Principal Mechanical Engineer

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

REGENT is looking for a Principal Mechanical Engineer to build our energy storage systems function from the ground up. This is a new role on the Mechanical Engineering team, and the person who takes it will have the rare chance to define how REGENT designs, builds, and tests the battery packs that power our Seagliders — while also helping shape a bigger strategic question: how much of our ESS work should be developed in-house versus delivered through integration partnerships. You'll bring hands-on technical leadership to both tracks, working directly on cell selection, pack design, HV distribution, and thermal safety, while also helping guide where REGENT invests its growing resources in this space.

Beyond the strategic question, there's real, tangible work to do now — supporting the integration, certification, testing, and charging efforts behind Squire and Viceroy as they move through production. You'll join the Mechanical Engineering team at a moment when REGENT has newly committed real resources to energy storage, and you'll have the room to build the systems, processes, and technical foundation this function will run on for years to come.

This role is best suited to someone who's energized by ownership without a playbook — someone who has deep battery expertise already, is excited to teach and be taught, and wants to help take coastal transportation into a new era. If that's you, we'd love to talk.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Design, Build, and Test Battery Packs: You'll get hands-on with cells, modules, and complete battery systems, taking energy storage work from concept through validated hardware.
• Own HV Distribution and Thermal Safety: You'll apply deep expertise in high-voltage distribution and thermal runaway mitigation to keep our systems safe, reliable, and ready for the marine environment.
• Ground Everything in Core Engineering Principles: Thermal analysis, FEA, and tolerance stack-up analysis will be the backbone of your design decisions, not an afterthought.
• Guide Cell Selection: You'll bring deep knowledge of cell technology, behavior, and life cycle to actively inform which cells REGENT builds around.
• Design for the Real World: You'll design for manufacturability, cost, and redundancy so that what works on paper also works on the production line.
• Shape REGENT's ESS Strategy: You'll help leadership decide how much energy storage work REGENT should build in-house versus support through integration, informed by your own hands-on experience.
• Drive Toward Key Milestones: You'll support Conceptual and Critical Design Reviews, and carry that work through functional, environmental, and certification testing.

WHAT YOU'LL BRING

• Deep Battery Expertise: You already understand cell technology, behavior, and life cycle at a deep level — this is the foundation everything else in the role builds on.
• HV Distribution and Thermal Command: You bring real expertise in HV distribution and thermal runaway mitigation, and you know how to design thermal management systems that hold up under real conditions.
• A Strong Mechanical Engineering Foundation: You're comfortable with thermal analysis, FEA, and tolerance stack-up analysis as everyday tools, not occasional exercises.
• Design Philosophy for Production: You have a solid grounding in design for manufacturability, cost, and redundancy, and you think about all three from the earliest sketches.
• Hands-On Testing Experience: You've set up and tested cells, modules, and complete battery systems yourself, and you're ready to do that work again here.
• Requirements and Certification Know-How: You've negotiated requirements for battery and electrical systems with partners, and you bring real experience with battery certification processes.
• Strong Communication and Team Instincts: You're organized, communicate clearly, and are just as willing to teach what you know as you are to learn what you don't.

BONUS EXPERIENCE

• A Builder at Heart: You're excited by the challenge of shaping a brand-new function from scratch, without a predecessor or existing playbook to lean on.
• Bonus Experience We'd Love to See: HV EV battery design in aerospace, maritime, or automotive settings, 3D CAD design, prototyping and production manufacturing of battery components, material selection for marine environments, or tools like MATLAB, Simulink, or Python for analysis and simulation.
• Comfortable Near Power Electronics: Experience with high-power electric propulsion systems or power electronics is a strong plus.
• Mission-Driven: You want your engineering work to power something bigger — in this case, a new way to move people and goods across the water.

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 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.