Lead Supplier Development, Industrialization & Quality Engineer - Body & Battery Structures
Rivian · Plymouth, MI
- Level
- Manager
- Team
- Quality
- Base pay
- $114k–$143k
- Degree
- Required
- Experience asked
- 6+ years
- Industry
- Automotive
- Posted
- 6 days ago
The role in 30 seconds
A management quality role at Rivian (automotive) in Plymouth, MI. Industrialization & Quality Engineer, you are an advanced individual contributor and subject matter expert responsible for the complete supplier quality lifecycle, from initial sourcing to ongoing business management.
- They ask for
- 6+ years · degree required
- Tools it names
- PPAP, APQP, Supplier quality, Robotics, Stamping, Welding
- Base pay
- $114k–$143k
Read from the posting. The full description is below.
From the plant jobs report · week of November 9, 2026
Quality Engineer roles in Michigan: typical posted base $87k–$149k. This one lists $114k–$143k.
Median of the low and high ends of 27 live postings that list pay, out of 85 quality engineer openings in Michigan, read from manufacturers' own careers sites.
Michigan plant jobs report →Pay by team and state →What moves pay →
How this role compares
Against 84 other live quality postings in Michigan.
- Base pay
- About 9% above similar roles
- Experience asked
- More than usual (6+ vs 4+)
Typical $87k–$149k, from 25 postings that list pay.
Similar roles usually ask 4+ years.
Skills these teams ask for most
- Root cause 65%
- ✓ PPAP 49%
- FMEA 49%
- New product launch 38%
- Control plans 38%
- ✓ APQP 36%
✓ = this posting asks for it too. % = share of similar postings that mention it.
Stands out: this posting asks for Robotics, Stamping, Welding, Assembly lines, 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 Plymouth
4 other open roles at this site.
- Senior Supplier Development, Industrialization & Quality Engineer - Body & Battery Structures · Quality · Senior
- Sr. Engineering Technician II · Manufacturing · Senior
- Sr. Manufacturing Engineer - Drive Unit Test · Manufacturing · Senior
- Sr. Digital Manufacturing Process Engineer · Process · Senior
Full description from RivianAs posted on their careers site.ShowHide
Responsibilities
Supplier Management: Own the complete "Cradle to Grave" supplier quality lifecycle to ensure seamless production ramps. Manage critical CL0 and CL1 suppliers, resolving failures to mitigate risks or delays. Problem-Solving and Risk Mitigation: Lead the breaking down of complex problems and datasets to derive meaningful, actionable results. Apply standard, robust problem-solving tools to address systemic issues across the supply base. Technical Skills: Lead high-complexity APQP/PPAP projects impacting major program milestones. Optimize supplier quality KPIs to predict and prevent future failures, aligning project efforts with long-term goals. Organizational Influence & Outreach: Act as a key advisor to program leadership, presenting and defending strategic recommendations in high-stakes forums. Drive systemic cross-functional change using first principles to persuade other functions to adopt new processes. Direction: Operate as a leader with minimal manager input, holding accountability for the performance of suppliers and cross-functional teams. Act instinctively to manage and prioritize complex workloads in high-pressure situations.
Qualifications
Education and Experience: Bachelor’s degree in Engineering or a related technical field and a minimum of 6 years of relevant supplier development experience. Domain Expertise: Full understanding of the procurement end-to-end lifecycle and experience managing high-risk supplier portfolios. Commodity-Specific Experience: Experience in Cold/Hot stamping, sheet-metal forming, fixture-based assembly, MIG welding, robotic welding, manual welding, e-coat interfaces, and final assembly processes. Evaluate fixture datum strategies, clamping, weld-gun access, poka-yoke, dimensional capability, and repeatability. Drive controls for weld defects, dimensional variation, distortion, missing welds, spatter, undercut, porosity, burn-through, and rework. Technical Skills: Primary owner of the business case and execution for significant process improvement initiatives. Communication: Interpreter of information who can facilitate productive conversations and gain buy-in for a clear vision. Execution: Expert analysis and recommendations directly influence critical sourcing decisions and capital investments. Operational Style: Operates as a leader with minimal manager input, holding accountability for the performance of suppliers/cross-functional teams; navigates high-pressure situations by reaching beyond defined scope to solve problems. Travel
Requirements
Regular primarily domestic travel is a core part of this role, expected to average between 50–75%. Pay Disclosure The salary range for this role is $114,100 - $142,600 for Plymouth, MI 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 first of the month following 90 days of employment. More information about benefits is available at rivianbenefits.com. You can apply for this role through careers.rivian.com (or through internal-careers-rivian.icims.com if you are a current employee). This job is not expected to be closed any sooner than November 20, 2026. Equal
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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 strategic technical leaders to drive the quality and reliability of our vehicle programs. As a Lead Supplier Development, Industrialization & Quality Engineer, you are an advanced individual contributor and subject matter expert responsible for the complete supplier quality lifecycle, from initial sourcing to ongoing business management. You act as a leader with minimal manager input, taking direct ownership of the most critical and highest-risk suppliers to ensure a seamless production ramp. In this role, you lead the resolution of complex manufacturing issues and partner with cross-functional leadership to drive systemic change across the organization. You are responsible for identifying and mitigating high-impact risks, serving as a technical mentor, and providing the expert-level analysis necessary to influence critical sourcing and design decisions. We are looking for an expert who can drive accountability with suppliers at the executive level and advocate for the team’s needs in major program reviews. This position is based onsite in Plymouth, Michigan with a 50–75% primarily domestic travel requirement and reports to the Sr. Manager - Supplier Development, Industrialization & Quality.
