Lead - Site Management Operations

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

Our ambition is to provide spaces and services that enable our employees to do their best work. The Lead, Site Management Operations is the operational owner for RV Tech’s facilities in their region. The on-the-ground leader who keeps sites safe, functional, and running smoothly day to day. In this role, you'll oversee two buildings between SoCal, totaling approximately 102,61k sqft and supporting Day to Day, Projects, EHS and Security, to include Office spaces and R&D labs. Reporting to the Sr. Manager, Global Facilities within RV Tech’s Finance Department, this role translates the global facilities strategy into consistent, reliable execution across the sites in their region.

This is a hands-on role for someone who is comfortable being the first call when something breaks and the steady operator who keeps preventative programs, vendors, and compliance on track. You'll work closely with site stakeholders, regional vendors, and the global leads, and will coordinate with Rivian at shared or co-located sites as RV Tech builds out its own vendor ecosystem. This role is onsite in our Irvine California office 5 days a week and reports directly into the Sr. Manager - Global Facilities.

Responsibilities

Workplace Operations & Site Management

Own day-to-day workplace and facilities operations for the assigned region, including:

• Maintenance, janitorial, space management, office set-ups and moves, safety, and vendor services

• Culinary, local projects, events, employee programming, and transportation

Act as the primary operational point of contact for each site on all facilities-related needs.

• Execute operational plans, including preventative and reactive maintenance, SLAs, CMMS ticketing, and emergency response for the region

• Manage the SLA between RV Tech and Rivian

• Support Facilities leaders on strategic and financial (OpEx/CapEx) planning and forecasting. Look ahead to upcoming site needs, upgrades, and projects, and coordinate new project requests from stakeholders

• Steer lab management for the site: serve as point of contact for lab managers, monitor lab utilization, reallocate space as needed, ingest new space requests, and ensure 5S compliance

• Serve as the regional escalation point for facilities issues, resolving them locally or routing them to the Global Lead as needed

EHS&S (Environmental, Health, Safety & Security)

• Execute EHS&S programs at the site level and serve as the tactical owner for all environmental, health, safety, and security matters, including safety compliance, incident management and reporting, and equipment and process buy-off, while coordinating day to day

• Conduct and document risk assessments, including job hazard analyses, pre-start and change management reviews, and ergonomic and high-voltage battery evaluations

• Lead equipment buy-off to verify hazard controls are in place before new or modified equipment, processes, or work areas are released for use

• Support regional physical security through external vendors, including guard services, access provisioning, and visitor and contractor management

• Coordinate with Rivian at shared or co-located sites

• Support emergency response planning, drills, and on-site incident response

• Support regulatory compliance, including environmental reporting, permits, recordkeeping, and agency inspections

• Drive corrective actions from risk assessments, incidents, site inspections, and audits through to verified closure

• United States: Ensure OSHA compliance at all US sites, including recordkeeping (OSHA 300 logs), incident reporting, and coordination on waste management and environmental permitting

Vendor & Budget Management

• Manage the regional vendor network (janitorial, EHS/security, catering, HVAC, electrical, landscaping, and other facilities vendors) and hold vendors accountable to scope and SLAs

• Support competitive bidding and contract administration with Procurement and the Global Lead, and coordinate procurement and spend for regional sites

• Track regional OpEx/CapEx spend, supporting procurement from purchase request through purchase order, receipt, and invoicing. Report forecasts and actuals to the Global Lead

• Support coordination of construction or small works for post-occupancy improvements at regional sites

• Provide input into site strategy and capital planning, such as infrastructure upgrades and projects

Leadership & Stakeholders

• Represent the global facilities team for assigned sites, ensuring alignment with global facilities standards and a consistent employee experience

• Provide functional, day-to-day direction to Site Managers within the region (applicable only to the role in Vancouver and Belgrade)

• Represent the region in facilities planning and reporting to the Global Lead, and escalate risks and resource needs proactively

• Partner with country People/HR teams on matters for Site Managers with shared or dotted-line reporting

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

• 5+ years of facilities management experience, including hands-on, multi-site operational ownership

• Track record managing vendors, budgets, and service level agreements

• Working knowledge of building systems (mechanical, electrical, plumbing, fire) and EHS&S/regulatory requirements

• Experience with CMMS software (Fexa, Archibus, or similar) and MS Office or Google Workspace

• Strong communication skills, with comfort coordinating across site-level staff, regional stakeholders, and executive leadership

• Willingness to travel across regional sites and respond to critical incidents off-hours

Preferred Qualifications

• High-growth tech, automotive, or EV company experience

• Familiarity with Rivian or VW Group standards and systems

• Experience with R&D or engineering-heavy facilities

• Background in sustainability, energy management, or workplace experience

• CFM, FMP, or CSP certification

• BI tools (Tableau, Looker) and/or space platforms (Robin, Envoy)

• PM tools (Smartsheet, Airtable, Confluence) and experience using AI tools

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.