Sr. Failure Analysis Materials Engineering TPM

The Sr. FAME Technical Program Manager plays a critical role in driving Rivian’s technology & strategy to support Failure Analysis and Materials Engineering within Rivian’s Engineering Quality (EQ) department. You will partner with cross-functional teams across Product Development, Manufacturing & Process Engineering, Plant Quality, Procurement & Supply Chain, and Supplier Quality. Throughout the product lifecycle you will craft crossfunctional solutions that directly support our production schedule, improve efficiency, improve assembly quality, and enable research and development of advanced component offerings. This role is located at our Normal, IL production facility and reports into the Director, Failure Analysis & Materials Engineering (FAME). Key support functions within FAME: Sustaining Reliability Materials Test Lab Welding & Joining Quality Key Cross Functional Partners: Facilities Manufacturing Plant Quality Product Lifecycle Management (PLM)/IT and data infrastructure Program Integration Management - The TPM will take charge of ensuring FAME team activities are aligned with rapidly changing program timelines and deliverables. The TPM will work closely with the Plant Quality and Manufacturing teams, and with Plant shop Leads. The TPM will compile weekly updates of current program & shop status and risks. The TPM will maintain an accurate timetable for all FAME deliverables within their support functions. Accountability - The TPM will drive FAME deliverables within their support functions, and hold both our cross functional partners accountable for providing support, and FAME team members for adhering to the deadlines. Technical Liaison - Act as a bridge between technical teams and business stakeholders, ensuring clear communication and alignment of program objectives. Provide regular updates to FAME leadership on program status, risks, and mitigation strategies. Engineering Critical Path – ensuring all FSMR deliverables in their support functions have timelines to manage critical path, and that the cadence of is being driven based on an aligned timeline, and with actively derisking the critical path in mind. Risk Management – working with the FAME management focals in their supporting functions to identify risks to programs and production, mitigation plans, and escalation before risks are realized. Communicating with vehicle-level and Program teams and their TPMs, and ensuring alignment on the route forward. This is constantly evolving throughout the entire program, and dependent on the risks at hand. Issue Management – ensuring emergent issues are identified and resolved effectively throughout the program and issues are burned down before moving to more complex phases of the program. Scope Management – understanding and communicating Vehicle Line and Program goals to the FAME team, and decomposing them into a technical roadmap. Change Management – align on change management content, and that the changes are necessary, and then ensure high quality change execution when change is agreed upon. Lab Certification - The TPM will aid in the ISO 17025 certification drive for the Materials Test Lab, and in the maintenance of that certification post award. Sustaining Reliability - The TPM will lead the coordination of burn-in schedules for Battery and Drive Units within the sustaining reliability team. They will own the detailed program plan and schedule for sustaining reliability programs, including key milestones, critical path, and interlocks with other teams and suppliers. Track reliability program status against targets and ensure design, validation, and readiness work are completed to support reliability programs Engineering - work with FAME engineering focals in their supporting functions to ensure short-term and longer-term projects are kept on budget and on schedule. Support emergent efforts, especially ‘line down’/part shortages: coordinate and facilitate engagement of all parties to provide rapid direction for a viable solution, ensuring accountability and ownership across stakeholders. Data Integrity- contribute to the integration of material and joint test and simulation data into a robust data warehouse driving efficient data centric engineering decision making. Technical Integration at all levels – act as the glue between the teams to ensure there is cross-collaboration, trade offs being made across the teams, and issues escalated. Be a communications bridge between all partners and teams to ensure Right First Time quality of our parts, our materials, and the vehicle assemblies they enable. Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Robotics or a related field. 3-5 years experience in product design, technical program management, PLM, engineering systems, or a related field, preferably within the automotive or high-tech industry. Design Release Experience (preferred) Experience with DFMEA, PFMEA, and reliability processes in product development. (preferred) Experience leading small teams of technical or program professionals A track record of successfully delivering cross-functional projects on schedule. Experience is preferred within the automotive domain or to have demonstrated outstanding skills from an adjacent and relevant industry. Existing pedigree and success in customer/partner environment. An ability to challenge existing assumptions, concepts, and beliefs to develop new methods. Strong communication skills and the ability to influence, inspire and build a culture that comes together to over-deliver. Understanding of engineering theory, manufacturing techniques and principles of operation of mechanical systems and material requirements. Able to work efficiently and demonstrate composure under pressure.