Operations Engineer Visa Sponsorship Jobs in California

INTRODUCTION

As a Staff Operations Engineer, you will lead full-vehicle validation and environmental testing inside Rivian's advanced Irvine and Torrance lab facilities. The team supports cross-functional engineering disciplines—including Powertrain and Thermal Development, Range, Thermal Attribute, Benchmarking, NVH, Electrical Hardware, Homologation and others—to guide vehicle programs from concept evaluation all the way into production launch.

ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Technical Leadership & Test Strategy

• Own the end-to-end test strategy and lab operations for a significant domain (e.g., vehicle range test, vehicle thermal system performance, vehicle NVH performance), ensuring alignment with vehicle and subsystem requirements, program timelines, and safety constraints.
• Translate high-level attributes requirements and DVP targets into concrete test methods, profiles, and acceptance criteria that can be executed repeatedly across multiple test areas and sites.
• Define and maintain standards, templates, and playbooks for test requests, procedures, instrumentation, data quality, and reporting, and drive their adoption across the test organization.
• Identify gaps in current capabilities (equipment hardware, control systems, measurement chains, data workflows) and lead roadmaps to close them through new hardware, equipment upgrades, software implementation or process changes.

Test System Design, Development & Ownership

• Lead/Participate in capability expansion/improvement for test systems (e.g., vehicle chassis dyno, vehicle climatic chamber, shaker + thermal + humidity combinations, custom HIL setups), working with controls, software, facilities, and safety.
• Serve as the technical owner for selected test labs, accountable for uptime, fidelity, and suitability to current and future test needs.
• Develop and review automation and data-processing approaches (test scripts, health checks, dashboards, KPIs) to improve repeatability, coverage, and engineer productivity.

Test Planning, Execution & Data Interpretation

• Lead test planning for complex or first-of-a-kind campaigns, including sequence design, boundary conditions, instrumentation plans, and risk assessments.
• Provide hands-on technical support for critical tests: bring-up, debug, fault triage, and correlation against models or vehicle-level behavior.
• Review and synthesize test results at a system level, providing clear engineering conclusions, trade-offs, and recommendations to design, attributes, and program teams.
• Champion data quality and traceability: ensure that test configurations, calibrations, and deviations are captured such that results can be trusted and reused for future analysis.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Influence

• Act as the primary technical counterpart for your domain with Design Engineering, Attributes, Systems, DREs, Controls, Reliability, and Manufacturing/Service partners.
• Drive cross-functional problem solving on high-impact issues (e.g., real world test correlation gaps, unexpected NVH or thermal behavior), ensuring robust root cause, containment, and validated corrective actions.
• Provide executive-ready communication on test status, risks, and options: distill complex technical detail into concise, decision-oriented narratives for managers and senior leadership.

People, Culture & Mentorship

• Set the bar for lab operations: improvement of lab equipment utilization, structured problem definition, evidence-based decisions, disciplined change management, and continuous improvement.
• Lead by example on safety and quality in the lab, ensuring test methods, rig operations, and work practices meet or exceed Rivian standards.
• Contribute to capability building via training sessions, best-practice guides, reviews, and informal mentorship that raise the collective skill level of the test organization.

BASIC QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Mechatronics, Electrical Engineering, or related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• 10+ years (5-10 years for senior engineer) of relevant experience in test engineering for vehicle, powertrain, drivetrain, propulsion, or similar complex electro-mechanical systems, including significant rig-based or lab-based testing.
• Demonstrated track record operating at a Staff level (or equivalent) in:
• Designing and executing complex test campaigns.
• Leading resolution of difficult cross-system issues.
• Influencing designs and requirements based on test insight.
• Deep understanding of test methods, measurement systems, and data analysis for at least one of:
• Thermal & environmental testing
• Powertrain testing
• NVH / vibration / shaker testing
• Proven ability to lead without authority: align cross-functional stakeholders, challenge assumptions constructively, and drive decisions in ambiguous situations.
• Strong communication skills, including clear technical writing (procedures, reports) and concise, executive-appropriate summaries for leadership.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Hands-on experience with testbed control and data systems (e.g., dyno controllers, PLCs, DAQ, automation frameworks, or similar).
• Experience with PUMA or equivalent tools needed for developing test control/automation systems.
• Familiarity with statistical methods and data analysis tools (e.g., Python, MATLAB, or similar) for test planning and results interpretation.
• Experience mentoring and developing senior individual contributors and lead technicians.
• Prior experience working across multiple sites or labs, harmonizing methods and standards.