Lead Continuous Improvement 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 The Lead Continuous Improvement Partner will lead and execute the strategic development and deployment of the Rivian Production System (RPS) across corporate operations. This role is a key individual contributor who will drive a culture of operational excellence and ensure alignment between continuous improvement initiatives and overall business objectives. This role reports to the Sr. Manager of Continuous Improvement. Responsibilities As a leader, you will be expected to guide and empower your peers and cross-functional teams while also contributing to high-level strategy. Drive Cross-Functional Team Leadership: Lead and influence cross-functional teams (up to 4 members) on a project basis. You will be responsible for guiding these teams to successful outcomes without direct reporting authority, requiring strong skills in influence, collaboration, and mentorship. Strategic Planning and Deployment: Partner with senior leadership to develop a long-term strategy for the Rivian Production System. Translate business goals into actionable continuous improvement projects, and oversee the successful deployment of these initiatives across the factory. Drive Operational Excellence: Use Value Stream Mapping to analyze current processes and identify opportunities for waste reduction and efficiency gains. Champion a mindset of "go-to-gemba" (go to the real place) to ensure all improvement efforts are grounded in direct observation of the manufacturing floor. Coach and Mentor Leadership: Provide advanced coaching to manufacturing leaders and team members on complex problem-solving (e.g., using Six Sigma tools) and data-driven decision-making. Empower them to become self-sufficient in leading their own improvement efforts. Define and Manage Standards: Own the continuous improvement framework and collaborate with cross-functional teams to define, establish, and audit standards for processes and documentation that meet Rivian's needs. Cultivate a Culture of Improvement: Be a visible leader in promoting accountability and a continuous improvement culture across the organization. You will be responsible for ensuring your projects are not only effective but also sustainably adopted by the wider organization Qualifications 6+ years of industry experience in a manufacturing operations or continuous improvement role, with a minimum of 3 years in a leadership or management position directly leading a team or major projects. A bachelor's degree is preferred in a technical field (e.g., Engineering, Operations, Supply Chain Management) or related discipline. A Master's degree is a plus. Lean Six Sigma Black Belt certification is required. You must have a strong, demonstrable history of leading and completing complex Lean and Six Sigma projects. Proven ability to lead and influence without direct authority in a "team of teams" organizational structure. Experience in change management and a track record of driving cultural shifts is highly desirable. Must have a proven ability to solve ambiguous, cross-functional problems and develop a clear, executable plan. You should be able to think strategically about how to scale continuous improvement efforts across a growing organization. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively influence and collaborate with all levels of the organization, from the shop floor to executive leadership Pay Disclosure Salary Range for Illinois Based Applicants: The salary range for this position is $102,300 - $127,900 for Illinois 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. Benefits Summary: 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 6/5/2026. 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 [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.