Director - Infotainment and Connectivity Integration at Rivian and Volkswagen Group Technologies in Palo Alto, CA

Job description

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 As Director of Infotainment Connectivity Integration, you will own the end-to-end quality and integration strategy for the Infotainment platform — spanning wireless connectivity, software validation, system integration, and the in-vehicle experience. This is a senior leadership role responsible for setting the quality bar across a team of 60+ engineers and shaping culture across the entire Infotainment organization. You’ll lead through influence as much as authority, partnering with Engineering, Product, and Program leadership to proactively surface quality risks before they become production problems. This role requires equal parts domain depth, organizational courage, and the ability to drive alignment across a complex, fast-moving environment. This is an opportunity to shape the quality culture of a high-visibility software platform at vehicle scale, with direct access and influence with executive leadership, on a mission-driven team building technology that matters. This role is onsite in our Palo Alto, CA office. Responsibilities • Own the overall quality strategy and standards for the Infotainment and Connectivity platform which spans vehicle applications, media, connectivity, wireless, cameras, audio and overall stability of the platform. • Lead and expand a team of managers that include reshaping the org structure, skill mix, and automation roadmap to meet next-generation program needs. • Drive systemic root cause analysis on high-severity quality escapes - you’re accountable for understanding why issues happen, not just that they happened and drive the right processes across the entire organization. • Set and enforce the quality culture across the Infotainment org and in cross-functional partnerships with VW Group and Rivian platform teams • Build the automation strategy and testing infrastructure to scale coverage without scaling headcount linearly • Partner with senior Engineering, Product, and Program leaders to influence roadmap decisions through a quality lens • Represent quality in executive forums; communicate clearly on risk posture, reject rates, and remediation plans to executive leadership • Define what ‘done’ means for quality and make that definition stick across the organization Qualifications Minimum Qualifications: • 10+ years of experience in software quality, system integration, or related technical leadership, with 5+ years managing large, senior engineering teams • Deep expertise in consumer tech or gadget-focused environments — you know what world-class product quality feels like as a user, not just as a metric • Technical depth to triage complex infotainment integration issues — you can get into the weeds alongside your engineers, not just direct from above • Strong background in connectivity and/or software-defined systems; wireless protocol experience and working directly with embedded systems are strong pluses. • Proven track record influencing peer leaders and executives — you don’t just report quality; you drive decisions because of it • Experience in high-pressure production environments with meaningful reject rate exposure — you’ve been in the fire and know how to build systems that prevent it • Ability to lead through ambiguity and build structure where none exists • You set a high bar, hold it, and bring your team with you Preferred Qualifications • Bachelor’s