Flight Controls Intern

Job Description

Job Description

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 Flight Controls Intern at REGENT, you'll help develop and test control algorithms that enable our seagliders to operate safely and smoothly across three distinct modes : hull-borne, hydrofoil-borne, and wing-in-ground-effect flight. You’ll support work at the intersection of hydrodynamics, aerodynamics, and distributed propulsion — a rare and exciting controls challenge unique to this new class of vehicle.

You’ll contribute to simulation models, algorithm development, and control system evaluation, working closely with engineers across aerodynamics, hydrodynamics, systems, and test. As the vehicle design matures, you’ll learn how control laws move from high-fidelity simulation to full-scale prototype testing during sea trials.

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

Support development and tuning of flight-control algorithms in MATLAB / Simulink

Help evaluate vehicle behavior across hull-borne, foil-borne, and wing-borne modes

Assist with building, refining, and validating simulation models and control architectures

Contribute to analysis of system performance, stability, and responsiveness

Work with cross-functional engineering teams on control surface design, actuator dynamics, and system requirements

Participate in test planning and validation activities for SIL / HIL and prototype testing

Support data analysis from lab tests, flight simulations, and sea trials to refine control strategies

What You'll Bring

Pursuing a BS or MS in Mechanical Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Robotics, Computer Engineering, Physics, or related field

Strong fundamentals in dynamics, controls, and numerical methods

Experience with MATLAB / Simulink for algorithm development

Familiarity with C / C++ or embedded programming concepts

Bonus Experience

Coursework in classical or modern control theory

Experience with 6-DOF simulation, flight modeling, or control system analysis

Exposure to state estimation, sensor fusion, or nonlinear control

Hands-on experience with flight testing, robotics, or vehicle prototyping

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.