Staff Electrical System Engineer, Charging & Energy

Rivian • Irvine, CA

11d

About The Position

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.

Role Summary

The Staff Systems Engineer, Charging & Energy is a senior individual contributor who owns system‑level outcomes for major charging and energy products and features. You will define and drive architectures, requirements, DFMEAs, and validation strategies that span hardware, firmware, communications, and cloud/mobile interfaces. You operate as a technical leader and
integrator — similar to our current Staff Systems Engineers on the team — independently creating and driving critical deliverables to completion, often in ambiguous or under‑resourced spaces, and directly improving the quality of systems engineering within C&E.
This role is expected to:

● Lead multi‑quarter, cross‑functional efforts in the charging and energy domain
● Serve as the go‑to systems owner for complex, safety‑ and customer‑critical functions
● Mentor and uplevel other engineers in systems engineering tools, practices, and
decision‑making

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, Systems Engineering, Computer Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience).
• Typically 5+ years of relevant experience in systems engineering or closely related roles, including significant responsibility for cross‑disciplinary system integration (HW/SW/comms).
• Demonstrated deep expertise in systems engineering tools and methods, including: ○ Requirements management (e.g., Jama, DOORS, or equivalent) ○ DFMEA / functional safety analysis and structured root‑cause methods ○ Traceability between requirements, test, and defect tracking
• Proven ability to independently define, drive, and complete complex systems deliverables (architectures, DFMEAs, DVPs, requirements) that span hardware, embedded software, and communications architectures.
• Strong experience collaborating with multi‑disciplinary engineering teams (electrical, mechanical, embedded software, test/validation) on safety‑ and reliability‑critical products.
• Proficiency with data analysis and scripting (e.g., Python, SQL, or similar), and demonstrated comfort using data platforms and AI‑assisted tools as part of the daily workflow.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to distill complex system concepts into clear documentation and concise updates for technical and executive audiences.

Nice To Haves

• Experience developing EV charging, power conversion, or energy products, or significant understanding of EV charging ecosystems, standards, and interoperability challenges.
• Hands‑on experience with high‑voltage systems and related safety, protection, and diagnostic concepts.
• Familiarity with communication protocols and tools used in charging and energy systems (e.g., CAN, Ethernet, OCPP or similar), including use of tools like Vector CANalyzer/CANoe and calibration/diagnostic tools.
• Experience collaborating with compliance and certification bodies and working with relevant UL/IEEE/SAE (or equivalent) standards for charging and power equipment.
• Prior experience defining and leading multi‑quarter initiatives that raised engineering quality, test coverage, or launch readiness across multiple programs or teams.

Responsibilities

• Own key charging and energy systems and functions across one or more product lines (e.g., DC high‑power chargers, residential/bidirectional chargers, and related control systems), from concept through launch and sustainment.
• Independently create, drive, and complete critical systems engineering deliverables (requirements, DFMEAs, interface definitions, validation plans) — including “thankless” or ambiguous work that falls between teams — and ensure they are adopted across programs.
• Lead system‑level trade‑off and design decisions, balancing safety, performance, cost, schedule, and interoperability across hardware, software, and cloud/mobile.
• Develop and execute strategies to exceed goals within the C&E systems function, while contributing meaningfully to cross‑functional product and program goals.
• Define and maintain end‑to‑end system architectures for charging and energy products, spanning: ○ Power and electrical architectures (e.g., high‑voltage paths, protection and sensing, power conversion interfaces) ○ Embedded control architectures (controllers, interfaces, diagnostics) ○ Communication architectures (vehicle, charger, cloud, and mobile; e.g., CAN, Ethernet, IP‑based protocols)
• Own system and interface requirements development, including allocation and traceability across vehicle, charger, cloud, and mobile teams, and ensure sign‑off across all stakeholders.
• Architect and lead DFMEA / functional safety / hazard analysis work at the system level, ensuring that vehicle‑ and customer‑level failure modes are comprehensively mapped to subsystem and component mitigations.
• Analyze and evaluate design impacts of new concepts, components, or vendors, making clear, data‑driven recommendations on architecture and design direction.
• Lead requirements coverage and validation strategies across virtual and physical assets (SIL, HIL, bench, lab assets, and vehicles) for key charging and energy features.
• Work with validation and test teams to define, review, and improve system/sub‑system DVPs, test plans, and traceability back to requirements and DFMEAs.
• Analyze test and field/telemetry data to identify performance trends, gaps, and systemic issues in charging and energy systems; drive root‑cause analysis and corrective actions across HW/SW/comms domains.
• Proactively fill gaps in testing and validation when resources are constrained, ensuring that critical risks and edge cases are still surfaced and resolved before launch.
• Create and maintain essential systems documentation (architectures, interface control documents, specifications, DFMEAs, test reports), and ensure it is consumable by both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Drive cross‑functional decision‑making between hardware, firmware, software, vehicle, cloud, mobile, interoperability, compliance, and test teams for charging and energy products.
• Translate complex system behaviors, risks, and trade‑offs into clear, executive-ready narratives and recommendations that support program and business decisions.
• Serve as a key systems point of contact for external partners (e.g., certification bodies, utilities, interoperability partners) as needed, supporting efforts such as standards compliance and network integration.
• Act as a systems engineering ambassador within C&E, raising the overall quality of requirements, DFMEAs, and validation practices across the organization.
• Mentor and coach Sr./Engineer‑level peers in systems thinking, requirements authoring, DFMEAs, validation strategies, and effective cross‑functional communication.
• Model calm, fact‑based problem solving in high-pressure situations, setting the tone for how the team approaches complex integration issues and launch‑critical problems.
• Help define and continuously improve how systems engineering is practiced within Charging & Energy (templates, checklists, tool usage, review forums, and knowledge sharing).

Benefits

• Rivian provides robust medical/Rx, dental and vision insurance packages for full-time employees, their spouse or domestic partner, and children up to age 26. Coverage is effective on the first day of employment.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level