Staff Engineer Jobs in Rhode Island

At REGENT, we’re on a mission to revolutionize regional transportation between coastal cities. We're not just building vehicles, we're creating a new category of transportation: the Seaglider. These groundbreaking wing-in-ground-effect craft travel just above the water’s surface, combining the speed of an airplane with the low operating costs of a boat. Capable of 180 miles at 180 mph on today's battery tech (and up to 400 miles with next-gen batteries), Seagliders will unlock fast, affordable, and sustainable coastal transit for passengers and cargo - connecting cities, islands, and communities like never before.

Backed by leading investors and powered by a team of passionate, forward-thinking engineers, builders, and operators, we’re now scaling from a breakthrough prototype to full production - and building the team to make it happen.

Role Overview

As a Staff Mechanical Design Engineer at REGENT, you will define and drive the design of complex mechanical and actuation systems that are fundamental to how our vehicles move, control, and operate. This role blends deep mechanism design expertise with hands-on development—spanning concept generation, prototype builds, test infrastructure, and production-ready system design.

You will operate across both vehicle systems and test platforms, contributing directly to kinematic system design (e.g., hydrofoil retraction, control surface actuation) while also enabling rapid iteration through the development of test assets, rigs, and demonstrators.

This is a highly cross-functional role working at the intersection of mechanical, electrical, controls, and test engineering. You will bring technical leadership, strong engineering judgement, and a bias toward execution—helping REGENT scale from prototype to production without compromising safety.

If you’re energized by working at the intersection of cutting-edge innovation, real-world impact, and hands-on engineering, you’ll be in the right place - and we’d be thrilled to have you on the team!

What You'll Do

• Own the design and development of complex mechanical and actuation systems across REGENT platforms, including hydrofoil retraction, control surfaces, and motion-critical subsystems.

• Define system architectures and design approaches for mechanisms involving linkages, transmissions, motors, and integrated motion systems.

• Design, build, and iterate on test assets, fixtures, and rigs that enable rapid validation and de-risking of new concepts.

• Translate high-level vehicle requirements into detailed mechanical designs, balancing performance, reliability, manufacturability, and safety.

• Perform and lead kinematic, dynamic, and structural analyses (hand calculations and FEA) to validate designs and guide trade studies.

• Partner cross-functionally with electrical, controls, avionics, and test teams to integrate sensors, actuators, and control systems into cohesive solutions.

• Lead root cause investigations and drive design improvements based on test data and field performance.

• Develop high-quality CAD models, drawings, and documentation that clearly communicate design intent across teams.

• Establish best practices for mechanism design, DFMA, tolerance analysis, and system integration as REGENT scales.

• Mentor engineers and elevate the technical capability of the mechanical team.

What You'll Bring

• Proven experience designing complex mechanical systems involving linkages, gear trains, transmissions, hinges, or similar kinematic systems.

• Deep understanding of motors, gearboxes, and industrial motion control systems (e.g., servo motors, BLDC systems, drive electronics).

• Advanced CAD proficiency (NX preferred) with experience designing large assemblies and production-ready components.

• Strong foundation in engineering analysis including kinematics, force/torque estimation, tolerance analysis, and structural evaluation (FEA).

• Hands-on experience building, testing, and troubleshooting mechanical systems in lab or field environments.

• Experience working across multidisciplinary teams with electrical, controls, and software engineers.

• Strong understanding of DFMA, GD&T, and tolerance stack-ups.

• Demonstrated ability to independently drive projects from concept through validation and iteration.

Who We're Looking For

• Collaborative Team Player: You believe that great things happen when teams work together. You communicate effectively and collaborate with engineers, stakeholders, and other cross-functional teams to align on goals and move projects forward. You bring people together, ensuring that everyone is on the same page and moving towards a shared vision.

• Creative Problem Solver: You thrive on tackling complex challenges and finding innovative solutions. You don't just patch issues - you improve processes, anticipate downstream impacts, and help turn one-off fixes into scalable solutions that raise the bar for future builds.

• Adaptable & Agile: In a fast-paced, ever-evolving startup environment, you quickly adapt to changing priorities and requirements. You approach challenges with a calm, resilient mindset, and know how to pivot and adjust your approach as needed, ensuring that progress continues without missing a beat.

• Innovative Mindset: You’re driven by curiosity and a passion for technology. You’re passionate about driving continuous improvement, embracing new technologies and methodologies to enhance efficiency, quality, and team performance.

What We Offer

• Competitive compensation including a robust equity incentive plan.

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance - we cover 100% of your premiums.

• 401(k) with company matching, so you can plan for the future.

• Generous flexible time off, paid parental leave, and company-wide holiday breaks.

• Relocation packages available for those moving to join our team.

• Daily, free catered lunches

• Learning & professional development opportunities

If you’re ready to take on an exciting challenge, grow with us, and make a lasting impact, we want to hear from you. Even if you don’t meet every requirement, but you see yourself contributing to our mission, we encourage you to apply! We value diverse skillsets and experiences and believe in the potential of passionate individuals to make a big impact.

Equal Opportunity Employer

REGENT is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive work environment. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, disability, or any other characteristic protected by law.