Sr. Quality Engineer, Containment Lead
Rivian · Normal, IL
- Level
- Manager
- Team
- Quality
- Base pay
- $99k–$123k
- Degree
- Required (or equivalent experience)
- Experience asked
- 6+ years
- Industry
- Automotive
- Posted
- 30+ days ago
The role in 30 seconds
A management quality role at Rivian (automotive) in Normal, IL.
- They ask for
- 6+ years · degree required (or equivalent experience)
- Tools it names
- PPAP, Supplier quality, 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 Illinois: typical posted base $98k–$136k. This one lists $99k–$123k.
Median of the low and high ends of 41 live postings that list pay, out of 53 quality engineer openings in Illinois, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
Illinois plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 52 other live quality postings in Illinois.
- Base pay
- In line with similar roles
- Experience asked
- More than usual (6+ vs 4+)
Typical $98k–$125k, from 35 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 4+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- Root cause 49%
- ✓ Supplier quality 47%
- Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ) 45%
- Team leadership 36%
- SPC 34%
- Six Sigma 30%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
Stands out: this posting asks for Tooling, 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
Engineers who joined in the last year or two reply the most. Use the team search on this page to find 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.
- 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 Normal
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Full description from RivianAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Responsibilities
Oversee containment activities in the plant, including timelines, strategies, progress, and needed decisions for each containment event (Quality Hold, Yard Containment, Pre-Delivery Service Action) Support analysis and development of containment execution strategy, including assessment of repair location (End of Line vs. Yard vs. Service Center), labor, tooling, and resource
requirements
to determine the best path forward Support the creation, development, and documentation of repair procedures for pre-delivery and yard containments, ensuring remedy instructions are validated before release to frontline teams Own tracking of the CMTE minimum-requirements checklist (CA status, PPAP/SPPAP completion, parts availability, clean point, affected population, Concern Registry) and flag gaps to the Issue Conductor and cross-functional team before execution begins Analyze trending quality issues across FIL, Careline, and EOL to determine appropriate actions, including initiating a containment or escalating into the Concern Registry Provide technical guidance and support for Engineering Investigations tied to containment events as needed Partner with Quality Engineering, Containment Operations, and issue owners to develop, refine, and present containment strategies to plant leadership Serve as the technical liaison for plant containment across cross-functional teams (Quality Engineering, Service Quality, Field Quality & Reliability, Manufacturing Engineering) Identify risks, gaps, and execution concerns within proposed containment repair procedures before they reach the floor Evaluate containment proposals to confirm execution plans are technically sound and operationally realistic for FIL, Careline, and Yard teams Identify opportunities to reduce repair time, lower complexity, and improve containment execution efficiency in the plant Provide recommendations on whether containment repairs should be completed at End of Line, in the Yard, or at Pre-Delivery, based on execution feasibility and business impact Help ensure plant teams have the documentation, technical direction, and operational readiness needed to execute containment actions successfully, including coordination with the RRR ("Triple R") process for component-level containment
Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, or equivalent 6+ years of experience in manufacturing quality, quality engineering, or related technical roles in an automotive or high-volume manufacturing environment Prior hands-on technical experience required; direct experience with End-of-Line, Careline, or Yard operations preferred Strong technical aptitude with the ability to assess repair feasibility, procedure quality, and field execution risk Demonstrated experience working cross-functionally with Manufacturing, Quality Engineering, Supplier Quality, and Service Quality teams Strong collaboration skills with the ability to influence and align stakeholders across multiple functions Ability to translate complex technical details into clear, actionable information for non-technical program managers and operational teams Working knowledge of Rivian's CMTE process (Quality Hold, Yard Containment, Pre-Delivery Service Action) and the Concern Registry / ICA-PCA framework Experience identifying process gaps and driving practical improvements in repair strategy and operational execution Ability to stand or sit for 8–12 hours per day Ability to operate effectively in a demanding, fast-paced environment with a high degree of ownership and accountability Pay Disclosure Salary Range for Illinois Based Applicants: The salary range for this role is $98,500 - $123,100 for Illinois based applicants. This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. An employee’s position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to, specific competencies, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, shift, and organizational needs. The successful candidate may be eligible for annual performance bonus and equity awards. Benefits Summary: We offer a comprehensive package of benefits for full-time and part-time employees, their spouse or domestic partner, and children up to age 26, including but not limited to paid vacation, paid sick leave, and a competitive portfoli
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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 The Sr. Quality Engineer, Containment Lead serves as the technical eyes and ears of containment execution inside the plant, ensuring proposed containment strategies are practical, complete, and executable across End-of-Line, Yard, and Pre-Delivery workflows. This role partners closely with Quality Engineering, Containment Operations, and issue owners to evaluate containment plans against the CMTE minimum-requirements gate (CA released, PPAP/SPPAP complete, remedy instructions validated, parts clean and available, manufacturing clean point secured, affected population predefined, Concern Registry created), identify risks and gaps, and elevate concerns when a strategy may not fully support successful field execution. This individual brings strong technical and operational understanding of Quality Hold, Yard Containment, and Pre-Delivery Service Action workflows to ensure frontline teams (FIL, Careline, EOL) have the tools, procedures, and support needed to execute containment actions effectively.
