Staff Motor Thermal 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

As a Staff Motor Thermal Engineer, you will lead the thermal architecture and cooling strategy for our next-generation electric drive units. You will be a point of contact for direct-oil cooling systems, bridging the gap between rapid 1D system modeling, high-fidelity 3D CFD, correlating and improving models through testing to ensure the motor achieves thermal performance requirements while meeting reliability and efficiency.


Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain end-to-end lubrication & thermal models for EV motor, ranging from 0D, 1D system-level analysis (GT-Suite, Amesim) to 3D CFD (Simerics-MP+, Star-CCM+)
• Lead the design and optimization of direct oil motor cooling, including shaft, rotor, stator, and spray cooling for end-windings
• Define lubrication and thermal requirements for the motor, inverter, and transmission interface
• Design test plans for motor dyno and drive unit validation, perform test, collect and process data, and correlate simulation results with physical hardware to refine modeling accuracy
• Collaborate with a cross-functional team to balance the "Golden Triangle" of motor design: power density, efficiency, and thermal management

Qualifications

• Education: BS, MS or PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Thermal Sciences, or a related field
• 7+ years in EV powertrain lubrication and thermal management
• Expert-level of experience in GT-Suite for transient analysis
• Extensive experience in Simerics-MP+ or Star-CCM+, specifically focusing on Volume of Fluid (VOF) or Moving Particle Semi-implicit (MPS) methods for oil splashing
• Deep understanding of convective heat transfer coefficients in rotating machinery and fluid dynamics of dielectric oils
• Experience in multiphase flow and/or free-surface modeling
• Scripting skills in Python or MATLAB for post-processing and workflow automation
• Knowledge with automated optimization (e.g., HEEDS, ModeFRONTIER)
• Experience in lab setup, data collection, and validating thermal and hydraulic designs' performance
• Fundamental knowledge of electric machines, motor mechanical designs, and manufacturing processes
• Self-motivated with the ability to manage multiple tasks while remaining efficient and accurate
• Flexibility and adaptability in a fast-paced and dynamic work environment

Pay Disclosure

The salary range for this role is USD 137,800-172,200 for Southern California 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 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 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 May 8th, 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.

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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.

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