Rivian Robotics Spinoff Hires Ex-Ford Chief Doug Field

Overview

Rivian’s robotics spinoff, Mind Robotics, has announced the appointment of Doug Field as its president, marking a significant leadership coup for the secretive startup. Field brings extensive experience from the electric vehicle and technology sectors, having previously led Apple’s autonomous vehicle efforts and overseen Ford’s EV and software division.

The hire comes at a pivotal moment for the industry, as interest in physical AI and industrial robotics reaches unprecedented levels. Mind Robotics, founded by Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe in 2025, has already secured over $1 billion in financing to develop universally capable robots for manufacturing environments.

While the company has not yet revealed specific hardware designs, Field’s appointment signals a serious commitment to scaling robotics technology within real-world factory settings. This move positions Rivian to compete directly with tech giants like Tesla and Hyundai, who are also pursuing humanoid and industrial robots for warehouse and production work.

Leadership and Industry Experience

Doug Field joins Mind Robotics with a resume that spans some of the most influential companies in automotive and tech history. His career includes a decade-long tenure at Apple, where he served as Vice President of Special Projects and led Project Titan, the company’s ill-fated attempt to build a self-driving car. Prior to that, he was the VP of Mac hardware engineering, and he famously left Apple in 2013 to become Tesla’s chief vehicle engineer, where he played a key role in the Model 3 production ramp.

After returning to Apple in 2018, Field was hired by Ford Motor Company in 2021 to run its electric vehicle and software division. He held this position until earlier this year, bringing with him deep expertise in both hardware engineering and large-scale software integration.

“Doug is a remarkable leader with a track record of delivering new technologies in successful products,” said Scaringe. “He has an incredible ability to foster great teams that take on big, complex ideas and deliver products that reset expectations.”

Scaringe emphasized that Field’s experience aligns perfectly with Mind Robotics’ goals. The CEO noted that Field’s ability to build cultures around ambitious projects is exactly what the startup needs as it moves from development to deploying robots in actual factories.

Strategic Positioning and Corporate Structure

Mind Robotics operates as a distinct entity from its parent company, Rivian, though the two remain closely linked. Scaringe has explicitly stated his intention to keep the companies separate, diverging from the integrated approach used by Tesla. Despite this separation, the synergy between the two organizations is significant.

Mind Robotics is currently utilizing AI training data derived from Rivian’s operations. Furthermore, the startup’s robots are slated to be initially tested in Rivian’s own manufacturing facilities, providing a controlled yet realistic environment for development. Rivian also holds equity in Mind Robotics and is positioned as the first customer for its robotic systems.

The startup was founded in 2025 and has since raised over $1 billion. However, it has maintained a low public profile, and no robots have been shown to the general public yet. The company claims its machines are being engineered with the dexterity and physical reasoning necessary for complex industrial tasks, though it has not confirmed whether the design will be humanoid or a different form factor.

Challenges in Physical AI

The robotics sector is currently experiencing a major turning point. Rapid advancements in physical AI are colliding with persistent challenges in hardware durability and software generalization. While companies like Tesla and Hyundai are making headlines with humanoid robot concepts, experts warn that creating robots that can mimic human movement is fundamentally different from scaling them for practical, high-volume work.

Mind Robotics faces the same industry-wide hurdles. To address these challenges, the company has been on an aggressive hiring spree, with 32 open positions currently listed. Field aims to leverage this growing team to tackle the integration of AI and robotics, which he described as one of the most important engineering challenges of the current era.

“Integrating AI and robotics is one of the most important—and difficult—engineering challenges of our time,” Field said. “Mind has assembled an exceptional team and has a unique advantage: the ability to deploy and learn inside a real, high-volume factory from day one.”

Field highlighted that the opportunity to learn from real-world deployment is what sets Mind Robotics apart. By operating within Rivian’s factories, the company can gather valuable data on how robots perform under production constraints, potentially accelerating the path to practical automation.

As the debate over humanoid versus specialized designs continues, Mind Robotics remains focused on building robots that can deliver results in industrial settings. With Field at the helm, the startup aims to redefine manufacturing capabilities and establish a strong foothold in the burgeoning physical AI market.