Sr. Staff Materials Engineer, Sealing

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.

Reliability and Quality is at the core of Electric Adventure Vehicles. As a subject matter expert in sealing within the Failure Analysis and Materials Engineering team, you will play a key role in building electric adventure vehicles and products. Your experience, knowledge and skills will drive Rivian towards its goal of preserving the natural world for generations to come.

• The Sr Staff Materials Engineer - Sealing will act as the responsible expert for all technical matters of sealing across Rivian's entire product line. They will:
• Identify design risks for reliability and quality;
• Create & drive the sealing technology roadmap for Rivian,
• Own the creation and establishment of specifications,
• Independently lead failure analysis investigations for all seals across the entire Rivian product lines.
• Serve as the technical expert to design and keep all seals and valves - from the battery to the suspension to the cabin - function optimally according to design specifications, ensuring a high quality and reliable customer experience,

• Lead the technical development of joints and interfaces requiring sealing and support design engineers in creating sealing strategy, configuration, design, material selection, validation, and troubleshooting for both dynamic and static sealing applications across all vehicle components, e.g. doors, hood and trunk, battery, control modules, and motors, wheels and brakes as well as charging infrastructure and accessories.
• Own the creation and release of design guidelines for sealing applications, seal process instructions, and materials specifications.
• Lead the development and implementation of sealing test methods at material, component and vehicle levels.
• Lead the implementation of the sealing technology roadmap in the Rivian Design Process (RDP) and negotiate cross-functional stakeholder buy in. This will ensure reliable design and high-yield assembly for all sealing solutions in production and service.
• Lead failure analysis as the principal investigator for sealing failure throughout the product lifecycle including prototype, design validation, supplier development, product launch, quality alerts, and field complaints; and drive short-term containment and longer-term corrective actions and solutions to any sealing issues.
• Provide technical direction and mentorship to engineers and technicians across design, studio, manufacturing, reliability, operation, quality, service, supply chain, and purchasing.
• Provide technical and non-technical support and services to leadership, internal clients, and supply base regarding the design and materials of sealing solutions.
• Lead executive reviews on all technical topics related to sealing.

• MSc/PhD in Materials Science/Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Physics, Chemistry, Chemical Engineering, or a related field.
• 10+ years minimum / 15+ years preferred of work experience in design and validation of seals in automotive, aerospace, consumer electronics, heavy-machinery, and/or transportation manufacturing industries. 3+ years of technical / program leadership experience is preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to lead and coordinate cross functional teams, including design, studio, manufacture, operation, attributes, quality, reliability, service and, purchasing in technology development, selection, and validation.
• Have in-depth knowledge of sealing technologies and products to seal both dynamic and static joints for different scenarios including weather factors like water/snow/dust, water fording, extreme temperatures, chemical exposure, hydraulic and pneumatic systems, and thermal systems with multiphase flow.
• Knowledgeable in materials including elastomer, thermoset and thermoplastics; and their mechanical property's impact on sealing performance, e.g. stress relaxation and creep effects of continuous load/displacement on seal effectiveness.
• Proven record of failure analysis and solution implementation for both pumpable seals, pre-cut gaskets, cast-in-place and extruded viscoelastics with deep understanding of their pros and cons in different scenarios.
• Knowledge of the market and regulations for seals and their raw materials.
• Experience in working with suppliers, third-party labs, and research institutions on development of technology, materials, validation testing, qualification, and quality auditing.
• Experience effectively presenting and communicating highly complex technical information in a manner appropriate to a variety of audiences, from the fellow scientist to the executive level.
• In depth familiarity with vehicle systems and sealing challenges in the automotive industry.
• Proven record of hands-on testing at material and component levels. Experience of testing at the vehicle level is preferred.
• Knowledge and experience in modelling hyperelastic, hyperplastic, viscoelastic, and viscoplastic materials is highly desirable.
• The desire to create a respectful, fun, inclusive and inspiring team and company culture is required.

Salary Range/Hourly Rate for California Based Applicants: $159,200-$199,000 (actual compensation will be determined based on experience, location, 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, and Rivian covers most of the premiums.

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.