Senior Manager, ADS Safety Case & Global Regulatory Strategy

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 We are seeking a Senior Manager, ADS Safety Case & Global Regulatory Strategy to lead the regulatory development, maintenance, and defense of Rivian’s Level 3 and Level 4 autonomous driving system (ADS) safety cases. This role sits at the intersection of Regulatory Affairs, Autonomy, Engineering, and Safety, serving as the technical lead for demonstrating the safety performance of our autonomy stack to governmental bodies and global regulators. As a critical connector between our Autonomy & AI, Vehicle Safety, and Regulatory teams, you will ensure that our safety claims are backed by credible, data‑driven evidence. You will demonstrate to regulatory bodies how our hardware, software, and simulation platforms work together to create a scalable and defensible safety argument and that our technology meets the highest standards of technical rigor as we move toward a driverless future. Why This Role Matters Enabling Deployment: By developing credible, evidence‑based safety cases supporting governmental approvals, you directly enable the commercialization and deployment of Rivian’s L3/4 autonomous systems on public roads. Regulatory Trust: As a primary technical expert for regulators, you build the transparency and trust necessary for Rivian to navigate complex, evolving global approval processes. Cross‑Functional Rigor: You will work closely with the teams curating the technical evidence across simulation and fleet operations that justifies our safety performance. Narrative Development: You will contribute to creating a cohesive safety narrative across our entire ADS hardware and software ecosystem. Responsibilities Safety Case Development & Strategy To support global governmental approvals, own the end‑to‑end development and maintenance of the regulatory‑facing safety cases for Rivian’s autonomous driving systems. Synthesize complex technical data from Autonomy, AI, and Systems Engineering into structured, defensible safety arguments. Identify and curate safety evidence across hardware, software, and simulation environments to justify the sufficiency of regulatory‑facing safety claims. Drive the evolution and maintenance of the government‑mandated safety cases as the Operational Design Domain (ODD) expands and system capabilities mature. Develop and support processes to streamline compliance tracking, ensuring all safety evidence and regulatory requirements are systematically captured and maintained. Regulatory Engagement & Defense Represent Rivian as a safety technical expert in discussions with regulatory agencies and governmental bodies worldwide. Prepare comprehensive safety case materials for submissions, formal audits, and external assessments. Address technical questions and feedback from regulators, ensuring all findings are resolved with rigorous engineering data. Track and influence evolving regulatory expectations for ADS safety case content and technical requirements. Support other regulatory initiatives or activities as needed. Cross‑Functional Safety Integration Partner with Autonomy & AI, Software, and Vehicle Safety teams to ensure safety claims accurately reflect real‑world system behavior. Ensure rigorous traceability between identified hazards, safety requirements, mitigations, and the supporting validation evidence. Participate in safety impact assessments for design changes, OTA software updates, and new feature launches. Guide contributing engineering teams on the technical rigor and documentation standards required for regulatory‑grade safety evidence. Continuous Improvement & Standards Apply deep knowledge of ISO 26262, ISO 21448 (SOTIF), and UL 4600 to internal safety processes. Contribute to the standardization of the methods for hazard analysis/risk assessment and development of internal frameworks for simulation‑based safety validation that meet or exceed global regulatory benchmarks. Identify high‑value opportunities to automate safety evidence collection and traceability within the engineering lifecycle and to support regulatory filings. Qualifications Required Qualifications 10+ years of experience in autonomous driving, ADAS, or complex software‑intensive safety‑critical systems. Experience supporting formal regulatory assessments, audits, or safety approvals with governmental agencies. Direct experience developing, maintaining, or reviewing safety cases for Level 3/4 autonomous systems. Deep technical knowledge of automotive safety standards, specifically ISO 26262, ISO 21448 (SOTIF), and UL 4600. Proven expertise in hazard analysis, risk assessment, and safety‑critical systems thinking. Familiarity with simulation‑based safety validation and using fleet data for safety performance monitoring. Ability to translate high‑level safety goals into granular technical requirements for hardware and software teams. Strong communication and storytelling skills, with the ability to explain complex technical concepts to non‑technical stakeholders. Experience working in a fast‑paced, high‑growth engineering environment with frequent software release cycles. A collaborative mindset with a track record of building inclusive, cross‑functional partnerships. Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Engineering, Safety Management, or a related technical field. Preferred Qualifications Prior experience in a global regulatory role within the EV or autonomous vehicle industry. Advanced understanding of AI/Machine Learning safety validation techniques and probabilistic safety arguments. Experience with Lean, Six Sigma, or similar methodologies applied to safety process design. History of active participation in international standards committees or industry working groups focused on ADS safety. Prior experience navigating Type Approval and deployment regulations outside of North America (e.g., Europe/UNECE, APAC markets). Pay Disclosure The salary range for this role is USD 173,000‑216,300 for NorCal‑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 an 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 Program if you meet certain eligibility requirements. Full‑time employee coverage is effective on their first day of employment. Part‑time employee coverage is effective on 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 before December 31, 2026. 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 View email address on click.appcast.io. Candidate Data Privacy 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. We are currently not accepting applications from third party application services. #J-18808-Ljbffr Segment (Twilio)