, including material data, Production Part Approval Process-related deliverables, control plans, and process-capability data for key metals products.
  • Translate laboratory and production findings into clear technical recommendations for engineers, program teams, and leadership.
  • Influence cross-functional decisions through concise communication, strong ownership, and data-driven problem solving.

Desired Qualifications

  • A master's or PhD in Materials Science, Metallurgical Engineering, or a related discipline is preferred.
  • Experience with materials for automotive body, chassis, powertrain, battery enclosure, or structural components is preferred.
  • Knowledge of advanced high-strength steels, ultra-high-strength steels, martensitic steels, stainless steels, aluminum sheet and extrusion alloys, and associated joining strategies is preferred.
  • Experience with supplier development, Advanced Product Quality Planning/Production Part Approval Process, Design Failure Mode and Effects Analysis/Process Failure Mode and Effects Analysis, control plans, and validation documentation is preferred.
  • Familiarity with corrosion, environmental durability, and coating systems for vehicle applications is preferred.
  • Experience developing internal material standards or design requirements is preferred.

About the Company

Rivian

Makes electric pickups, SUVs and delivery vans

Rivian designs and builds electric pickup trucks, SUVs, and delivery vans, pairing off-road ability with electronics and software it develops itself. In 2021, its R1T became the first fully electric pickup truck on the US consumer market, ahead of larger rivals such as Ford and Tesla. It makes the R1T pickup, the R1S and R2 SUVs, and commercial vans in Normal, Illinois, and sells them directly online and in its own stores rather than through dealers. Its vehicles run on Rivian's own software, which gains features through updates sent over the internet, and most revenue comes from vehicle sales, with service and optional software adding more. Rivian was founded in 2009 and is based in Irvine, California.

Company size
10,001+
Company stage
IPO
Headquarters
Irvine, CA
Founded
2009

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