Staff Test Engineer, Powertrain Systems

- Take ownership of the comprehensive test strategy for a major domain (such as powertrain durability, system thermal, NVH, or rig-based validation) while ensuring alignment with vehicle and subsystem standards, project timelines, and safety regulations. - Convert high-level attributes and DVP targets into actionable test methods, profiles, and acceptance criteria that can be consistently executed across various testing locales. - Establish and uphold guidelines, templates, and manuals for test requests, procedures, instrumentation, data quality, and reporting, while promoting their usage within the test organization. - Detect shortcomings in existing capabilities (rig hardware, control systems, measurement chains, data workflows) and lead initiatives to address them through new rigs, enhancements, or process modifications. - Spearhead improvements for test systems (e.g., multi-axis drivetrain rigs, shaker + thermal + humidity combinations, custom HIL or RTCS setups) collaborating with controls, software, facilities, and safety teams. - Act as the technical lead for designated high-value rigs or test areas, responsible for operational uptime, precision, and alignment with current and future testing demands. - Create and evaluate automation and data-processing strategies (test scripts, health checks, dashboards, KPIs) to heighten repeatability, coverage, and overall engineering productivity. - Oversee test planning for intricate or novel campaigns, including sequence structuring, boundary conditions, instrumentation plans, and risk evaluations. - Provide hands-on technical assistance during critical tests: setup, troubleshooting, fault diagnosis, and correlation against models or vehicle performance. - Review and integrate test results at a systemic level, delivering clear engineering conclusions, trade-offs, and recommendations to design, attributes, and program teams. - Advocate for data integrity and traceability, ensuring that test configurations, calibrations, and deviations are documented for future validation and analysis. - Serve as the main technical liaison for your domain with Design Engineering, Attributes, Systems, DREs, Controls, Reliability, and Manufacturing/Service partners. - Facilitate cross-functional problem solving on significant issues (e.g., durability failures, correlation inconsistencies, unexpected NVH or thermal responses), ensuring robust root cause analysis, containment, and validated corrective measures. - Provide executive-level communication on test status, risks, and alternatives: distill complex technical details into succinct, decision-oriented narratives for management and senior leadership. - Establish high standards for test engineering practices: structured problem identification, evidence-based decision-making, disciplined change management, and ongoing improvement initiatives. - Lead by example regarding safety and quality within the lab, ensuring test methodologies, rig operations, and work practices meet or exceed Rivian standards. - Contribute to skill enhancement through training sessions, best-practice documentation, reviews, and informal mentoring that elevates the overall capability of the test organization.