Director - Supplier Development, Industrialization and Quality

The Director of Supplier Development, Industrialization & Quality will lead a team responsible for end-to-end supplier execution, capability building, tooling industrialization and quality assurance across Rivian's global supply base. Merging pre-PPAP development engineering with post-PPAP quality management, this role establishes a single point of accountability for parts and systems from concept and tooling kickoff through ramp-up and serial production. The ideal leader brings deep automotive or EV industrialization experience, combining technical rigor with a "boots on the ground" problem-solving methodology to ensure flawless program execution, capacity realization and zero-defect quality across launch and current production vehicles. Strategic Organization Leadership: Build, lead and mentor a high-performing global team of Supplier Development, Industrialization & Quality Engineers across major commodity sectors (e.g. Chassis, Battery, Drive Unit, Thermal, Interior, Exterior and Power Distribution). Cradle-to-Grave Part & Supplier Ownership: Oversee end-to-end component ownership, streamlining supplier communications and cross-functional alignment across both pre-PPAP development and post-PPAP production quality. Upstream Quality Prevention: Engage early in program development cycles alongside Engineering and Purchasing to conduct DFM, DFMEA and PFMEA reviews, resolving downstream ramp and quality constraints long before Start of Production (SOP). Tooling & Capacity Industrialization: Oversee supplier industrialization timelines, tool kickoffs, tooling audits and station-by-station capacity mapping (JPH / throughput modeling, sensor checks and Poka-Yoke validations) to resolve yield bottlenecks and secure confirmed production volumes. Rigorous PPAP & Launch Gatekeeping: Enforce strict APQP/PPAP gatekeeper discipline, executing Safe Launch containment protocols, Rate-at-Rate verifications and mandatory recovery glide paths for supplier milestones. Rapid Problem Solving & On-Site Triage: Deploy resources directly to supplier facilities during critical ramps to perform root-cause analyses (5-Why, 8D, PFMEA updates) and drive immediate yield and quality recovery. Supplier Performance & Governance: Establish and track global supplier scorecards, quality metrics, and audit schedules, driving corrective action plans and ongoing continuous improvement initiatives across the supply chain. Cross-Functional Executive Partnership: Collaborate closely with Procurement, Hardware Engineering, Manufacturing Operations and Program Management to escalate risks, present recovery models and align sourcing strategies. Education: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Mechanical, Electrical, Industrial, or Manufacturing), Supply Chain Management or a related technical field. Master’s degree preferred. Experience: 15+ years of progressive leadership experience in supplier development, supplier quality or manufacturing industrialization within the automotive or high-growth EV sector. Cradle-to-Grave Domain Expertise: Proven track record of managing components through the entire lifecycle - from early engineering design reviews, APQP and PPAP approval to serial production quality management. Technical Mastery: Deep proficiency in core quality and manufacturing tools such as APQP, PPAP, PFMEA, SPC, 8D, 5-Why, Poke-Yoke systems and Lean Manufacturing. Operational & Analytical Discipline: Demonstrated experience in hands-on bottleneck resolution, capacity modeling, line-walk audits and data-driven root-cause problem solving. Leadership & Change Management: Experience building, restructuring or scaling global technical teams, instilling operational discipline and metric accountability while maintaining startup agility. Communication & Negotiation: Exceptional interpersonal and executive presentation skills; capable of holding supplier C-suite leadership accountable to Rivian performance expectations. Willingness to Travel: Ability to travel up…

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