Senior Engineer, Supplier Development - Thermal

Rivian is an automotive company focused on sustainable transportation, and they are seeking a Senior Engineer for Supplier Development in Thermal. This role involves leading supplier industrialization efforts, ensuring quality standards, and collaborating with cross-functional teams to optimize supplier performance and scalability.

Responsibilities:

• Lead supplier industrialization and readiness for all commodities
• Support supplier selection and capability assessment for both greenfield (new plant) and brownfield (existing plant expansion) projects, ensuring alignment with program timelines and quality expectations
• Drive APQP discipline and enforce PPAP requirements, ensuring suppliers meet dimensional, material, and performance validation before production approval
• Develop and track industrialization project KPIs, including PPAP on-time approval, process capability (Cpk/Ppk), first-pass yield, and PPM targets to measure supplier readiness
• Evaluate and validate supplier manufacturing processes by leading process audits, PFMEA reviews, control plan validation, and equipment capability/Run@rate assessments
• Optimize supplier manufacturing scalability, ensuring production lines are capable of meeting increasing volume and quality expectations during ramp-up phases
• Monitor supplier industrialization performance through KPIs such as on-time PPAP submission, process capability indices (Cpk/Ppk), defect rates (PPM), issue closure rate, and supplier corrective action effectiveness
• Facilitate problem resolution using structured methodologies (focused problem solving) to address defects, process deviations, and launch roadblocks proactively
• Collaborate cross-functionally with engineering, quality, and supply chain teams to drive VA/VE cost optimization, ensuring seamless design implementation into supplier manufacturing processes and technology while maintaining quality and performance standards
• Ability to understand and follow written and verbal instructions in English to ensure workplace safety, effective communication, and operational efficiency

Requirements:

• Bachelor's Degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, or other related field
• 3-5+ years supplier quality engineering experience
• Strong Knowledge of Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP), Production Part Approval Process (PPAP), Failure Mode and Effect Analysis (FMEA)
• Technical expertise of automotive components designs and manufacturing, including knowledge of safety and test requirements and appearance approval process
• Knowledge of Geometric Design and Tolerancing (GD&T) and datum structures
• Experience in Extrusion and fabrication commodities
• In depth knowledge of IATF16949:2016 and understanding of ISO14001
• Ability to understand and follow written and verbal instructions in English to ensure workplace safety, effective communication, and operational efficiency
• 50-70% travel requirement
• Masters Degree in Engineering, Supply Chain, or other related fields
• Ability to work in a diverse and dynamic environment
• Good communication and interpersonal skills (Team Working) as well as negotiation skills
• Ability to analyze and present data effectively