Senior Lead Compensation Business Partner

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 Sr. Lead Compensation Business Partner to shape and scale compensation partnership for some of Rivian's most business-critical technical organizations. This is a highly consultative, client-facing role focused on helping leaders make thoughtful, data-driven compensation decisions that support equitable, competitive outcomes across the employee lifecycle.
This role sits at the intersection of People, compensation strategy, analytics, program operations, and digital enablement. Based in Palo Alto, CA, this role will report to the Director, Compensation Business Partners and serve as a key connector across HR Business Partners, Talent Acquisition, business leaders, and adjacent People partners to help drive a scalable, consistent, and insight-led compensation operating model across Product, Engineering, Autonomy, and Electrical Hardware.

Why This Role Matters

• Support critical technical talent decisions - Help shape pay decisions for Product, Engineering, Autonomy, and Electrical Hardware teams where market pressure, speed, and talent density are all high.
• Bring rigor to compensation decisions - Use market data, offer trends, turnover insights, and internal analytics to help Rivian stay competitive externally while maintaining internal equity.
• Scale consistency across the business - Drive stronger compensation planning, administration, automation, and reporting so leaders can move faster with better guidance and fewer manual workarounds.
• Enable better partnership across People and the business - Act as a trusted advisor to HRBPs, Talent Acquisition, and business leaders on complex compensation matters that influence hiring, retention, and growth.
• Raise the bar for team capability - Help strengthen how the broader compensation team operates by mentoring others and contributing to clearer communication and change adoption.

Responsibilities

Strategic Compensation Partnership

• Build consultative, collaborative relationships with HR Business Partners, Talent Acquisition, and business leaders to provide end-to-end support on compensation matters across assigned client groups.
• Advise on strategic new hire offers, promotions, international transfers, budget allocation, top talent, and retention decisions with a balanced view of market competitiveness and internal equity.
• Serve as a credible thought partner to leaders navigating growth, organizational change, and evolving talent needs across highly technical functions.

Market Intelligence, Analytics & Pay Decisioning

• Provide regular updates on market insights, industry trends, and emerging compensation best practices relevant to supported organizations.
• Research and analyze market data, turnover signals, offer acceptance rates, and related inputs to assess role competitiveness and identify areas of risk or opportunity.
• Translate analyses into clear recommendations and practical decision support for stakeholders, including senior leaders.

Program Operations, Standardization & Scale

• Drive consistency in compensation planning, program administration, program automation, and analytics/reporting across supported teams.
• Help improve how compensation programs are operationalized so processes are scalable, repeatable, and easier for leaders and People partners to navigate.
• Partner across the People organization to strengthen operating discipline while preserving flexibility for nuanced business needs.

Change, Communication & Enablement

• Serve as a change champion and contribute to the development and enhancement of communication and training materials tied to compensation programs and decisions.
• Help leaders and partners understand compensation philosophy, tools, and decision frameworks through clear, approachable communication.
• Support adoption of more scalable compensation practices as business needs, organizational design, and talent strategies evolve.

Team Leadership & Capability Building

• Lead, coach, and mentor more junior team members, helping raise the quality, consistency, and impact of compensation partnership across the team.
• Model strong analytical rigor, sound judgment, and a solutions-oriented approach in day-to-day partnership and decision support.
• Contribute to a collaborative team environment grounded in trust, responsiveness, and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience in a related field, with 7+ years of progressive compensation experience, ideally in a high-growth, scaling technology environment.
• Strong understanding of Product and Engineering organizations, with experience supporting fast-paced technical client groups.
• Experience creating and supporting global compensation programs and client groups.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with a consultative and solutions-oriented mindset.
• Proven ability to build strong relationships with cross-functional partners.
• Strong analytical and quantitative skills, with a high standard for accuracy and the ability to communicate technical information to varied audiences, including senior executive leadership.
• Demonstrated ability to operate with initiative, self-direction, and strong prioritization in a dynamic environment.
• Experience working in global or multinational organizations and partnering effectively across local, regional, and international stakeholders.
• Proactive problem-solving skills and a track record of building thoughtful solutions that challenge the status quo.
• Clear, approachable communication style and comfort working across diverse teams and leadership levels.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience directly supporting Product, Engineering, Autonomy, Electrical Hardware, or similarly specialized technical organizations.
• Experience in automotive, EV, hardware, manufacturing, or other complex, fast-scaling environments.
• Prior experience mentoring or informally leading other compensation partners or analysts.
• Depth in global compensation program design and administration across multinational employee populations.

Pay Disclosure

The salary range for this role is USD 161,000-201,200 for applicants in Illinois, Michigan, and Atlanta, USD 176,200-220,300 for SoCal-based applicants, and USD 191,600-239,500 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 any sooner than July 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.

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