Staff Welding Development Engineer

About RivianRivian 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 SummaryIn this role you’ll join a diverse group of subject matter experts in the Materials Engineering team and bring your own expertise in the domain of welding. You will make an impact across every Rivian product line by being a champion for commonality, technical excellence, drawing definition and engineering standards. You will use your experience to develop and characterize welding techniques with hands-on laboratory work and sound scientific principles.ResponsibilitiesTop-notch communication skills and the ability to improve weld quality through 1:1 consultations with designers & manufacturing, authoring of design guidance and technical presentations to the engineering communityComfortable as a primary technical point of contact for diagnosing and containing emergent manufacturing and in-service weld quality concernsExperience with the metallurgy of steel and aluminum alloys, their manufacturing methods and microstructure features as they relate to welding parameters and qualityUse expertise and process knowledge to determine the root-cause of defects seen in common fusion and solid-state welding techniques, including GMAW, laser beam welding, resistance spot welding and friction stir welding.Experience with hybrid joining processes and fastening systems that utilize plastic deformation, such as flow drill screws and self-piercing rivets.Familiarity with primary automotive structures with critical weld quality requirements, such as Body, Interior and Chassis assemblies.Experience with the validation & troubleshooting of welding equipment and its electromechanical sub-assemblies, such as sensors, transmitters, control systems, transformers, power supplies, torch heads, reamers etc.Experience with the joining requirements and validation of joints for electromechanical sub-assemblies (sensors, transmitters, power supplies, controllers, etc).Expertise in industry welding standard, such as ASME, AWS, ISO, CQI, GMW, etc, and the ability to author in-house weld process and weld quality standards.The ability to implement and validate Weld Quality Management Systems and Weld Audit Procedures for both fusion and solid-state weldsWorking knowledge of robotic systems commonly used in weld automation (KUKA, Fanuc, ABB, Cloos, etc) and the ability to develop welding procedures at the laboratory scale and translate these procedures to production-representative equipment.Familiarity with weld performance evaluation methods, preparation of welding procedure specifications (WPS) and procedure qualification records (PQRs) and the testing methods required to support themExperience with computational analysis of welds, the generation of static and dynamic test data and support of CAE teams.Capable of safely operating basic metallographic laboratory equipment and performing failure analysis on welded componentsQualifications10+ years of experience as a welding engineer in a manufacturing environmentBS in Welding Engineering, Materials Science & Engineer, Mechanical Engineering or other relevant field. MS or PhD preferred.Knowledge of statistical process control methodsExperience with BEV-specific structures such as skateboard and battery frame assembliesAdvanced degree (M.S. or Ph.D.) in relevant engineering disciplineFamiliarity with ANSA, Optistruct, ABAQUS and/or CATIAPay DisclosureSalary range for California Based Applicants: $150,000-$173,000 (actual compensation will be determined based on experience, location, and other factors permitted by law).Benefits Summary: Rivian provides robust medical/Rx, dental and vision insurance packages for full-time employees, their spouse or domestic partner, and children up to age 26. Coverage is effective on the first day of employment, and Rivian covers most of the premiums. Equal OpportunityRivian is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local fair employment practices laws. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information or characteristics, physical or mental disability, marital/domestic partner status, age, military/veteran status, medical condition, or any other characteristic protected by law.Rivian is committed to ensuring that our hiring process is accessible for persons with disabilities. If you have a disability or limitation, such as those covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act, that requires accommodations to assist you in the search and application process, please email us at candidateaccommodations@rivian.com.Candidate Data PrivacyRivian may collect, use and disclose your personal information or personal data (within the meaning of the applicable data protection laws) when you apply for employment and/or participate in our recruitment processes (“Candidate Personal Data”). This data includes contact, demographic, communications, educational, professional, employment, social media/website, network/device, recruiting system usage/interaction, security and preference information. Rivian may use your Candidate Personal Data for the purposes of (i) tracking interactions with our recruiting system; (ii) carrying out, analyzing and improving our application and recruitment process, including assessing you and your application and conducting employment, background and reference checks; (iii) establishing an employment relationship or entering into an employment contract with you; (iv) complying with our legal, regulatory and corporate governance obligations; (v) recordkeeping; (vi) ensuring network and information security and preventing fraud; and (vii) as otherwise required or permitted by applicable law. Rivian may share your Candidate Personal Data with (i) internal personnel who have a need to know such information in order to perform their duties, including individuals on our People Team, Finance, Legal, and the team(s) with the position(s) for which you are applying; (ii) Rivian affiliates; and (iii) Rivian’s service providers, including providers of background checks, staffing services, and cloud services. Rivian may transfer or store internationally your Candidate Personal Data, including to or in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and the European Union and in the cloud, and this data may be subject to the laws and accessible to the courts, law enforcement and national security authorities of such jurisdictions.  Please note that we are currently not accepting applications from third party application services.