Confirmed by the U.S. Senate on February 12, 2014, Rivkin assumed office the following day, and was sworn in publicly by U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on April 15, 2014.

[18][19] To honor the legacy of Franco-American friendship and to commemorate the 68th anniversary of the Allied invasion of mainland Europe during World War II, Rivkin took part in a mass parachute jump over the coast of Normandy on June 3, 2012.

[20][21] An estimated crowd of 25,000 watched Rivkin land in a field near Sainte-Mère-Église amidst heavy winds, as he became the first US Ambassador to France to jump from a plane in honor of the troops who fought on D-Day.

[24] The report called Rivkin a "dynamic and visionary noncareer Ambassador", and credited him with expanding the U.S. Embassy's public diplomacy activities, particularly through his use of social media and his appearances on French national television.

[26][27] As ambassador, Rivkin made youth outreach one of his key priorities and connected the embassy to the next generation of leaders throughout France, including in disadvantaged communities in the banlieues outside larger cities.

[28] Rivkin organized a series of seminars for French youth, inviting them to meet with prominent American government officials, actors and musicians.

Beginning with actor Samuel L. Jackson's April 2010 visit with students in Bondy, an economically depressed Parisian suburb, Rivkin set up seminars and hosted events with Stephen Colbert, Sylvester Stallone, Woody Allen, Jodie Foster, will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas, Robert Zemeckis, Allen Stone, Tony Bennett, Herbie Hancock, Maya Angelou, Toni Morrison and many others.

"[31] On July 16, 2013, French President François Hollande awarded Ambassador Rivkin the rank of Commander in the Légion d'honneur at the Elysée Palace.

[35] In his first year as Assistant Secretary, Rivkin led multiple economic policy dialogues on behalf of the State Department, including discussions with Colombia,[36] the United Arab Emirates,[37] and Turkey.

[41] In March 2016, Rivkin and U.S. Secretary of Transportation Anthony Foxx signed an arrangement with Cuban government officials to reestablish regularly scheduled flights between the United States and Cuba for the first time in more than 50 years.

Rivkin's priorities include defending intellectual property and bolstering the MPA's content protection efforts, incentivizing the production of new films and television shows to spur job creation and growth, and expanding U.S. studios' access to international markets, particularly China.

[44] In January 2019 Rivkin was directly responsible for Netflix becoming the first streaming service to join the MPA,[45][46] helping to further the growth and evolution of the trade association.

[47][48] He also aims to elevate the MPA's profile through improved branding and social media communications, as well as more high-profile events in Washington, D.C.,[1] and an expanded diversity, equity and inclusion program.