Early Career - Material Engineer II

RivianRivianIrvine, California, United States
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Posted

9/21/2026

Employment

Full time

Range

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Work style

On-site

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AI summary

Core responsibilities

The role involves driving material prototyping and development while managing engineering validation processes for vehicle hardware. You will also lead sustainability initiatives and conduct root cause analysis for production issues in collaboration with suppliers.

Requirements overview

Candidates must hold a Bachelor's or Master's degree in Materials or Mechanical Engineering with 1-3 years of industry experience. Proficiency in automotive materials and strong project management skills are essential for this cross-functional role.

Key skills

Materials engineeringMechanical engineeringMaterial prototypingEngineering validationRoot cause analysisMaterials modelingSupplier developmentProject managementCommunication skillsFirst-principles problem solvingData managementGoogle suiteAutomotive plasticsPolymeric filmsCompositesNatural fibers

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Education requirements

bachelor degreepostgraduate degree

About Rivian

Industry

Motor Vehicle Manufacturing

Employees

12,170

Type

Public Company

Size

10,001+ employees

Doing something different is never easy. It requires courage, optimism and grit. Core to our mission is building a team of adventurous individuals determined to make a positive impact on the world. This means challenging ourselves constantly. Stretching beyond the bounds of conventional thinking. Reframing old problems. Seeking new solutions. And operating comfortably in a space of uncertainty. While our backgrounds are diverse, our team shares a love of the outdoors and a desire to protect it for future generations. Do you like doing the impossible? We’d love to hear from you.

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Job categories

EngineeringManufacturingEnvironmental & Sustainability

Description

About Rivian 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. Role Summary As a member of Rivian’s Vehicle Hardware Engineering team you will be an intrinsic part of shaping new and exciting products – you will develop from concept and into volume production while driving the creation of sustainable, impactful and world class performing parts. The Vehicle Hardware Engineering is a place to be innovative and creative while contributing to a culture of trust and continuous improvement. Responsibilities • Drive material prototyping & development in partnership with the product development team. • Complete engineering approval of program materials as part of the Materials Engineering Validation process. • Author Rivian Materials Standards and Rivian Testing Specifications. • Lead advanced materials development with a focus on sustainability initiatives, improved durability and cleanability. • Drive root cause analysis for ongoing production issues related to materials, working directly with Tiers and Materials Vendors. • Provide materials modeling inputs for digital validation. • Work in conjunction with Supplier Quality Engineering and Purchasing teams for supplier development. • Demonstrate curiosity and high learning agility. • Exhibit “Rivian Compass” values in everything you do. Qualifications • Bachelors or Masters in Materials Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or similar. • 1-3+ years of materials development industry experience, preferred • Multi-disciplined experiences in automotive plastics, deco materials (plated, Aluminum wood), polymeric films, fabrics / textiles, composites, and natural fibers. • Proven experience with managing multiple complex projects simultaneously and vendors. • First-class communication skills, including the ability to communicate effectively across multiple sites & time zones to a wide range of audiences. • A demonstrated ability to solve problems using a first-principles approach. • Highly organized and detail oriented in documentation, report writing, and data cross functional data management. • An eagerness to work cross-functionally in a dynamic environment. • Sound commercial and financial awareness. • Google suite proficiency. • Ability for 10% travel including weekends and extended periods, as well as capability for international travel Pay Disclosure Salary Range for California Based Applicants: The salary range for this role is $85,600-$107,000 for California 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. Benefits Summary: 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 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 candidateaccommodations@rivian.com. 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. AI does not make hiring decisions: Qualified candidate applications are reviewed by a member of our team, and all decisions throughout the process are made by humans. We use AI to support efficiency and consistency, not to replace human judgment. We are committed to a fair, thoughtful, and equitable experience for every candidate. 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.

Requirements

  • Materials engineering
  • Mechanical engineering
  • Material prototyping
  • Engineering validation
  • Root cause analysis
  • Materials modeling
  • Supplier development
  • Project management
  • Communication skills
  • First-principles problem solving
  • Data management
  • Google suite
  • Automotive plastics
  • Polymeric films
  • Composites
  • Natural fibers

Benefits

  • Paid vacation
  • Paid sick leave
  • Life insurance
  • Medical insurance
  • Dental insurance
  • Vision insurance
  • Short-term disability insurance
  • Long-term disability insurance
  • 401(k) plan
  • Employee stock purchase program

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