Stellantis NV has hired an executive from the electric vehicle maker Rivian Automotive Inc. to oversee its North American manufacturing operations, the transatlantic automaker said Tuesday.

Tim Fallon served as a vice president over manufacturing for Rivian since early 2022, and before that spent more than 16 years at Nissan Motor Co. Ltd. in several plant leadership roles.

He will take the place of Mike Resha, head of North American manufacturing since 2020, who is moving into a global leadership role over Stellantis injection and stamping operations. The change is effective Sept. 2.

Fallon will oversee a footprint that includes 34 manufacturing facilities spread across the United States, Canada and Mexico. They include assembly plants that make Jeep, Ram, Chrysler and Dodge vehicles, as well as various engine, transmission, machining, stamping and other facilities.

Fallon arrives at a challenging time for the company, including in its North American plants, as executives try to manage the pace of production amid slow sales and bloated vehicle inventories. CEO Carlos Tavares recently raised concerns about U.S. manufacturing issues, including quality problems at the Sterling Heights Assembly Plant that builds Ram pickups, where he's expected to visit Friday.

And the United Auto Workers is worried about more manufacturing shifting to Mexico, while also calling out the company this week for slow-walking its promised reopening of a major plant in Belvidere, Ill.

“Tim brings his relentless pursuit of operational excellence and strong track record of manufacturing experience, including electric vehicle production, to Stellantis as we enter this critical stage of our transformation,” Carlos Zarlenga, Stellantis' chief operating officer for North America, said in a statement. He noted that this year the company is starting its "electric vehicle offensive," with vehicles such as the electric Ram 1500 REV and the electric Dodge Charger Daytona coming out soon.

Zarlenga also thanked Resha, who he said had helped the company navigate the coronavirus pandemic and subsequent chip shortage that hampered the auto industry.

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