Senior Supplier Development, Industrialization & Quality Engineer - Battery Pack
RivianThe Rivian Supply Chain team is looking for highly motivated technical professionals to ensure the stability and performance of our global supply chain. As a Senior Supplier Development, Industrialization & Quality Engineer, you will serve as a key individual contributor responsible for the quality performance and continuous improvement of an assigned commodity or group of suppliers. You will work with moderate autonomy to ensure that supplier manufacturing capabilities meet design requirements and that quality expectations are strictly followed. In this role, you will drive results by proactively identifying challenges at the supplier level and proposing actionable solutions to remove risks before they impact production. You are expected to lead the APQP/PPAP process for your assigned area and maintain strong relationships with direct counterparts to resolve recurring issues. This role offers the opportunity to influence sourcing decisions through expert analysis and data-driven insights. This position is based onsite in Irvine, California with a 50–75% domestic and international travel requirement and reports to the Manager Supplier Development, Industrialization & Quality. Supplier Management: Own the quality performance for Battery Pack & Battery Components focusing on maintaining "Low-to-No Risk" (CL3) status. Directly oversee action plans for CL2 suppliers to prevent regression into higher-risk categories. Problem-Solving and Risk Mitigation: Proactively identify challenges and propose specific solutions to remove risks before they impact production. Demonstrate proficiency in robust problem-solving tools (e.g., 5-Why, Fishbone, Is/Isn't) to resolve recurring issues. Technical Skills: Own and lead the APQP/PPAP process for assigned parts, ensuring suppliers meet all technical and documentation standards. Define clear expectations and monitor timelines with suppliers to ensure on-time delivery of quality milestones. Organizational Influence & Outreach: Act as the technical owner for the industrialization of assigned suppliers and manage the final quality sign-off process. Use data-driven insights to directly influence the work of peers. Direction: Operate with moderate autonomy to drive improvements and results within an assigned scope or commodity. Proactively identify challenges and use data-driven logic to propose solutions that remove risk. Education and Experience: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or a related technical field and a minimum of 3 years of relevant supplier development experience. Domain Expertise: Experience managing commodities and understanding the various factors of impact including economic and technology landscapes. Commodity-Specific Experience: Lead supplier industrialization and readiness for Battery Components and Systems (battery packs, modules, battery structure and enclosures, cooling plates, busbars and interconnects, fasteners and joining, BMS and electronics, and related sub-components). Monitor battery warranty and field performance, partnering with Service, Quality, and Engineering to analyze field returns and failure trends, drive root cause and containment at suppliers, and verify corrective action effectiveness. Experience with battery structure (enclosures, cooling plates, structural joints, sealing) is key to this role Specific technology knowledge in: module, and pack assembly; injection molding and tooling; stamping, casting, or extrusion for battery structure; welding and joining; adhesive, sealant, and thermal interface dispensing; torque and fastening systems; end-of-line and S&V testing Technical Skills: Advanced knowledge of manufacturing techniques and supplier performance ownership. Communication: Strong distributor of information, capable of aligning larger working groups and defusing conflicts. Execution: Measured by the effective management of KPIs and the number of quality risks successfully mitigated. Operational Style: Responsible for identifying and man…