Staff Mechanical Design Engineer, Battery Analysis

Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Civil or Structural Engineering, Materials Engineering, or a related field. Significant professional experience applying CAE to mechanical, structural, thermal-structural, or durability problems in complex products. Strong understanding of mechanics of materials, finite-element methods, nonlinear behavior, thermal expansion, contact, material behavior, energy absorption, and failure modes. Demonstrated hands-on experience using LS-DYNA (preferred) for explicit dynamic analysis, including model setup, contact, material and failure definitions, timestep or mass-scaling considerations, solver controls, and post-processing. Demonstrated hands-on experience using OptiStruct (preferred) for thermal-structural and structural analysis, including thermal loading, material and boundary-condition definition, modal or static response, and interpretation of results. Thermal-to-Structural Data Mapping & Mesh Interpolation: Hands-on experience mapping 3D non-uniform temperature fields from thermal solver grids (e.g., Fluent, STAR-CCM+) onto non-conformal structural FEA meshes (e.g., OptiStruct or LS-DYNA) using spatial spatial-interpolation methods Experience modeling for assemblies containing metals, polymers, adhesives, foams,potting materials, or similar interfaces.

developing or applying crash, impact, crush, drop, vibration, shock, durability, thermal, or manufacturing load cases.

correlating simulation results with physical test data and using the findings to improve models or design decisions.

Working knowledge of engineering drawings, geometric dimensioning and tolerancing, material properties, and design-for-manufacturing considerations.

Ability to communicate complex technical topics clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Ability to execute multiple projects, make evidence-based recommendations, and deliver against program timing.

Demonstrated ability to work effectively with cross-functional teams and provide technical direction without relying on formal authority.

Master’s or Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Structural Engineering, Materials Engineering, or a related field.

with battery packs, modules, cells, current collector assemblies, busbars, potting, adhesives, thermal management, or high-voltage energy-storage systems.

with thermal-mechanical or coupled multiphysics analysis.

with fatigue, random vibration, shock response, response-spectrum methods, PSD development, or damage calculations.

with crash, impact, large-deformation, vehicle bottom structure protection like skid plates and dynamic intrusion of composite materials.

creating automated workflows, post-processing tools, or engineering data pipelines.

executing multi-disciplinary design optimization (MDO) using tools like LS-OPT, HEEDS, or OptiStruct to concurrently balance structural mass, dynamic energy absorption, and thermal deformation across complex, multi-material battery assemblies.

developing material models or material cards from coupon, component, or supplier data.

Advanced experience with LS-DYNA and OptiStruct; proficiency with HyperMesh, Ansa or comparable pre- and post-processing tools.

with Abaqus, ANSYS, NCode, MATLAB, Python, or comparable CAE and data-analysis tools.

leading technical reviews, mentoring engineers, and establishing analysis standards across programs. Pay Disclosure The salary range for this role is USD 137,800 - 172,200 for 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 September 20, 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 candidateaccommodations@rivian.com. 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