Staff Electrical Systems Engineer

About the role

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies is a joint venture between two industry leaders with a clear vision for automotive’s next chapter. From operating systems to zonal controllers to cloud and connectivity solutions, we’re addressing the challenges of electric vehicles through technology that will set the standards for software-defined vehicles around the world. The road to the future is uncharted. By combining our expertise across connectivity, AI, security and more, we’ll map a new way forward. Working together, we’ll create a future that’s more connected, more intelligent, more sustainable for everyone.

RV Tech — the Rivian and Volkswagen Group joint venture — builds the electrical and electronic foundation of a software-defined vehicle platform used by both partner OEMs. Our Electrical Systems Hardware Engineering group owns the vehicle's electrical system architecture and domain definition. As a Staff engineer, you own the architecture and integration of several electrical domains on US-based programs, covering both electrical system definition and low-voltage power distribution.

Responsibilities

• Own the electrical architecture for your assigned domains: low- and high-voltage (LV/HV) power distribution, harness strategy, and electrical interface definitions
• Define zonal topology inputs — zonal ECU count and placement — and allocate devices and device I/O to zonal controllers
• Define LV power architecture: supply strategy across batteries, DC-DC converters, and eFuses; bus management, power modes, and fault handling
• Develop mission profiles and accessory power requirements, including load budgets and quiescent current targets
• Decompose vehicle- and system-level specifications into subsystem, component, and zonal interface requirements with full traceability
• Develop and negotiate requirements with component suppliers and internal component owners
• Define hardware-driven software requirements for embedded software teams
• Review schematics for conformance to the defined architecture
• Develop and execute validation plans across unit, software-in-the-loop (SIL), hardware-in-the-loop (HIL), and vehicle-level testing
• Lead root cause analysis and resolution of electrical issues through development and validation
• Evaluate and recommend next-generation technologies, and support the R&D needed to mature them
• Align electrical system boundaries with vehicle systems and software teams, and confirm designs scale across both Rivian and Volkswagen Group programs

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

• BS in Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, or a related field
• ~8+ years in electrical systems engineering on automotive or comparable complex embedded products
• Ownership of an electrical system or domain through a full development cycle
• Expertise in LV/HV power systems, electrical distribution, and wiring harness design
• Requirements decomposition, interface definition, and validation coverage
• Experience developing and negotiating technical requirements with