Controls Engineer Interview Experience - San Jose, California
Process
Contacted by recruiter via LinkedIn. The process took two weeks. The phone interview was a marketing stunt by them, and then I was called in for a full-day interview (they call it the PowerDay). It was excruciatingly long, and I was tired as hell by the end of it.
- 45 min - HR: Went over company values
- 45 min - Perception
- 45 min - Lunch: Cultural fit evaluation
- 60 min - Systems team
- 45 min - Technical presentation
- 90 min - Controls interview
- 45 min - Path planning
- 15 min - Wrap-up
Questions
Questions on previous experience.
Lunch was casual with informal, friendly conversations.
Controls Interview was difficult. I was asked about items that do not appear on my resume. I had to think hard back to my time in school.
Describe what happens when the inner feedback loop of a controller changes characteristics for the worse. They were expecting answers based on the root locus method or Bode plots.
Was this helpful?
Interview Statistics
The following metrics were computed from 1 interview experience for the Rivian Controls Engineer role in San Jose, California.
Success Rate
Rivian's interview process for their Controls Engineer roles in San Jose, California is extremely selective, failing the vast majority of engineers.
Experience Rating
Candidates reported having very good feelings for Rivian's Controls Engineer interview process in San Jose, California.
Rivian Work Experiences
- 5.0Great Culture, Fix SourcingControls Engineer • Current EmployeeMarch 29, 2022Pros: Love the culture and quality of engineers.Cons: We should probably focus on battery material sourcing.
- 3.0Good and BadControls Engineer • Former EmployeeMay 14, 2022Pros: They offer good pay and benefits.Cons: The day-to-day operations were frequently disorganized during my time there.
- 1.0Family Over Promotion, Lack EmpathySr. Staff Engineer • Former EmployeeSan Jose, California, United StatesJune 12, 2025Pros: None at all in the teams.Cons: Pretty much everyone I talk to has the same question: Can you explain this short stint at Rivian? Yes, what can I say? * I chose my family over the corporate ladder. * I chose to be there for my family going through a huge personal loss of a loved one, rather than work through to get a leader (Za.M.) to the next promotion. * I chose to spend time with my young kids, wondering why things suddenly are different, rather than work on boards lacking resources or proper culture. * I prefer to stand by my family than stand by a leader who, despite being a woman, cannot feel the emotions of what the other side goes through and just cares about climbing the personal ladder. * I prefer to stand by my family than with a leader who complains that the code push was at 5 AM rather than at 11 PM. It is too bad that Rivian's leaders lack empathy. Needless to say, I will not be buying a Rivian, even if I had the chance to. కామమాశ్రిత్య దుష్పూరం దంభమానమదాన్వితాః । మోహాద్గృహీత్వాసద్గ్రాహాన్ ప్రవర్తంతేఽశుచివ్రతాః ।।
Rivian Interview Questions
