Sr. Manager, Data

About this role

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

We're looking for a Senior Manager to lead and grow our Data Science team within the Infotainment organization at RVT. You'll be the people and delivery lead for a team of data scientists and ML engineers working at the intersection of vehicle telemetry, AI-powered features, and HMI — across programs spanning RVT and VWG.

We're advancing the capabilities of software-defined vehicles to create a world where every new vehicle becomes more intelligent, more sustainable, and more enjoyable over time. The data team you'll lead is central to that mission — operating in a fast-paced, high-stakes environment where decisions need to be grounded in data, not intuition. We hold a high bar, we build things that last, and we make progress, not motion.

RESPONSIBILITIES

- Manage, develop, and retain a team of data scientists and ML engineers

- Own team health, velocity, and delivery across active programs — including vehicle telemetry pipelines, infotainment analytics, and AI/ML feature development

- Drive the team's AI-forward agenda: champion machine learning, LLMs, and data-driven approaches to improve infotainment and HMI experiences

- Champion data-driven decision making across the Infotainment organization — bring rigorous analysis to senior leadership reviews and make data a first-class input to product and engineering decisions

- Lead and prepare senior leadership data reviews: synthesize complex datasets into clear narratives and actionable recommendations for Director and VP-level stakeholders

- Partner with the Director of Infotainment and peer EMs to align data workstreams with program milestones across RVT and VWG

- Oversee the team's Databricks-based data platform — pipelines, lakehouses, and ML workflows — ensuring scalability and reliability

- Operate effectively across organizational boundaries — navigating competing priorities and ambiguous ownership with confidence

- Define team structure, headcount strategy, and long-term technical direction in partnership with senior leadership

- Drive clarity on scope, priorities, and cross-team dependencies at a program level, not just a team level

- Set a high bar for technical quality, AI product maturity, and engineering culture — you build things that last and move teams toward outcomes, not just activity

- Recruit, onboard, and grow the team as scope expands; own the talent pipeline for the data function

QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum Qualifications:

- 10+ years in data engineering, data science, or ML engineering, with at least 4 years managing engineers or data scientists — including direct experience leading senior IC talent

- Hands-on background in Python and SQL — strong enough to review architecture, evaluate technical decisions, and credibly partner with senior ICs

- Experience with Databricks or equivalent modern data lakehouse platforms

- Solid understanding of telemetry data at scale — event streams, time-series, vehicle or IoT data a strong plus

- Demonstrated experience shipping or overseeing AI/ML products in production — this is a hard requirement; candidates without it will not be considered

- Track record of driving an AI-forward engineering culture: model development strategy, experimentation frameworks, responsible deployment practices

- Proven ability to champion data-driven decision making at an organizational level — influencing product and program direction through analysis, not just reporting

- Comfortable presenting and defending data insights to senior and executive stakeholders in a fast-paced environment

- Ability to define and execute on multi-quarter technical roadmaps, not just manage sprints

- Proven track record operating in complex, multi-stakeholder or matrixed environments — JV, OEM, or similarly layered orgs strongly preferred

- Experience leading cross-site or cross-cultural teams — navigating different working styles, time zones, and organizational norms effectively

- Strong organizational instincts: you can read a room, manage up, and protect your team from noise simultaneously

- Excellent written and verbal communication in English; Serbian a strong plus for the Belgrade office context

Preferred Qualifications

- Background in automotive software, HMI/infotainment, or embedded/vehicle systems

- Experience with real-time telemetry pipelines (Kafka, Spark Streaming, or similar)

- Familiarity with LLM integration patterns and agentic AI tooling

- Jira/Confluence-based program tracking at scale

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.

Payments are discretionary and not guaranteed; actual amounts depend on company results and the terms of the plan in effect, and require active employment at the time of payout. This role is also eligible for equity in the form of Restricted Stock Units (RSUs), subject to board approval and the terms of our equity incentive plans, including applicable vesting requirements.

In addition to our compensation programs, we invest in our people with a comprehensive benefits package designed to support the health, wellbeing, and financial future for full-time…