Rivian Automotive (RIVN) is a U.S. manufacturer of electric vehicles (EVs), including trucks, SUVs, and commercial delivery vans. Based in Irvine, California, the company was founded in 2009 by its chief executive Robert “RJ” Scaringe, who has a background in mechanical engineering.
As an automotive technology company, Rivian needs workers who can create the software, design the electronics, and build the chassis of their EVs. Like any other company that needs to generate revenue and make a profit to recoup its billions of dollars in investment, it also requires staff who can market and sell its products.
Related: A full list of EVs and hybrids that qualify for federal tax credits
What vehicles does Rivian produce?
Rivian’s main line of vehicles is the R1 series, namely the R1T, an electric pickup truck with a range of 300 miles, and the R1S, an electric SUV.
Both vehicles are equipped with sensors for self-driving capability on highways, and each has a starting price tag of around $70,000.
Rivian also produces electric delivery vans for commercial use. Amazon (AMZN) uses the company’s electric vans in its delivery fleet and is also a major investor in the company, along with automaker Ford (F) .
Rivian, like other EV makers, has benefited from subsidies in the form of federal tax credits to encourage consumers to purchase battery-powered vehicles. In 2023 alone, the company sold more than 46,000 EVs. Still, it has a long way to go to catch up with Tesla, which delivered 1.8 million units in 2023.
What types of jobs does Rivian offer (and what do they pay)?
Despite saying in February 2024 that it planned to reduce its salaried staff by 10% (the company employed almost 17,000 at the end of 2023), Rivian has a wide range of jobs available on the careers page of its website. As of mid-May 2024, there were more than 300 job listings, including software design engineer, mechanical engineer, warehouse associate, and sales positions.
Employment with the company is available in many states across the country, as well as abroad in countries such as Canada and Serbia, where it operates an office in Belgrade to develop vehicle software, advanced driver-assistance systems, and enterprise technologies.
In the Serbian capital, for example, there’s an opening for a computer vision engineering manager to oversee the development of sensors that can detect objects on the road and make autonomous driving possible.
The company’s pay is fairly lucrative and seems to be competitive with other companies making EVs. A posting on Rivian’s website for a staff mechanical design engineer based in California lists an annual salary range of $149,700–$187,100. That compares to an average salary of $156,000 at leading EV maker Tesla, according to jobs data website Glassdoor.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly becoming an integral part of any company that seeks to advance its technology offerings.
Rivian seeks a staff AI engineer for its Smart Diagnostics team to work on various projects and programs, including developing predictive algorithms for its software that can help drivers identify issues and have their vehicles serviced before they become problematic. Pay for this position is listed at between $206,500 and $258,100.
Below is a table of select positions at Rivian and what they pay. For some jobs, Rivian has refrained from displaying salary ranges.
| Position | Category | Location | Minimum Salary | Maximum Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Staff AI Engineer, Smart Diagnostics |
Software Engineering |
Palo Alto, California |
$206,500 |
$258,100 |
Staff Mechanical Design Engineer |
Mechanical & Electrical Engineering |
Palo Alto, California |
$149,700 |
$187,100 |
Senior Firmware Test Automation Engineer |
Software Engineering |
Irvine, California |
$135,000 |
$168,900 |
Senior Chassis Engineer, Brakes |
Mechanical & Electrical Engineering |
Irvine, California |
$107,800 |
$134,000 |
Senior Data Scientist, Business Operations |
Business Intelligence |
Remote, United States |
$103,100 |
$146,500 |
Senior Specialist, Growth Marketing, Data & Operations |
Marketing |
Irvine, California |
$98,500 |
$123,100 |
Senior Manager, Manufacturing Finance |
Finance |
Normal, Illinois |
Not listed |
Not listed |
Senior Lead, Risk Management, Construction |
Facilities & Real Estate |
Normal, Illinois |
Not listed |
Not listed |
Field Sales Advisor |
Sales |
Houston, Texas |
Not listed |
Not listed |
Senior Warehouse Associate |
Service |
Carneys Point, New Jersey |
Not listed |
Not listed |
Rivian’s stock price
Compensation at tech firms tends to be tied to stock price, and Rivian is no exception. For those employees who joined the company in 2021, any early stock options may not be worth much if they were to become vested in 2024.
As of mid-May 2024, Rivian’s stock had declined more than 90% since closing its first day of trading on Nov. 12, 2021, when it was worth $129.95.
The company has struggled to make a profit as its losses mounted in the past few years, from a $426 million loss in 2019 to $5.4 billion in 2023. In the first quarter of 2024, it posted a $1.4 billion net loss. To appeal to customers, especially middle-income households, Rivian is planning to make an SUV with a starting price tag of $45,000, but it won’t be available until 2026.
Jobs are cyclical in the auto industry. In good times, the hiring flows, and in bad, massive layoffs abound.
Even Tesla isn’t immune, reporting in April 2024 that it would cut 10% of its more than 140,000 global workforce. And to boot, in the weeks after the announcement, it yanked 3,000 job listings from its careers page, leaving just positions for its manufacturing development program at its Nevada, Texas, and California facilities available.
