Sr. Vehicle Hardware Engineering CAE Engineer

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

In this position, you will use CAE tools to drive solutions for Chassis system components. You will ensure these components meet all government and Rivian internal durability requirements. Collaboration with cross-functional teams will be essential to find optimal solutions that satisfy all chassis system requirements and company goals

This role is based in Irvine, CA, and requires an on-site presence in a hybrid work environment. Flexibility to work extended hours, including evenings, nights, and weekends, as well as travel, is required to meet company goals.

Responsibilities

• Lead subsystem level Safety, Durability, & NVH CAE analysis of Chassis subsystems of Rivian's vehicles including but not limited to: Linear, Non-Linear, Static, Dynamic, NVH, Fatigue, and abuse load analysis.
• Develop and execute analysis plans to analyze and optimize Chassis subsystems including subframes, knuckles, lower control arm, links, & suspension systems. Utilize CAE tools to ensure subsystem-level performance meets durability and other attribute targets, while also supporting optimal resource utilization plans.
• Lead 1-2 concurrent CAE-intensive projects, each involving small cross-functional teams of 3-5 people. These teams may include Design Engineers, Material Engineers, Supplier Engineers (onsite & offshore), and Attributes team members. Ensure the timely delivery of high-quality durability simulation results and their effective utilization to drive design development in a fast paced program cycle.
• Capture the welds, connections, hard point definitions, and boundary conditions according to the chassis system simulation standards and requirements. Employ appropriate model build requirements for stiffness, linear strength, non-linear strength, and fatigue analysis of complex chassis systems with elaborate welds, joints and combination of thin & thick structural components.
• Predict and improve the local and global stiffness of knuckles, links, and other chassis components and interactively work with MultiBody Dynamic (MBD) analysis team.
• Extract relevant duty cycle and abuse loads from the Vehicle Dynamics Loads. Analyze these loads to determine envelope stresses and identify critical load conditions for each chassis subsystem. Conduct detailed nonlinear analysis of these critical load cases. Predict potential bolt slip and preload loss.
• Utilize advanced fatigue prediction techniques in nCode for seam weld fatigue & parent metal fatigue calculations with appropriate load histories extracted from Road Load Data (RLD) inputs from Dynamics team.
• Explain the durability failure modes through animations / time slices and devise countermeasures to address those while zooming out to consider other system requirements such as DFM, safety, & NVH etc.
• Explain analysis assumptions and the basis of countermeasures using first principles. Demonstrate to Design Engineers on how to apply these principles to achieve robust design development.
• Develop new analytical methods and subsystem level virtual validation procedures. These procedures should lead to highly predictive simulation models that correlate well with physical tests at the material, component, and subsystem levels. This will reduce the number of physical tests as well as CAE iterations.
• Follow and proactively improve/ maintain documentation for Best Practices, Design Standards, Test Procedures, and Technical Specifications.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's of Science in Mechanical Engineering required
• MS in Engineering with 4 years of relevant experience. (Preferred)
• 8 years of experience in Automotive CAE with demonstrated success.
• Proven ability to perform automotive chassis analysis using ABAQUS, Optistruct/ NASTRAN, and nCode. Familiarity with analysis tools such as LS-DYNA, ANSYS, and Adams as well as CAD tools like Catia Design Experience.
• Strong understanding of safety regulations such as FMVSS, ECE, NCAP, IIHS, Euro NCAP, and China NCAP. Experience developing efficient countermeasures for any one of the automotive interior and exterior systems to meet these requirements
• Ability to communicate clearly to a broad audience through verbal and written methods to facilitate collaboration and drive project success.
• A deep passion and commitment to continuous improvement and innovation, along with the courage to ask for help when facing challenges.

Pay Disclosure

Salary Range Irvine-Based Applicants: $107,000-$134,000 (actual compensation will be determined based on experience, 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 Opportunity

Rivian 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

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Rivian 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.

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