Sr. Test and Validation Engineer
Rivian · Torrance, CA
- Level
- Senior
- Team
- Quality
- Base pay
- $99k–$123k
- Experience asked
- 3+ years
- Industry
- Automotive
- Posted
- 30+ days ago
The role in 30 seconds
A senior quality role at Rivian (automotive) in Torrance, CA. In this role you will communicate and work closely with multiple teams across the organization.
- They ask for
- 3+ years
- Tools it names
- Root cause, FMEA, Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ), Tooling
- Base pay
- $99k–$123k
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of October 19, 2026
Quality Engineer roles in California: typical posted base $100k–$149k. This one lists $99k–$123k.
Median of the low and high ends of 89 live postings that list pay, out of 189 quality engineer openings in California, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
California plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 188 other live quality postings in California.
- Base pay
- About 11% below similar roles
- Experience asked
- Less than usual (3+ vs 5+)
Typical $100k–$149k, from 86 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ Root cause 77%
- ✓ FMEA 54%
- Supplier quality 49%
- ✓ Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ) 46%
- AS9100 43%
- ISO 9001 39%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
Stands out: this posting asks for Union environment, which few similar roles mention. If you have it, lead with it.
At a glance
Pulled from the posting text. If it's not listed here, the posting didn't say.
How to get in at this plant
Five moves over a week or two. The first one takes ten minutes.
- 1
Pick 2–3 people on the Quality team at Rivian
We found 1 person at this company and state: 1 leaders. Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. See them ↓
- 2
Send a short, curious note
One real question about their work. No favors yet. Each person gets a different note, written for this role.
Write to Oren → (free) - 3
Turn a reply into a short call
Questions worth asking about this team:
- What does a normal week look like on your team?
- Which standards drive the work here: ISO 13485, IATF 16949, AS9100?
- How much of the job is customer complaints versus prevention?
- How did you land the job? What stood out in your interviews?
- 4
Apply with someone vouching for you
If the call went well, ask whether they’d pass your résumé to the hiring manager. Send your résumé link, apply that day, and let them know.
- 5
Bring proof to the interview
One page of before-and-after numbers from projects you led: scrap, OEE, cycle time, cost. Plant managers hire on results.
This plant: Rivian in Torrance
No other open roles at this site right now · 1 person we found in quality roles at Rivian.
Full description from RivianAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Responsibilities
THIS IS WHAT YOU’LL DO: • You will develop and maintain the end-to-end validation plan of Rivian’s Charging & Energy products • Work closely with the software and hardware engineering teams to understand test
requirements
- ✓Develop test procedures to define instructions on test setup and execution • Design and modify test fixtures and instrumentation for charging equipment testing • Provide direction to lab personnel (both internal and external) in setting up and executing system tests • Participate in design reviews, requirement reviews, DFMEAs, and Hazard Analyses • Support hands on technical root cause analysis and resolution of issues found during testing • Log and manage software and hardware issues to resolution • Lead tear down analysis and post processing of hardware at end of test • Work with appropriate teams to convey learnings to feed back into
Show full description ↓Show less ↑
About Rivian 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 As a Sr. Test and Validation Engineer, you will be a key contributor to the charging and energy test and validation team in Torrance, CA planning and executing the testing of current and next generation charging systems. In this role you will communicate and work closely with multiple teams across the organization.