Lead Product Designer, Vehicle and Device Experience

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.

You will champion user experience across Rivian’s future-forward vehicle interfaces. This role centers on architecting intuitive, safe, and delightful interactions specifically where human control meets hardware, such as drive mode selection, door/trunk closures, remote vehicle commands, and other hardware-driven UX. Working onsite at the Palo Alto Design HQ, you will collaborate with design, engineering, and hardware teams to distill abstract experience goals into concrete technical and component requirements.

• Lead the design and architecture of UX frameworks for hardware-integrated automotive features, including drive mode controls, vehicle closures (doors, trunk, charging ports), and remote command interfaces.
• Translate desired experiences for hardware/software solutions into clear, actionable requirements for component engineering (switches, sensors, haptic actuators, microcontrollers).
• Collaborate deeply with mechanical, electrical, and software engineers to ensure user-centered hardware product development, influencing both design and technical specifications.
• Own the prototyping and iterative UX development for interactive electronics, leveraging tools like Figma, ProtoPie, as well as hardware prototyping environments.
• Develop and document robust information hierarchies and workflows for integrated digital/physical interfaces—ensuring accessibility, performance, and seamless cross-device operation.
• Benchmark industry UI/UX for vehicle features such as drive modes, closures, and remote operations, fueling innovation and ensuring Rivian leads with exceptional, intuitive hardware experiences.
• Present concepts and experience maps to leadership and cross-functional teams, advocating hardware-oriented UX and measurable product impact.
• Mentor designers and engineers in crafting experience-driven component specs, prototyping interactive hardware, and bridging digital/hardware product development

Application Requirement: Include a link to your portfolio, with credentials, showcasing samples that demonstrate your expertise for this role.

• Bachelor’s or Master’s in Interaction Design, Human Factors, Product Design, Electronics Engineering, or related discipline.
• 7+ years’ experience delivering end-to-end UX for hardware products, interactive electronics, automotive HMI, or similar domains—preferably with demonstrated drive mode, closure system, and embedded system interface projects.
• Strong portfolio highlighting UX solutions for physical controls, remote vehicle commands, hardware/software integration, and translating experience goals into hardware requirements.
• Deep proficiency with prototyping and testing platforms across both digital and hardware environments (Figma, ProtoPie, Arduino is a plus, embedded UI frameworks, or similar).
• Proven ability to synthesize user research, behavioral insights, and technical constraints into component-level specifications for hardware and software teams.
• Collaborative mindset—easily partners with product, engineering, and design teams spanning hardware, embedded software, and cloud environments.
• Solid foundation in automotive standards for user interfaces on drive control, closure
  mechanisms, and remote command safety/security.
• Hands-on experience in developing for accessibility, localization, and high performance especially as relates to physical hardware UX.
• Excellent communication and documentation abilities, able to articulate complex hardware/software UX strategies.

Salary Range Palo Alto-Based Applicants: $167,400 -$209,300 (actual compensation will be
determined based on experience, and other factors permitted by law).
Benefits Summary: Rivian provides robust medical/Rx, dental and vision insurance packages for
full-time and part-time employees, their spouse or domestic partner, and children up to age 26.
Full Time Employee coverage is effective on the first day of employment. Part-Time employee
coverage is effective the first of the month following 90 days of employment

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 [email protected] .

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.