Role Summary: The Senior Craftsmanship Engineer is a key role within the Perceived Quality team and is largely responsible for ensuring that the sensory experience and design execution of our products live up to our brand’s promise. The emotional connection which bonds customer to product comes through class-leading sensory interaction, both overt and unarticulated. Within this role, you can expect to be heavily involved in various phases of a product’s development. Leading early attribute consumer research, benchmarking, and target setting- converting subjective sensory inputs into objective engineering specifications. You will facilitate the creation of detailed A-Surface and CAD geometry, implement world-class interface design, and coordinate key stakeholders to drive best-in-class vehicle-level craftsmanship.

This role is dynamic, fast-paced, and multi-faceted where success is dependent upon operating and collaborating cross-functionally within the business. This extremely varied and exciting role allows you to participate in all areas of the design and development process and directly affect the product and customer experience. 

The ideal candidate isself-motivated, technically proficient, can influence others, has excellent communication skills, ability to create strong relationships, is process driven, extremely well-organized, and inquisitive.

This opening is in Irvine, CA and will report directly to the Director of Perceived Quality.

Essential Responsibilities

• Lead development of vehicle-level craftsmanship for Rivian products
• Participate in competitive benchmarking and establish Bill of Design criteria for craftsmanship excellence
• Jointly co-validate Design criteria with Concept, Core, and Subject Matter Expert teams
• Drive proven interface characteristics into program master sections
• Establish a master deck detailing specifications for every visible part interface
• Define and provide target specifications to Studio, Engineering, and Supplier teams
• Lead interface maturation process
• Establish strategic objectives with Engineering to deliver exceptional craftsmanship
• Partner with Engineering and Advanced Manufacturing to ensure robust feasibility of design
• Support dimensional variation analysis and risk assessment studies
• Translate feasibility requirements into concise Studio direction
• Track performance to established targets through key metrics and data visualization
• Virtually validate data for craftsmanship excellence
• Verify Studio and Engineering conformance to inputs
• Translate requirements into a detailed build standard
• Lead handoff of build standard to production teams
• Lead issue discovery and resolution process for prototype builds
• Ability to support urgent program deliverables as required with minimal notice or instruction
• Participate in product launch initiatives to meet timing and craftsmanship milestones and objectives

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s in Engineering or technical discipline, Masters preferred
• 3+ years’ experience with Craftsmanship and Perceived Quality Standards at a global Automotive company, 5+ years preferred
• Knowledge of part and assembly tolerance stack analysis
• Proficient+ experience in Catia or similar CAD software
• Proficient understanding of GD&T
• Strong statistical awareness and vision of what high quality looks like
• Strong understanding of material impact on overall craftsmanship and perceived quality
• Experience with statistical qualification of machinery, equipment, and gauges is preferred
• Experience working in a manufacturing/production environment
• Must be willing to travel 10%