Lead Technical Program Manager, Containment Operations

Plymouth, MI · Normal, ILFull-timePosted Aug 6, 2026

About Us

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

The Lead Technical Program Manager, Containment Operations serves as the technical eyes and ears of containment execution, ensuring proposed containment strategies are practical, complete, and executable in the field. This role partners closely with Service Engineering, Containment Operations, and issue owners to evaluate containment plans, identify risks and gaps, and elevate concerns when service strategies may not fully support successful execution. This individual will bring deep technical expertise and strong operational understanding of Service Center and Field Service Action workflows to ensure frontline teams have the tools, procedures, and support required to execute containment actions effectively. The role also helps shape containment execution strategy by assessing repair feasibility, resource needs, and optimal repair location across factory yard and Service Center environments.

Responsibilities

Oversee all containment activities, including timelines, strategies, progress and needed decisions for each containment event.
Support analysis and development of containment execution strategy, including assessment of repair location, labor, tooling, and resource requirements to determine the best path forward.
Support the creation, development, and documentation of repair procedures related to pre-delivery containments.
Analyze trending quality issues to determine appropriate actions, including initiating containments or updating RIDE Quest.
Provide technical guidance and support for Engineering Investigations as needed.
Partner with Service Engineering, Containment Operations, and issue owners to develop, refine, and present containment strategies to leadership.
Serve as the voice of Containment Operations by acting as the technical liaison across cross-functional teams.
Identify risks, gaps, and execution concerns within proposed containment repair procedures and service strategies.
Evaluate containment proposals to ensure execution plans are technically sound and operationally realistic for teams in the field.
Identify opportunities to reduce repair time, lower complexity, and improve overall service strategy efficiency for containment execution.
Provide recommendations on where contaminants should be executed through a combination of both based on execution feasibility and business impact.
Provide recommendations on whether containment repairs should be completed in factory yard locations, Service Centers, or through a combination of both based on execution feasibility and business impact.
Help ensure Service Center teams have the documentation, technical direction, and operational readiness needed to successfully execute containment actions.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Automotive Technology, or equivalent practical experience
10+ years of experience in automotive service engineering, engineering, quality or related technical roles.
Prior hands-on technical experience is required; previous service technician experience is preferred.
Strong technical aptitude with the ability to assess repair feasibility, procedure quality, and field execution risk.
Demonstrated experience working cross-functionally with Manufacturing, Engineering, Supplier Quality, and Service Engineering teams.
Strong collaboration skills with the ability to influence and align stakeholders across multiple functions.
Ability to translate complex technical details into clear, actionable information for non-technical program managers and operational teams.
Strong understanding of Service Center operations and field execution requirements.
Experience coordinating the launch and execution of Field Service Actions.
Experience identifying process gaps and driving practical improvements in repair strategy and operational execution.
Ability to stand or sit for 8–12 hours per day.
Ability to operate effectively in a demanding, fast-paced environment with a high degree of ownership and accountability.

Pay Disclosure

The salary range for this role is USD 179,000 - 223,700 for llinois (Non-Chicago Metro) based applicants and USD 179,000 - 223,700 for Michigan based applicants. This is the lowest to highest salary we in good faith believe we would pay for this role at the time of this posting. An employee’s position within the salary range will be based on several factors including, but not limited to, specific competencies, relevant education, qualifications, certifications, experience, skills, geographic location, shift, and organizational needs.

The successful candidate may be eligible for annual performance bonus and equity awards.

We offer a comprehensive package of benefits for full-time and part-time employees, their spouse or domestic partner, and children up to age 26, including but not limited to paid vacation, paid sick leave, and a competitive portfolio of insurance benefits including life, medical, dental, vision, short-term disability insurance, and long-term disability insurance to eligible employees. You may also have the opportunity to participate in Rivian’s 401(k) Plan and Employee Stock Purchase Plan if you meet certain eligibility requirements. Full-time employee coverage is effective on their first day of employment. Part-time employee coverage is effective the first of the month following 90 days of employment. More information about benefits is available at rivianbenefits.com.

You can apply for this role through careers.rivian.com (or through internal-careers-rivian.icims.com if you are a current employee). This job is not expected to be closed any sooner than August 31, 2026.

Company Statements

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 candidateaccommodations@rivian.com.

Candidate Data Privacy and Technology

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.

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.

How We Use AI in Our Hiring Process: To ensure transparency, we want candidates to know that Rivian uses iCIMS Talent Cloud Artificial Intelligence (TCAI) and AI-enabled tools to assist with screening, reviewing, organizing and highlighting profiles and applications that match the key requirements for each role.

AI does not make hiring decisions: Qualified candidate applications are reviewed by a member of our team, and all decisions throughout the process are made by humans. We use AI to support efficiency and consistency, not to replace human judgment. We are committed to a fair, thoughtful, and equitable experience for every candidate.

Participation in AI profile matching is entirely voluntary. If you prefer that your profile not be used in this process, you can opt out at any time. Opting out means your profile will be excluded from automated matching and will not be surfaced for additional roles through this system. Your current application remains active and will not be affected in any way.

Please note that we are currently not accepting applications from third party application services.