In 2013, Rivera joined Julio Comesaña's staff at Patriotas Boyacá, as his assistant. On 4 February of the following year, he was named manager of the club after Comesaña resigned.[1]
Rivera asked to resign from Patriotas in April 2016 for personal reasons, but the club did not accept and gave him a 60-day leave.[2] He left the club on 5 December of that year, after his contract ended,[3] and took over former club Atlético Bucaramanga twelve days later.[4]
Sacked by Bucaramanga on 5 March 2017,[5] Rivera was named at the helm of another club he represented as a player, Unión Magdalena, on 14 August.[6] He resigned from the club in June 2019, and was appointed manager of Independiente Santa Fe on 7 August.[7]
Rivera led Santa Fe to a runner-up finish in the 2020 Primera A tournament before leaving the club on a mutual agreement on 22 August 2021.[8] He returned to Santa Fe on 23 December 2022, as the new manager for the 2023 season.[9] He resigned from the club on 11 May 2023.[10]
On 27 May 2023, he returned to Unión Magdalena for a second spell as manager.[11] He left Unión Magdalena following the club's relegation to Primera B at the end of the season,[12] and was announced as new manager of Patriotas on 11 December.[13] Rivera resigned from Patriotas on 15 September 2024, with the team placing last in the season's relegation table.[14]
Personal life
Rivera's son, also named Harold, is also a footballer. He also represented Huila.[15]