Design Release Engineer Interview Experience - Irvine, California
Process
I was first contacted by the recruiter, who was super friendly – probably the best recruiter I've ever met.
The second round was with the Hiring Manager, discussing my resume. It was okay.
Next was a panel interview with a presentation and six interviewers, lasting about four hours overall. One interviewer, a Level 2 Engineer, was probably the worst I have ever encountered. He didn't even know how long the interview session should be. When I mentioned 45 minutes, he reacted as if it was too long and a waste of his time. This created the first negative impression.
He had not prepared any proper questions for the interview. As a control engineer, he attempted to ask me control and thermodynamics questions, which were not relevant to the function of the role I applied for. He then switched to material questions. The way he asked them was so unstructured that I didn't know what he was looking for, even though I knew all the answers after about five minutes of clarification.
This individual's communication and interview skills were entirely out of his league, to the point that I questioned how he was hired.
One bad apple spoils the whole bunch.
After the interview, I understood why there are so many negative reviews about the company. This company does not deserve the recruiter I contacted.
Questions
Situational questions regarding their design process.
Technical questions not related to Design Release Engineer at all, such as knowledge of control and thermodynamics.
Basic material questions regarding the stress-strain curve and material choice.
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Interview Statistics
The following metrics were computed from 2 interview experiences for the Rivian Design Release Engineer role in Irvine, California.
Success Rate
Rivian's interview process for their Design Release Engineer roles in Irvine, California is extremely selective, failing the vast majority of engineers.
Experience Rating
Candidates reported having mixed feelings for Rivian's Design Release Engineer interview process in Irvine, California.
Rivian Work Experiences
- 4.0Good Pay, Slow DecisionsDesign Release Engineer • Current EmployeeIrvine, California, United StatesDecember 2, 2024Pros: Good pay, work-life balance.Cons: Somewhat slow/stagnant decision-making.
- 2.0Great People, Terrible Strategic Decision. There is a JIRA Project for everythingDesign Release Engineer • Current EmployeeIrvine, California, United StatesMarch 26, 2024Pros: The great thing about Rivian is that you are able to collaborate with great talent and make good connections. Compensation is good (Base salary, bonus, stock based on company's performance). I was within the first 5000 people when I started at Rivian. At that time, it was the best culture I had ever experienced. The main values were intact (compass values), but it deteriorated with time, and those values were not important in the company anymore.Cons: There are many redundant processes. There is a JIRA project for every workstream in the company, which created a really bureaucratic environment. The release process was incredibly complex and lengthy. There were more checkers than enablers. Some teams feel entitled to things outside of their umbrella of responsibilities, and they only hold up and delay the processes (i.e., NPI, Manufacturing). The worst part is that this was escalated multiple times to upper management, and they recognized it was a problem but did not do anything. Terrible management decisions. Too many resources were wasted due to the cancellation of multiple programs (millions of dollars). I counted at least 6. The company leaders are not aligned with the priorities of the company, even the top head. A key top priority was cost reduction, and there were multiple product decisions taken picking the most expensive solution. The product plan and content complexity is the most complicated I have ever seen in my entire career, with no pragmatism or common sense. In manufacturing, the plan is a disaster. No control or process is followed. Nobody follows work instructions, control plans, PFMEAs, etc. There are useless layers of people in the Vehicle Program Team whose only function is to track a workstream and do not add any value. Moving targets, unrealistic objectives, ridiculous timings.... uff, and so much more...
- 5.0Latest Tech, Team, Bad BalanceDesign Release Engineer • Former EmployeeIrvine, California, United StatesOctober 25, 2022Pros: Latest technology, good team members, healthy atmosphere.Cons: Work-life balance, travel, too many levels.
Rivian Interview Questions
