MES Project Manager

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.

Summary As the MES Technical Project Manager, you will support the orchestration and execution of Manufacturing Execution System (MES) initiatives across Rivian’s production lines. You will be a key coordination point for the deployment of MARS (Manufacturing Automation & Reporting System), SpinalX, and FTPC Rockwell, helping ensure that project timelines are met and that technical requirements are clearly understood and aligned between Software Engineering, Manufacturing Engineering, and the Shop Floor. You will leverage strong soft skills to facilitate conversations, manage documentation, and lead focused meetings with cross-functional teams and business leaders in a high-stakes manufacturing environment. This role contributes to maintaining the “digital brain” of our factory as we scale production for the R1 and R2 platforms. This role will be located in Normal, IL and report to our MES Systems Integration Manager.

Project Planning & Execution ● Deployment Support: Assist in developing and maintaining detailed project plans for MES rollouts across specific shops (Body, Paint, GA, Battery, Drive Unit, and EOL), ensuring tasks, owners, and timelines are clearly documented. ● Downtime Coordination: Help coordinate the “2-hour downtime windows” and “buffer days” for system validations and PROD pushes, supporting zero impact to production throughput. ● Milestone Tracking: Track project health and prepare concise, bi-weekly updates on line readiness, BOP (Bill of Process) enrichments, and technical blockers for leadership review. ● Documentation Management: Create, organize, and maintain project documentation, including implementation plans, runbooks, change logs, post-deployment summaries and end user facing support documentation. Cross-Functional Coordination ● Align Stakeholders (Rivian Internal): Coordinate between PLC/Automation teams and Software Engineering to surface and resolve data mismatches (e.g., Joining Matrix Weld IDs vs. Robot Programs), reducing late-discovered issues and rework through well documented decisions. ● Synchronize BOP & Line Changes: Partner with Manufacturing Engineers (ME) to keep digital BOP enrichments and system line rebalances aligned with physical shop floor changes, minimizing disruption to throughput and operator workflows. ● Manage Vendor Deliverables: Track and drive deliverables from external partners, including Rockwell Automation, to ensure on-time delivery against Rivian’s technical standards and integration requirements. ● Partner on Program Governance: Work closely with the Staff Program Manager to align on processes, templates, and governance so that project management, communication, and documentation standards are consistently followed across MES initiatives. ● Lead Cross-Functional Meetings: Plan, facilitate, and document recurring meetings (e.g., status reviews, issue triage, go/no-go meetings) with cross-functional teams and business leaders, driving clear agendas, decisions, and accountable action items. Validation & Quality Assurance ● Testing Lifecycle Support: Coordinate planning activities for pre-deployment application testing and post-deployment validation cycles, ensuring test plans, outcomes, and defects are clearly recorded. ● Issue Tracking: Help manage the Level 3 escalation ticket queue by documenting issues, priorities, and owners, and following up with integration engineering teams to