Program Operations Manager

REGENT; North Kingstown (RI); On-site; USD 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity incentive plan

Health insurance

401(k) matching

Flexible time off

Relocation packages

Catered lunches

Professional development

Job summary

REGENT in the United States is seeking a Program Management Operations Lead to design, build, and run the operating system for our Seaglider programs, starting with Viceroy. You will establish cadence, manage gates, and drive cross-functional execution with engineering, supply chain, and product teams.

You will own program tooling in Jira/Confluence/Smartsheet, publish dashboards, and scale the operating system across REGENT's portfolio, balancing discipline with velocity in a fast-moving

Qualifications

• Experience building program processes that teams actively use.
• Direct experience supporting programs through PDR/CDR readiness tracking.
• Hands-on ability to create workflows and dashboards in Jira/Confluence/Smartsheet.

Responsibilities

• Build the Program Operating System: define cadence, reviews, risk logs and action logs.
• Run Gate Readiness: manage entry criteria, evidence tracking, logistics and closure.
• Facilitate Risk Management: maintain risk register, mitigations, decision reviews.
• Own Program Tooling: implement and administer Jira/Confluence/Smartsheet workflows and dashboards.
• Publish the Truth: develop dashboards and metrics trusted by leadership.
• Scale Across Programs: extend the OS from Viceroy to broader REGENT portfolio.

Skills

Program operations

PMO experience

Gate mechanics

Tooling fluency

Collaboration

Problem solving

Adaptable & Agile

Innovative mindset

Tools

Jira

Confluence

Smartsheet

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.

As Program Management Operations Lead, 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.

What You’ll Do

• 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.

What You’ll Bring

• 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

Who We’re Looking For

• 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.

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

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.