Sr. Electronics Design and Characterization Engineer (Zonal BMS)

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 The Electronics Test and Validation team owns the module-level validation testing for all RV Tech electronic control units (ECUs). It is our responsibility to make sure RV Tech electronics are designed and manufactured correctly.

With this goal in mind, we develop scalable tools, processes, hardware, and software solutions deployed for characterization, validation, and manufacturing. In this role, you will be a key individual contributor driving both design review and hardware characterization for vehicle electronics, with a particular focus on Zonal ECUs. You are not just assessing finished boards—you will actively review schematics alongside the EE design team early in the cycle, providing critical feedback to optimize the design and architect best-in-class verification methods.

Because Zonal controllers feature high-density I/O and complex power switching (high-side/low-side drivers, e-fuses, PWM/H-bridges, and diagnostic circuits), success requires deep expertise in low-level electronics and circuit analysis. You will work cross-functionally across hardware engineering to ensure our electronics are built for peak performance, reliability, and seamless bench verification.

Responsibilities Develop detailed design verification and characterization test plans and test requirements for all phases of ECU programs, with input from reliability, design, and firmware teams. Execute characterization testing plans according to project milestones. Own test coverage reports and analysis. Perform bench-level characterization at IC and PCBA levels, including high-side driver (HSD) and low-side driver behavior, output current and voltage limits, switching characteristics, wetting current, inrush and inductive kickback, current sense accuracy, quiescent and sleep current, and thermal derating.

Characterize protection and diagnostic behavior across fault conditions: open load, short to battery, short to ground, pin-to-pin shorts, over-current, over-voltage, reverse polarity, and load dump — and verify the ECU reports the correct diagnostics. Lead the electronic fuse testing efforts for Zonal ECUs, including I2T characterization, repeatability across temperature, and correlation to design intent.

Provide early feedback to design engineers regarding design decisions and testability. Support creation and present Design for Testability (DFT) reports for ECU designs. Follow characterization schedules and communicate status with upper management and cross-functional teams. Write automation scripts and instrumentation drivers to speed up characterization testing using Python, using AI coding agents to accelerate development while owning code quality, review, and validation.

Leverage AI tooling to analyze characterization datasets at scale — surfacing parametric drift, part-to-part and temperature-dependent variation, outliers, and failure clustering — and turn those findings into concrete design or test recommendations, with sound judgment about verifying AI-generated conclusions before acting on them. Work with software engineers to flash, test, and troubleshoot firmware.

Participate in the cross-functional effort to root cause non-compliance test results during testing by leveraging data analysis, and drive design, firmware, and test partners to closure on findings. Qualifications Minimum Qualifications: BS/MS or eq