Head of Business Platforms (Enterprise Applications & AI)

About Us

Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies is a joint venture between two industry leaders with a clear vision for automotive’s next chapter. From operating systems to zonal controllers to cloud and connectivity solutions, we’re addressing the challenges of electric vehicles through technology that will set the standards for software-defined vehicles around the world.

The road to the future is uncharted. By combining our expertise across connectivity, AI, security and more, we’ll map a new way forward. Working together, we’ll create a future that’s more connected, more intelligent, more sustainable for everyone.

Role Summary

Enterprise IT at RV Tech is redefining how technology enables the business. Our ambition is to build the operating system for the company—connecting people, processes, data, and technology through intelligent, seamless experiences.

The Business Platforms team owns the critical enterprise applications powering Finance, People, Legal, and Procurement. We're building a lean, globally distributed organization that combines deep technical expertise, modern architecture, and AI-driven automation to deliver exceptional business outcomes without unnecessary complexity.

We are seeking an experienced technology leader to own the strategy, architecture, and evolution of our enterprise business platforms across People, Finance, Procurement, and Legal.

This is a senior leadership role requiring someone who can operate as a trusted strategic partner to our executive leadership team, challenge conventional approaches, and translate business priorities into scalable technology solutions.

The ideal candidate combines deep experience in People Technology and enterprise transformation with the executive maturity to lead an established Finance Applications organization. They will provide strategic direction, mentorship, and accountability across the portfolio while building strong partnerships with senior business leaders.

We are looking for someone who has built and scaled technology capabilities in fast-moving environments, understands where enterprise technology is heading, and can drive the transition toward integrated, AI-enabled business operations.

This role reports directly to the Head of Enterprise IT and is accountable for both the long-term vision and successful execution of our business platforms strategy. This role is located in our Palo Alto, Ca office with flex 3 days a week onsite.

Responsibilities

• Define the Business Platforms Vision: Independently develop and execute a multi-year technology strategy connecting enterprise applications, data, automation, and AI into a cohesive business technology ecosystem.

• Own Enterprise Business Platforms: Lead the architecture, implementation, operations, and continuous improvement of core applications across Finance, People, Legal, and Procurement, including ERP, HRIS, expense management, and related platforms.

• Drive Architecture and Technology Decisions: Bring strong technical judgment to architecture and implementation decisions, challenging vendors, partners, and business requirements to ensure solutions are scalable, sustainable, and aligned with our long-term strategy.

• Champion Standardization and Simplicity: Establish an out-of-the-box-first philosophy, maximizing native platform capabilities, minimizing unnecessary customization, and reducing technical debt and long-term complexity.

• Reimagine the Employee Experience: Think beyond individual systems of record to create connected, intuitive experiences that simplify how employees interact with enterprise technology and enable meaningful collaboration between people and AI.

• Accelerate AI and Automation: Leverage native platform AI capabilities, intelligent workflows, and cross-platform automation to eliminate repetitive work, reduce administrative overhead, and fundamentally improve how business functions operate.

• Build and Scale with a Lean Team: Establish the capabilities, processes, and operating model needed to deliver at scale. Lead and develop a small global team, leveraging automation and strategic partners rather than relying on significant headcount growth.

• Partner with Business Leadership: Collaborate with Finance, People, Legal, and Procurement leaders to understand business needs, challenge established processes, and translate opportunities into practical technology solutions.

• Deliver Operational Excellence: Own platform reliability, security, compliance, vendor relationships, and technology investments, ensuring measurable improvements in efficiency, employee experience, and business outcomes.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

• 10+ years in technology, including significant time building or running business platforms with small teams, not only within large organizations.

• Proven experience building or significantly transforming a business technology function, including establishing capabilities, operating models, architecture, and teams in a rapidly evolving or resource-constrained environment.

• Demonstrated ability to independently develop a technology vision and translate it into actionable roadmaps, architectural decisions, and successfully delivered solutions.

• Deep technical and architectural understanding of enterprise platforms, including ERP, HRIS, APIs, integrations, data architecture, and modern application ecosystems.

• Hands-on experience with complex enterprise technology implementations, including the ability to critically challenge solution designs, vendor recommendations, and business requirements.

• Track record of delivering meaningful technology outcomes with lean teams, balancing direct execution, automation, and external partnerships.

• Experience applying AI, automation, and modern technology approaches to improve business processes, productivity, and employee experiences.

• Strong strategic thinking, technical curiosity, and executive communication skills, combined with a pragmatic, hands-on approach to problem-solving.

• Experience navigating complex technology transformations, making difficult trade-offs, overcoming setbacks, and taking ownership of outcomes.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience building or scaling business technology capabilities in startups, high-growth companies, or entrepreneurial environments.

• Hands-on experience with enterprise platforms such as SAP S/4HANA, Workday, SAP Concur, ZIP, or comparable technologies.

• Experience designing AI-enabled enterprise architectures, agent-based workflows, or unified employee experiences across multiple systems of record.

• Experience in automotive, manufacturing, or complex global organizations.

• Background in corporate carve-outs, technology separations, or establishing independent enterprise technology capabilities.

• A first-principles approach to technology that prioritizes simplicity, standardization, automation, and long-term scalability over unnecessary customization.

Total Rewards

We build the exceptional — and we believe the people doing that work should be rewarded accordingly. In addition to a competitive base salary, full-time positions may be is eligible to participate in our annual company performance bonus program.