Staff Power Electronics Systems Engineer

About the role

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.

Responsibilities

• Translate high-level vehicle requirements into detailed, actionable system and component-level specifications
• Define and manage system-level requirements for new EV power electronics products, ensuring alignment with vehicle-level performance, safety, and regulatory standards
• Leverage simulation tools (e.g., MATLAB/Simulink, Ansys, PLECS) to guide or perform design analysis, model system behavior, and derive robust requirements
• Analyze and advise on technology options and conduct trade studies
• Lead DFMEA efforts with a cross-functional mix of product development team members
• Lead subsystem and vehicle integration activities and work with the product development team to resolve integration issues
• Resolve systems (hardware/software) related failures and develop short- and long-term corrective plans
• Act as the primary technical interface with internal and external stakeholders, including the vehicle integration teams
• Contribute to the development of acceptance test and validation test specifications and procedures
• Collaborate with the Rivian test teams to develop comprehensive validation plans employing test methods at the HIL, Unit, System, and Vehicle test levels
• Assist in resolving issues uncovered during the product validation testing
• Develop, execute, and document results for vehicle-level validation tests that address requirements owned by the product development team
• Work with hardware design, controls, software, and test engineering peers to achieve world-class product results
• Champion best practices in systems engineering, including requirements management, failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA), and risk mitigation
• Report out the Systems Engineering deliverable status to the Product Development and leadership teams.

Qualifications

• Education: Master's degree or advanced degree in Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, or a related field
• Minimum of 8+ years of experience in Systems Engineering, preferably within the automotive or EV industry
• Demonstrated ability to develop requirements based on simulations and model-based systems engineering (MBSE) principles
• Experience with power electronic design and analysis, including semiconductor selection, thermal management, magnetics, and control algorithms
• Understanding of the systems design architecture, hardware electronics design, and software architecture design of DC-AC Inverters, DC-DC Converters, and AC-DC power electronics applications
• Proven understanding of on-board charging standards (e.g., J1772, CCS) and vehicle communication protocols (e.g., CAN)
• Knowledgeable in vehicle-to-grid (V2G) and power export technologies, including relevant standards and use cases, is a plus
• Strong understanding of the automotive industry guidelines (e.g. ISO, IEC) and country-specific regulatory requirements applicable to electric vehicle on-board and off-board power electronic components
• Proven understanding of failure modes and failure effects of electronic hardware designs with an in-depth knowledge of DFMEA processes
• Experience leading DFMEAs
• Familiarity with functional safety processes and standards for safety-critical automotive systems (ISO 26262)
• Understanding of hardware and software validation testing at various levels (SIL, HIL, Unit, and Vehicle).
• Experience leading root cause analysis activities with techniques such as fault tree analysis and fishbone diagrams
• Able to work in a fast-paced development environment
• Excellent communication, leadership, and problem-solving skills