Sr. Emerging Talent Program Manager - Technical Trades (Contract)

About the role

This is not a remote opportunity. We are seeking a high-potential, creative, and structured Sr. Program Manager – Tech Trades to join our Emerging Talent team. In this strategic and hands-on role, you will be responsible for designing, scaling, and managing technical trade and specialized early-career talent programs across our operational and technical business lines. This is a high potential role, with the potential to expand as Rivian's business demand grows. You will bridge the gap between technical teams, educational partners, and internal business leaders to build robust pipelines for technical trade talent.

If you love building structured programs from the ground up, developing creative talent pathways, and leading cross-functional teams to execute high-impact technical programs, this role is for you!

Responsibilities

• Design, manage, and scale specialized technical trade, and hands-on early-career development programs.
• Partner with business leaders, technical leads, and site managers to identify technical workforce needs and build aligned program curricula.
• Establish and nurture strategic partnerships with vocational schools, technical institutes, community colleges, and specialized trade networks.
• Lead full-lifecycle program management and recruitment, from onboarding and technical rotation scheduling through to program graduation and placement.
• Plan and execute program-specific events, including hands-on technical showcases, orientation programs, mentor training, and graduation ceremonies.
• Drive participant engagement, mentorship frameworks, and performance evaluation checkpoints across technical cohorts.
• Track and report on program health metrics, including cohort retention, skill acquisition milestones, conversion rates, and business ROI.
• Manage candidate pipeline logistics and program operations in close alignment with recruiting, HR, safety, and operational teams.
• Continuously refine program playbooks, training materials, and operational guidelines to ensure consistency and scalability across sites with cross functional partners.

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of program management, project management, or talent development experience, ideally focused on technical, operational, trade, or vocational pathways.
• Proven ability to design structured learning journeys, rotational schedules, or skill-building frameworks for technical audiences.
• Creative problem-solver with a knack for designing non-traditional talent pipelines and engaging learning experiences.
• Strong project management capabilities with a track record of driving complex, cross-functional initiatives on time and within scope.
• Exceptional stakeholder management skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with field technicians, program participants, and executive leadership.
• High learning agility and a genuine interest in understanding specialized technical trade skills and operational environments.
• Proficient with project management tools, tracking software, and virtual collaboration platforms.
• Experience managing apprenticeship programs, vocational partnerships, or specialized technical training initiatives.
• Familiarity with technical skill matrix models, competency assessments, or trade certification frameworks.
• Prior experience coordinating multi-site or field-based program logistics.

Pay

The salary range for this role is $50 to $70/hr for Atlanta-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.