Director – Infotainment and Connectivity Integration

About Us

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies is a joint venture between two industry leaders with a clear vision for automotive’s next chapter. From operating systems to zonal controllers to cloud and connectivity solutions, we’re addressing the challenges of electric vehicles through technology that will set the standards for software-defined vehicles around the world.

The road to the future is uncharted. By combining our expertise across connectivity, AI, security and more, we’ll map a new way forward. Working together, we’ll create a future that’s more connected, more intelligent, more sustainable for everyone.

Role Summary

As Director of Infotainment Connectivity Integration, you will own the end-to-end quality and integration strategy for the Infotainment platform — spanning wireless connectivity, software validation, system integration, and the in-vehicle experience. This is a senior leadership role responsible for setting the quality bar across a team of 60+ engineers and shaping culture across the entire Infotainment organization.

You’ll lead through influence as much as authority, partnering with Engineering, Product, and Program leadership to proactively surface quality risks before they become production problems. This role requires equal parts domain depth, organizational courage, and the ability to drive alignment across a complex, fast-moving environment.

This is an opportunity to shape the quality culture of a high-visibility software platform at vehicle scale, with direct access and influence with executive leadership, on a mission-driven team building technology that matters. This role is onsite in our Palo Alto, CA office.

Responsibilities

• Own the overall quality strategy and standards for the Infotainment and Connectivity platform which spans vehicle applications, media, connectivity, wireless, cameras, audio and overall stability of the platform.

• Lead and expand a team of managers that include reshaping the org structure, skill mix, and automation roadmap to meet next-generation program needs.

• Drive systemic root cause analysis on high-severity quality escapes - you’re accountable for understanding why issues happen, not just that they happened and drive the right processes across the entire organization.

• Set and enforce the quality culture across the Infotainment org and in cross-functional partnerships with VW Group and Rivian platform teams

• Build the automation strategy and testing infrastructure to scale coverage without scaling headcount linearly

• Partner with senior Engineering, Product, and Program leaders to influence roadmap decisions through a quality lens

• Represent quality in executive forums; communicate clearly on risk posture, reject rates, and remediation plans to executive leadership

• Define what ‘done’ means for quality and make that definition stick across the organization

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

• 10+ years of experience in software quality, system integration, or related technical leadership, with 5+ years managing large, senior engineering teams

• Deep expertise in consumer tech or gadget-focused environments — you know what world-class product quality feels like as a user, not just as a metric

• Technical depth to triage complex infotainment integration issues — you can get into the weeds alongside your engineers, not just direct from above

• Strong background in connectivity and/or software-defined systems; wireless protocol experience and working directly with embedded systems are strong pluses.

• Proven track record influencing peer leaders and executives — you don’t just report quality; you drive decisions because of it

• Experience in high-pressure production environments with meaningful reject rate exposure — you’ve been in the fire and know how to build systems that prevent it

• Ability to lead through ambiguity and build structure where none exists

• You set a high bar, hold it, and bring your team with you

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree or greater in Computer Science, Software Engineering, Applied Mathematics, or related field

• Background with a consumer device company with rigorous quality culture

• Automotive software or embedded systems experience, particularly with EV platforms

• Familiarity with automotive software development lifecycle frameworks

• Experience standing up quality orgs or leading significant org transformations

Total Rewards

We build the exceptional — and we believe the people doing that work should be rewarded accordingly. In addition to a competitive base salary, full-time positions may be is eligible to participate in our annual company performance bonus program.

Payments are discretionary and not guaranteed; actual amounts depend on company results and the terms of the plan in effect, and require active employment at the time of payout. This role is also eligible for equity in the form of Restricted Stock Units (RSUs), subject to board approval and the terms of our equity incentive plans, including applicable vesting requirements.

In addition to our compensation programs, we invest in our people with a comprehensive benefits package designed to support the health, wellbeing, and financial future for full-time employees — including health coverage, retirement savings, time off, and family planning programs. Offerings vary by country. Learn more about our global benefit programs.

External candidates can apply for this role through the Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies careers site (https://rivianvw.tech/#careers). If you are a current employee, please apply through our internal job board.

Equal Opportunity

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. 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. We are also committed to ensuring compliance with all applicable fair employment practice laws regarding citizenship and immigration status.

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies 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

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies” 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 and Volkswagen Group Technologies 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) record keeping; (vi) ensuring network and information security and preventing fraud; and (vii) as otherwise required or permitted by applicable law.

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies 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 and Volkswagen Group Technologies affiliates; and (iii) Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies’ service providers, including providers of background checks, staffing services, and cloud services.

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies may transfer or store internationally your Candidate Personal Data, including to or in the United States, Canada, 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.

If you provide a mobile telephone number as part of your application or during the recruitment process, Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies may use that number to contact you via SMS text message for recruitment-related purposes, including scheduling, logistics, and status updates. Message and data rates may apply. You may opt out of SMS communications at any time by replying STOP to any text message you receive from us. Consent to receive SMS messages is not a condition of applying for or being considered for employment.

Please see our Candidate Data Privacy Notice (English)and Candidate Data Privacy Notice (Serbian) for more information.

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Please note this job posting represents an open, active vacancy. Additionally, we are not currently accepting applications from third party application services.