Test Program Manager Jobs in Rhode Island (NOW HIRING)

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.

In this role, you'll lead and grow the team responsible for the software closest to the mission itself — what the crew touches, what the vehicle decides, and what the vehicle tells us. As Manager, Mission Software, you'll own that domain end to end across every REGENT vehicle program, building the team and the software foundation that turn a Seaglider from hardware into a system a crew can safely operate and a company can learn from.

The scope spans four connected areas. Crew and cabin systems software covers cockpit displays and crew alerting, audio, environmental control, and the doors, lighting, and cabin systems people interact with directly. Mission and autonomy applications covers mission, vehicle, and route management, and the vehicle-side interface our autonomy stack plugs into. Test and ground systems covers instrumentation, telemetry, the ground station our test crews work from, and the data lifecycle that turns a test day into engineering answers. And the vehicle software platform and operations covers vehicle health monitoring, data management and streaming, communications, and how software gets released, deployed, monitored, and updated on a vehicle.

You'll lead this across programs at very different stages at the same time: prototypes flying and testing today, and our first certified production vehicle, where the crew interface carries a formal design assurance level and the evidence burden that comes with it. Success means a team and a software foundation that serve both realities at once — fast iteration where we're still learning, and the rigor and traceability certification demands where it counts.

If you've built and led software teams before, and you want the challenge of owning the systems a crew depends on for a brand-new category of transportation, this is the role for you!

• Build the group. Propose the structure, hire the experts each area needs, and develop them once they're here. Set the standards and ownership boundaries the group works to. This is the mandate, not a side effect of it.

• Stay hands-on where it counts. Review the code and systems your team ships, and write them when that's what the situation calls for. This is the part of the job that shrinks as the team grows, and it does not shrink to zero.

• Set direction across the four areas. Decide what gets built once and reused, what diverges by vehicle, what we deliberately don't build yet, and which area gets your attention in a given quarter.

• Match rigor to criticality. Certification-grade evidence and review discipline on crew-facing software, fast iteration where iteration is what wins, and release and deployment mechanisms that suit each.

• Carry the crew interface to certifiable. Work with our certification team to take cockpit displays from prototype to safety-rendered flight software, and own the evidence that comes with it.

• Support test operations. Your team is on console when the vehicle is operating, and the standard is a test day turned into engineering answers inside 24 hours.

• Integrate across the vehicle. Partner with controls, embedded, simulation, autonomy, systems engineering, and test so the group's work lands as one coherent contribution rather than four disconnected ones.

• Leadership experience. A proven track record building software for vehicles, operational systems, or test programs, including demonstrated experience leading engineers as a manager or technical lead.

• Delivery accountability. You've owned what a team ships — scoping work into milestones, driving it to completion, and handling the people problems that surface along the way rather than routing them upward.

• Hiring and retention track record. You've defined roles, run loops, made the calls, and kept good engineers. Growing this group is a large part of the job.

• Depth and breadth. Deep expertise in at least one of our four areas, with enough fluency across the rest to set direction and review work credibly.

• Real hands-on strength. Strong C++ design and coding, plus Python for tooling, automation, and analysis. You'll be contributing code, not only reviewing it.

• Regulated-context delivery. You've shipped software under aerospace, automotive, space, or comparable design assurance obligations, and you know what those obligations do to a schedule. Experience with DAL-classified software is a plus.

• Operational experience supporting real vehicles or live test campaigns.

• Technical foundation in computer science, software engineering, robotics, or a related discipline — however you built it, whether through a degree or equivalent hands-on experience.

• DO-178C display software or safety-rendering overlay experience; crew alerting systems; cabin or vehicle systems software.

• Autonomy or mission-planning integration; flight test instrumentation and telemetry practice; ground control station development for un-crewed or remotely operated vehicles.

• Publish/subscribe middleware (DDS or similar); over-the-air update and fleet software deployment; time-series data platforms and visualization; vehicle health management.

• Maritime or classification-society exposure; standing up software process from scratch at a small company.

• 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.

• Production 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.

• 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.