Test Engineer Intern

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

The rhythm of this role changes constantly: prepping a test plan one day, monitoring a live run the next, and diving into post-event analysis the day after, because Paladin and Squire are both advancing toward manufacturing in parallel, and testing has to keep pace with both. You'll need a real engineering foundation to do this well, since understanding what a subsystem is supposed to do is what lets you write a test plan and recognize an anomaly instead of just a number. You don't need prior test experience. The team teaches how a test event runs, how to build a test card, and how to work a Data Room station, and you'll be on live tests early in the term. The Test Operations team cares deeply about getting that rigor right, because safe and effective testing is what lets REGENT build Seagliders and reinvent how coastal communities move.

If you want a front-row seat to how a vehicle actually gets tested and moves toward certification, and you're energized by precision, fast shifts in focus, and learning from senior technical experts, this internship was built for you.

What You'll Do

• Help Build the Test Plans: You'll help write the test cards and test plans that tell the team exactly what to check and how, for both Paladin and Squire. Clear, well-structured plans are what keep a test event efficient and its data usable.

• Learn the Live Watch: During test events, you'll sit in the Data Room alongside a test engineer tracking real-time telemetry as the vehicle operates, learning to catch something odd in the moment rather than after the fact.

• Drive Issues to Resolution: After a test, you'll dig into the data alongside subject matter experts to understand what happened and why. You'll help carry open questions through to a real answer, not just a note in a file.

• Move Between Modes Fast: Your week will shift between prepping the next test, running one live, and analyzing the last, often all within the same few days. Priorities on both vehicles move in parallel, and you'll move with them.

• Work Indoors and On the Water: You'll operate in the Data Room for some tests and out on the water for others, adjusting to very different environments and requirements. Comfort in both settings is part of the job.

• Partner Across Engineering: You'll work closely with engineers across electrical, mechanical, and aero/hydro disciplines to understand what a subsystem is supposed to be doing. That shared understanding is what makes a test plan, and an anomaly call, meaningful.

What You'll Bring

• Engineering Coursework: You're currently pursuing a degree in engineering, with coursework in electrical, mechanical, or aero/hydro principles that gives you a working sense of what a system should be doing under normal conditions. That foundation is what lets you start recognizing when something isn't.

• Curiosity About Live Data: You've worked with data or instrumentation in a lab, a project, or a class, and you want to learn to watch it stream in during a live test rather than only reviewing it afterward.

• Clear Technical Writing: You write documentation someone else can follow, like lab reports or project write-ups, and you care about getting the details right. The team teaches the test card format; the writing habits are yours to bring.

• Composure at Speed: You stay sharp and organized when things move fast, because live testing of air and water vehicles doesn't pause for you to catch up. High tempo doesn't rattle you.

• Genuine Adaptability: You're comfortable moving between prep work, live execution, and analysis, and between indoor and on-water environments, sometimes within the same week. You don't need a fixed routine to do good work.

• A Bonus in Aviation or Maritime: Coursework, projects, or club work in aerodynamics, aviation, or on the water gives you a head start, since Paladin and Squire blend both worlds. Familiarity with wind, water, or flight dynamics helps you get oriented faster.

• A Bonus in Scripting or Data Tools: Some exposure to Python, MATLAB, or similar tools is a plus, since post-event analysis moves faster when you can pull patterns out of a dataset instead of scrolling through it by hand.

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. Whether you're resolving installation challenges, debugging elusive electrical issues, or adapting on the fly during integration and test, you bring a practical, inventive mindset to every problem. 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

• Housing Stipend available for those temporarily moving to join our team

• Daily, free catered lunches

• Learning & professional development opportunities

• Meaningful projects that make an impact

• Mentorship & guidance from experienced team members

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.