Electric Propulsion Unit (EPU) Intern (Summer)

REGENT; North Kingstown (RI); On-site; USD 28,000 - 41,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Housing Stipend

Daily free catered lunches

Learning & professional development

Mentorship & guidance from experienced

Meaningful projects

Housing stipend

Job summary

REGENT is redefining coastal transit with the Seaglider and is standing up two production lines, Squire and Viceroy. As an EPU Intern, you’ll join the Electrical Systems team to contribute to propulsion development—from conceptualization to sustainment—across platforms and test environments.

You’ll apply CAD, data analysis, and scripting to real hardware, with exposure to motor performance and on-water testing, while collaborating with engineers who value rigor and speed.

Qualifications

• Engineering fundamentals in place for senior or graduate students.
• Working knowledge of electric machines, torque, speed constants, losses, and efficiency maps.
• Proficiency in Python or MATLAB for processing test data and building performance models; strong Excel skills.

Responsibilities

• Own a defined piece of Electric Propulsion Unit work spanning both Squire and Viceroy platforms.
• Evaluate motor performance: torque, speed, losses, efficiency across operating conditions.
• Document electrical systems: read and create schematics, wiring diagrams, and harness documentation.

Skills

Electric machines knowledge

Scripting in Python/MATLAB

Data analysis

CAD proficiency

Electrical documentation

Marine propulsion fundamentals

Tools

3D CAD software

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

REGENT is standing up two production lines for the first time — Squire and Viceroy — and that shift is opening up real, substantial work across our Electric Propulsion Unit (EPU) systems. As our EPU Intern, you'll sit inside the Electrical Systems team and work across the full arc of propulsion development: conceptualization, design, integration, and sustainment, across multiple platforms. You'll move fluidly between data analysis, electrical documentation, CAD, and hands‑on test support, with direct exposure to motor performance evaluation, component‑level testing, and on‑water testing of the propulsion systems that move Seagliders through the water.

This isn't a role built around a narrow, pre‑scoped task list. There's a meaningful amount of EPU work ahead of us on both Squire and Viceroy, and this internship exists to carve out a real piece of it for you to own — not to shadow, not to simulate, but to actually contribute to systems that will fly on REGENT's vehicles. You'll work alongside engineers who care about rigor as much as speed, and who'll expect you to bring your engineering fundamentals and build fast from there.

We're looking for someone who already has strong footing in electric machines, propulsion fundamentals, and CAD, and who's excited to apply that foundation to a fast‑moving, dual‑platform propulsion effort rather than a textbook problem set. If you want an internship where the scope is broad because the work is real, this is the seat for you.

What You'll Do

• Own Real EPU Scope: You'll take on a defined piece of Electric Propulsion Unit work spanning both the Squire and Viceroy platforms, not a simulated side project. The work is real and waiting for someone to pick it up.

• Evaluate Motor Performance: You'll dig into motor and drive data to characterize torque, speed, losses, and efficiency across operating conditions. This analysis directly informs decisions on both production lines.

• Document Electrical Systems: You'll read and create schematics, wiring diagrams, and harness documentation for EPU hardware. This work unlocks your ability to interpret both vendor documentation and REGENT's own systems.

• Build in CAD: You'll produce mechanical drawings and models in a 3D CAD environment, applying basic GD&T as you go. Your CAD work will directly support integration efforts across both platforms.

• Support Test Campaigns: You'll get hands‑on exposure to both component‑level testing and on‑water testing of propulsion hardware. By the midpoint of your term, you'll be comfortable with EPU layout and power distribution across current and future REGENT platforms.

• Reduce and Interpret Data: You'll use Python, MATLAB, or Excel to process test data, build efficiency and performance models, and run mission‑profile analyses. Much of the role runs through turning raw data into decisions.

• Connect Propulsion to Power: You'll relate propeller or thruster performance — thrust, torque, advance ratio, efficiency — back to electrical input power. That connection sits at the core of how EPUs get designed and sustained here.

What You'll Bring

• Engineering Fundamentals In Place: You're a rising senior or graduate student in mechanical, electrical, aerospace, or robotics engineering. These fundamentals are the foundation this role builds on from day one.

• Motor and Drive Knowledge: You have working knowledge of electric machines, including BLDC/PMSM torque and speed constants, back‑EMF, losses, and efficiency maps, along with motor controllers, ESCs, and basic power electronics.

• Scripting and Data Chops: You're proficient in Python or MATLAB for processing test data and building performance models, with strong Excel skills for fast turnaround analysis. You're comfortable being the person who turns a pile of data into an answer.

• Propulsion Fundamentals: You understand how propeller or thruster performance, including thrust, torque, advance ratio, and efficiency, relates to electrical input power. Coursework in fluid mechanics or marine or aero propulsion is a strong signal here.

• CAD Fluency: You're proficient in a 3D CAD tool and can produce clear, accurate mechanical drawings, with a basic understanding of GD&T. That fluency will help you pick up REGENT's systems quickly.

• Comfort With Electrical Documentation: You can read and create schematics, wiring diagrams, and harness documentation. That skill is what lets you move confidently through both vendor and REGENT engineering documentation.

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

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.