Senior Robotics Automation Controls Engineer

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. 

The Sr Automation Controls Engineer for Equipment Engineering are the production line experts for controls in the facility in Normal, IL. You will join a highly skilled team with diverse expertise across the entire controls automation spectrum. Your responsibilities will include troubleshooting production issues, training technicians, and deploying continuous improvement projects. You will collaborate with the Internal Rivian teams to refine standards and ensure all new equipment, including electrical design, software, robotics, and vision systems adheres to Rivian’s specifications. Additionally, you will lead detail-oriented equipment buy-offs during commissioning. Some of the Areas you could work in are Paint Shop, Body Shop, Drive Unit/Inverter, Battery, General Assembly. This role is located at our Normal, IL facility and reports directly to the Manager, Automation Controls Engineering. 

• Participate in various controls equipment buy-offs at vendor sites and at Rivian’s factory in Normal, IL for FAT, SAT, and safety. 
• Participate in development of controls standards and specifications by feeding back lessons-learned and gaps from each project to ensure that future projects will run smoother. 
• Continuously improve the production lines by reducing cycle time, reducing downtime, and improving quality. 
• Creating new programs for Process changes in the existing production lines adhered to the Rivian Standard.
• Maintain, modify, and properly version control equipment programs, configuration files, and documentation as changes are implemented.
• Add or remove network devices from the equipment as needed.
• Troubleshoot, improve, and add features to Robots to make them more user-friendly, intuitive and suitable for operating and troubleshooting equipment.  
• Implement and make modifications to Robot logic for production and performance 
• Ensure proper implementation and validation of Robot Safeties - DCS/ Ccbic-S
• Train Production and Maintenance teams in proper use of the equipment and troubleshooting.

To be considered for this position, all internal candidates must submit an updated resume highlighting their relevant skills, experiences, and accomplishments.  Applications submitted without an updated resume will not be considered.  Please ensure that your resume accurately reflects your qualifications for this role.

• BS/MS Mechatronics, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science, or equivalent 
• 5+ Years of relevant experience in the field of robotics for industrial automation 
• Basic understanding of mechanical repair, computer programming, and electric circuit design .
• Experience and troubleshooting with typical robotics applications i.e., joining, material handling,SPR, Bolting. 
• Experience with Machine Vision Systems like Keyence - XGX - 2D/3D, Mech Mind, IS Vision, Preceptron.
• Experience with Robot Offline programming and Commissioning from scratch.
• Expertise with common controls hardware components used in high-volume manufacturing. 
• Hands-on experience integrating and commissioning high volume manufacturing equipment. 
• In-depth knowledge of Safety standards (ANSI/RIA15.06, OSHA). 
• Experience participating in safety design reviews and validating equipment safeties during buy-off. 
• Experience programming and troubleshooting industrial 6-axis robots such as Fanuc, ABB, Kawasaki, etc. is preferred. 
• Experience troubleshooting common fieldbus networks such as Ethernet/IP, Socket Messaging, Profinet.
• Experience with project management tools (Smart Sheets, JIRA, Microsoft suite,etc)

The salary range for this role is $98,500 - $123,300  for Illinois based applicants. This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. An employee’s position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to, specific competencies, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, shift, and organizational needs.

 The successful candidate may be eligible for annual performance bonus and equity awards.

We offer a comprehensive package of benefits for full-time and part-time employees, their spouse or domestic partner, and children up to age 26, including but not limited to paid vacation, paid sick leave, and a competitive portfolio of insurance benefits including life, medical, dental, vision, short-term disability insurance, and long-term disability insurance to eligible employees. You may also have the opportunity to participate in Rivian’s 401(k) Plan and Employee Stock Purchase Program if you meet certain eligibility requirements. Full-time employee coverage is effective on their first day of employment. Part-time employee coverage is effective the first of the month following 90 days of employment. More information about benefits is available at rivianbenefits.com.

You can apply for this role through careers.rivian.com (or through internal-careers-rivian.icims.com if you are a current employee). This job is not expected to be closed any sooner than June 30, 2026.

Equal Opportunity

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 [email protected].

Candidate Data Privacy and Technology

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. 

How We Use AI in Our Hiring Process: To ensure transparency, we want candidates to know that Rivian uses iCIMS Talent Cloud Artificial Intelligence (TCAI) and AI-enabled tools to assist with screening, reviewing, organizing and highlighting profiles and applications that match the key requirements for each role.

Participation in AI profile matching is entirely voluntary. If you prefer that your profile not be used in this process, you can opt out at any time. Opting out means your profile will be excluded from automated matching and will not be surfaced for additional roles through this system. Your current application remains active and will not be affected in any way.

Please note that we are currently not accepting applications from third party application services.