Senior Associate - Program Operations

ABOUT US

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies is a joint venture between two industry leaders with a clear vision for automotive’s next chapter. From operating systems to zonal controllers to cloud and connectivity solutions, we’re addressing the challenges of electric vehicles through technology that will set the standards for software-defined vehicles around the world.

The road to the future is uncharted. By combining our expertise across connectivity, AI, security and more, we’ll map a new way forward. Working together, we’ll create a future that’s more connected, more intelligent, more sustainable for everyone.

ROLE SUMMARY

Program Operations exists to help RV Tech execute well across every program — planning, tracking, and governing the work from concept through serial production. We are building the data, tooling, and analytics layer that execution runs on: the systems that tell leadership where capacity is going, what it costs, and where to place the next bet.

You'll own and evolve the data and analytics systems that turn scattered operational signals into decision-ready insight — the platforms and models leadership uses to understand capacity, cost, and resourcing across programs, plus the financial-grade reporting that funding and planning decisions depend on. You won't just analyze these processes; you'll build and scale the tools that run them.

The ideal person sits squarely at the intersection of strategy, analysis, and building. Sharp business and analytical instincts come first — the judgment to see what leadership actually needs to decide — paired with the ability to turn that into a working system. You might be a strong analytical generalist who has learned to build, or a builder who thinks in business outcomes; either way you move easily between a room with executives and the tool that serves them. The building itself can come from a traditional engineering background or from skillful use of modern AI-assisted tools — what matters is the instinct for the problem and the drive to ship something trustworthy. This role is located in our Palo Alto California office, 3 days a week onsite.

This role is scoped to grow. It centers today on the core data systems and resourcing models behind program execution, with a runway to help shape how we build and run the internal tooling that helps the team execute across programs over time. We're looking for a self-starter who wants to help build something.

RESPONSIBILITIES

DEVELOP THE BUSINESS

• Model capacity and cost. Drive headcount modeling, resourcing scenarios, and estimation that leadership uses to decide whether teams can absorb new work.
• Produce decision-ready insight. Build reporting that surfaces anomalies, completion, and distributions — so leaders manage exceptions, not blanket reviews.
• Translate for executives. Prepare clear analyses, memos, and updates that turn data into a recommendation with a point of view.

BUILD AND OPERATE

• Own platforms, not just reports. Maintain, improve, and extend the data systems and internal tooling the team relies on — data models, validation logic, workflow automation, and clean downstream feeds to Finance.
• Turn requirements into shipped tools. Take an ambiguous business need, scope an MVP, build it, and iterate it into something reliable enough to depend on.
• Automate the manual. Replace spreadsheet-and-glue processes with maintainable code, pipelines, and integrations (e.g., Slack, internal APIs, BI tools such as Hex).

QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum Qualifications:

• Business judgment and translation. You can take an ambiguous business problem, structure it, see what leadership actually needs to decide, and communicate options and a recommendation clearly to non-technical stakeholders, including executives.
• You build, not just specify. Ability to take an idea and produce a working tool or prototype yourself — through hands-on coding (e.g., Python/SQL, scripting, APIs) and/or skillful use of AI-assisted development tools to build, test, and iterate. What matters is shipping something that works and can be maintained.
• Self-direction. A self-starter who can take a goal and run independently — figuring out the path, unblocking yourself, and delivering without a detailed playbook.
• Sharp analytical instincts. Strong quantitative and problem-structuring skills; comfort with financial/operational data and precision where funding and auditability are on the line.

Strong-fit background

We care more about instincts and what you can build than about how you learned to build it. Strong fits include a sharp analytical generalist — for example, a strong MBA or operator — who has the instinct for these problems and builds with modern AI-assisted tools; or a developer or technically-trained person who moved into a business, financial, or data analyst role. Either way, you think in terms of cost, capacity, and decisions, and you're hands-on enough to build.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with BI/analytics tooling (e.g., Hex) and workflow platforms (e.g., Slack apps, internal APIs).
• Exposure to FP&A, resourcing/capacity planning, or cost and contract estimation concepts.
• Background in Automotive, Hardware, or Software Development environments.
• Bachelor's degree in a quantitative, engineering, or business field — or equivalent demonstrated capability. 3 to 4 years of relevant experience is typical, but we weigh skills and what you've built over years-in-seat.

TOTAL REWARDS

Full-time positions include base salary, eligibility for an annual performance bonus, and eligibility for equity.

In addition to base salary, Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies offers benefits tailored to the local market. For more information on the benefits available for full-time employees, check out our Global Benefits Site https://rvtech.mybenefits.life.

External candidates can apply for this role through the Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies careers site (https://rivianvw.tech/#careers). If you are a current employee, please apply through our internal job board https://app.ashbyhq.com/internal/job-board/b10a9912-eb45-4a84-9a34-84b2a459923a.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. 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. We are also committed to ensuring compliance with all applicable fair employment practice laws regarding citizenship and immigration status.

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies 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

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies” 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 and Volkswagen Group Technologies 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) record keeping; (vi) ensuring network and information security and preventing fraud; and (vii) as otherwise required or permitted by applicable law.

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies 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 and Volkswagen Group Technologies affiliates; and (iii) Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies’ service providers, including providers of background checks, staffing services, and cloud services.

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies may transfer or store internationally your Candidate Personal Data, including to or in the United States, Canada, 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.

If you provide a mobile telephone number as part of your application or during the recruitment process, Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies may use that number to contact you via SMS text message for recruitment-related purposes, including scheduling, logistics, and status updates. Message and data rates may apply. You may opt out of SMS communications at any time by replying STOP to any text message you receive from us. Consent to receive SMS messages is not a condition of applying for or being considered for employment.

Please see our Candidate Data Privacy Notice (English) https://assets.ctfassets.net/2md5qhoeajym/53otRWdzXPzSdWPgiel5T/07c61b0eed2d91f2f403f788fd20d315/RVTech_Candidate_Data_Privacy_Notice_-_Nov_2024.pdf and Candidate Data Privacy Notice (Serbian) https://assets.ctfassets.net/2md5qhoeajym/40xUZMehbGToclkLqWXW0E/eb5b553bd8af7c607066253fbb227bda/RVTech_Candidate_Data_Privacy_Notice_-_Nov_2024_Serbian.pdf for more information.

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Please note this job posting represents an open, active vacancy. Additionally, we are not currently accepting applications from third party application services.