Senior Supplier Development, Industrialization & Quality Engineer - Battery Pack
Rivian · Irvine, CA
- Level
- Senior
- Team
- Quality
- Base pay
- $99k–$123k
- Degree
- Required
- Experience asked
- 3+ years
- Industry
- Automotive
- Posted
- 11 days ago
The role in 30 seconds
A senior quality role at Rivian (automotive) in Irvine, CA. Industrialization & Quality Engineer, you will serve as a key individual contributor responsible for the quality performance and continuous improvement of an assigned commodity or group of suppliers.
- They ask for
- 3+ years · degree required
- Tools it names
- Root cause, PPAP, APQP, Injection molding, Stamping, Welding
- Base pay
- $99k–$123k
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of November 9, 2026
Quality Engineer roles in California: typical posted base $100k–$150k. This one lists $99k–$123k.
Median of the low and high ends of 123 live postings that list pay, out of 249 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 248 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 118 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 5+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- ✓ Root cause 77%
- FMEA 48%
- Supplier quality 43%
- Validation (IQ/OQ/PQ) 41%
- AS9100 39%
- ISO 9001 34%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
Stands out: this posting asks for Injection molding, Stamping, Welding, Casting, 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 Irvine
5 other open roles at this site · 1 person we found in quality roles at Rivian.
- Lead Supplier Development, Industrialization & Quality Engineer - Battery Cell · Quality · Manager
- Staff Manufacturing Engineer, General Assembly - Advanced ME · Manufacturing · Senior
- Staff Advanced Manufacturing Engineer - Electro Mechanical · Reliability · Senior
- Early Career - Validation Engineer, Vehicle Hardware · Quality
- Sr. Manufacturing Engineer, General Assembly - Advanced ME · Manufacturing · Senior
Full description from RivianAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
requirements
and that quality expectations are strictly followed. In this role, you will drive results by proactively identifying challenges at the supplier level and proposing actionable solutions to remove risks before they impact production. You are expected to lead the APQP/PPAP process for your assigned area and maintain strong relationships with direct counterparts to resolve recurring issues. This role offers the opportunity to influence sourcing decisions through expert analysis and data-driven insights. This position is based onsite in Irvine, California with a 50–75% domestic and international travel requirement and reports to the Manager Supplier Development, Industrialization & Quality.
Responsibilities
Supplier Management: Own the quality performance for Battery Pack & Battery Components focusing on maintaining "Low-to-No Risk" (CL3) status. Directly oversee action plans for CL2 suppliers to prevent regression into higher-risk categories. Problem-Solving and Risk Mitigation: Proactively identify challenges and propose specific solutions to remove risks before they impact production. Demonstrate proficiency in robust problem-solving tools (e.g., 5-Why, Fishbone, Is/Isn't) to resolve recurring issues. Technical Skills: Own and lead the APQP/PPAP process for assigned parts, ensuring suppliers meet all technical and documentation standards. Define clear expectations and monitor timelines with suppliers to ensure on-time delivery of quality milestones. Organizational Influence & Outreach: Act as the technical owner for the industrialization of assigned suppliers and manage the final quality sign-off process. Use data-driven insights to directly influence the work of peers. Direction: Operate with moderate autonomy to drive improvements and results within an assigned scope or commodity. Proactively identify challenges and use data-driven logic to propose solutions that remove risk.
Qualifications
Education and Experience: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or a related technical field and a minimum of 3 years of relevant supplier development experience. Domain Expertise: Experience managing commodities and understanding the various factors of impact including economic and technology landscapes. Commodity-Specific Experience: Lead supplier industrialization and readiness for Battery Components and Systems (battery packs, modules, battery structure and enclosures, cooling plates, busbars and interconnects, fasteners and joining, BMS and electronics, and related sub-components). Monitor battery warranty and field performance, partnering with Service, Quality, and Engineering to analyze field returns and failure trends, drive root cause and containment at suppliers, and verify corrective action effectiveness. Experience with battery structure (enclosures, cooling plates, structural joints, sealing) is key to this role Specific technology knowledge in: module, and pack assembly; injection molding and tooling; stamping, casting, or extrusion for battery structure; welding and joining; adhesive, sealant, and thermal interface dispensing; torque and fastening systems; end-of-line and S&V testing Technical Skills: Advanced knowledge of manufacturing techniques and supplier performance ownership. Communication: Strong distributor of information, capable of aligning larger working groups and defusing conflicts. Execution: Measured by the effective management of KPIs and the number of quality risks successfully mitigated. Operational Style: Responsible for identifying and managing personal priorities to ensure all area-specific milestones are met on time. Travel
Requirements
Regular domestic and international travel is a core part of this role, expected to average between 50–75%. Pay Disclosure The salary range for this role is $98,500 - $123,100 for Irvine, CA 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. 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 portfolio of insurance benefits including life, medical, dental, vision, short-term disability insurance, and long-term disability insurance to eligible employees. You may also have the opportunity to participate in Rivian’s 401(k) Plan and Employee Stock Purchase Program if you meet certain eligibility requirements. Full-time employee coverage is effective on their first day of employment. Part-time employee coverage is effective the fir
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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 Rivian Supply Chain team is looking for highly motivated technical professionals to ensure the stability and performance of our global supply chain. As a Senior Supplier Development, Industrialization & Quality Engineer, you will serve as a key individual contributor responsible for the quality performance and continuous improvement of an assigned commodity or group of suppliers. You will work with moderate autonomy to ensure that supplier manufacturing capabilities meet design
