Machine Shop Operations Manager 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.

As Program Operations Manager, you will design, build, and run the operating system that our Seaglider programs run on — starting with Viceroy, REGENT's flagship program, as it drives toward its major design gates.

You'll work with the program leadership team to create the program cadence, action and decision tracking, risk management facilitation, gate readiness machinery, and the dashboards that give Program Management and Leadership an honest picture of program health. You'll implement the tooling, win adoption from engineers, and keep every process lean enough that it accelerates the program instead of slowing it down.

You will work directly with the Viceroy Program Manager, the Chief Engineer, and the VP of Programs - and as REGENT's portfolio grows, the processes you build for Viceroy will become the template for every program that follows.

Success means the program runs on systems, not heroics: actions close, risks get decisions, design reviews run clean, and nobody is surprised at a gate. If you love building infrastructure that makes fast teams faster, we'd love to meet you.

• Build the Program Operating System: Design and implement program operating cadence — program reviews, risk boards, action and decision logs — scaled to a fast-moving startup, not a bureaucracy.

• Run Gate Readiness: Stand up the tracking machinery for PDR and CDR: entry criteria decomposition, evidence tracking, review logistics, and action closure — so gates are earned, not discovered.

• Facilitate Risk Management: Operate the program risk process — structured register, owned mitigations, decision-forcing reviews.

• Own Program Tooling: Implement and administer the toolchain (Jira, Confluence, Smartsheet, or equivalent) — workflows, dashboards, and documentation architecture that people actually use.

• Publish the Truth: Build and maintain program dashboards and metrics that leadership trusts as the source of program health.

• Scale Across Programs: Extend the operating system from Viceroy to REGENT's broader program portfolio — tailored, not reinvented.

• Program Operations Experience: Strong professional experience in program operations, planning/controls, or PMO roles on complex hardware development programs (aerospace, defense, marine, automotive, or comparable).

• A Builder's Track Record: You've created program processes from scratch that teams kept using, not just operated an inherited system.

• Design Gate Mechanics: Direct experience supporting a program through PDR/CDR or equivalent — readiness tracking, review logistics, action closure.

• Hands-On Tooling Fluency: You personally build workflows and dashboards in Jira/Confluence/Smartsheet-class tools — no IT department required.

• Closure Discipline: A demonstrated system for making actions, decisions, and risks converge instead of age.

• Judgment About Process: You know the difference between discipline and drag — and you've killed processes that weren't earning their keep

• Collaborative Team Player: You measure your success by how much faster the PM, engineers, and leadership move because of what you built.

• Creative Problem Solver: You see where information flow, decisions, or accountability break down — and build the smallest thing that fixes it.

• Adaptable & Agile: You balance rigor with speed, adding structure only where the program needs it.

• Innovative Mindset: You treat program operations as a product: instrumented, iterated, and improved based on how your users — the team — actually behave.

• 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.