Rivian · 1 day ago
Staff Craftsmanship & Appearance Engineer
US-CA-Irvine
Full-time
Onsite
Senior Level, Lead/Staff
$138K/yr - $172K/yr
5+ years expRivian is an automotive company focused on design quality, and they are seeking a Staff Craftsmanship & Appearance Engineer to ensure high standards in visual and tactile quality. The role involves leading reviews, evaluating design fidelity, and collaborating across teams to uphold craftsmanship standards in production.
AutomotiveElectric VehicleManufacturingTransportation
Responsibilities
Lead appearance and craftsmanship reviews across Studio, CMF, Craftsmanship, and Design Quality to assess visual and tactile attributes at key design and build phases
Develop and maintain program-specific Critical to Styling (CTS) part catalogues and track readiness of DQ-critical inputs
Evaluate surface finish, gap/flush performance, material transitions, and texture orientation across visible parts
Translate Studio design intent and appearance quality expectations into Rivian Quality Standards and supplier deliverables
Participate in build events (VP, PP, and Launch) to identify and resolve appearance and craftsmanship issues before production
Support competitive benchmarking and define Bill of Design criteria for perceived quality excellence
Collaborate with Concept, Core, and Subject Matter Expert teams to co-validate design and craftsmanship criteria
Drive continuous improvement initiatives to eliminate design quality roadblocks and enhance cross-functional alignment
Provide situational awareness of risks related to timing, deliverables, and design quality targets
Verify accuracy of part-level texture direction and support documentation for dual or complex texture execution
Must be willing to travel up to 20%
Qualification
Required
Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Industrial Design, or a technical discipline
5+ years of relevant experience in Craftsmanship, Perceived Quality, or Appearance Quality roles within a global automotive OEM or Tier 1 supplier
Proven appearance review experience evaluating gaps/flush, surface finish, gloss, and visual harmony during design or build reviews
Experience Leading or supporting, Design Validation Appearance Certificate reviews (DVAC) / Appearance Approval Reviews (AAR), Evaluating Craftsmanship, surface quality, and visual alignment of critical to styling parts and vehicle assemblies
Experience identifying and resolving appearance quality risks through program milestones
Strong understanding of injection molding, tooling, and surface texture and finish processes
Familiarity with fit-and-finish standards, appearance sign-off criteria, and visual quality documentation
Must pass a Munsell Hue Test with Superior Discrimination
Highly organized, able to manage complex data and deliverables across multiple programs
Excellent communicator with high emotional intelligence, able to influence design and engineering partners
Comfortable working in both autonomous and collaborative settings, translating design intent into actionable engineering requirements
Preferred
Master's degree in Engineering, Industrial Design, or a technical discipline
5+ years of relevant experience in Craftsmanship, Perceived Quality, or Appearance Quality roles within a global automotive OEM or Tier 1 supplier
Benefits
Rivian provides robust medical/Rx, dental and vision insurance packages for full-time and part-time employees, their spouse or domestic partner, and children up to age 26.
Full Time Employee coverage is effective on the first day of employment.
Part-Time employee coverage is effective the first of the month following 90 days of employment.
Company
Rivian
Rivian is an automotive technology company that develops products and services to advance the shift to sustainable mobility.
10001+ employees
H1B Sponsorship
Rivian has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (38)
2024 (70)
2023 (54)
2022 (79)
2021 (21)
Funding
Current Stage
Public CompanyTotal Funding
$21.93BKey Investors
Volkswagen GroupUS Department of EnergyIllinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity
2025-06-30Post Ipo Equity· $1B
2024-11-25Post Ipo Debt· $6.6B
2024-05-02Grant· $827M
Leadership Team
Robert Scaringe
Chief Executive Officer
Claire McDonough
Chief Financial Officer
Recent News
The Orlando Sentinel
2026-01-17
San Gabriel Valley Tribune
2026-01-17
2026-01-17
Company data provided by crunchbase