As a Staff AI Software Engineer at Rivian, you will specialize in agentic applications within the Applied AI team. Your role will focus on shaping the technical direction for integrating AI into engineering workflows, automating complex processes, and enhancing decision-making. You will work closely with product, systems, and data teams while being hands-on in designing and implementing critical components. This position is based in Palo Alto, CA, and reports to the Sr. Manager of Applied AI for Product Engineering.

• 8+ years of professional software engineering experience, including technical leadership of complex production systems.
• Experience shipping and operating LLM-based or agentic applications with evidence of measured quality and business impact.
• Deep understanding of agent system design, including orchestration, context management, and evaluation of nondeterministic systems.
• Expertise in backend and distributed systems, including APIs and fault tolerance.
• Expert-level proficiency in Python and experience deploying services on cloud infrastructure.

• Define and own the agent platform architecture, including multi-step agents and persistent state management.
• Establish reusable patterns and engineering standards for AI applications across the organization.
• Set quality standards for reliability and observability of AI systems in production.
• Lead the design and implementation of complex components and resolve integration challenges.
• Evaluate emerging models and frameworks to inform technology strategy and roadmap.

• Employees at Rivian are often offered comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance, a 401(k) with company match, ESPP and potential RSU grants, performance bonuses, and generous time off including paid parental and sick leave. Perks can include 24/7 mental-health coaching and therapy, Hinge Health for Anthem enrollees, tuition assistance and professional development, plus on-site food and a wide range of employee discounts on items like computers, mobile phones, home loans, and pet care.