People Operations Manager
North Kingstown, Rhode Island
People – People Operations /
Full-Time /
On-site
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:
We’re looking for a People Operations Manager who is equal parts builder, operator, and generalist. This is not a traditional HR role - it’s about designing scalable infrastructure, automating workflows, and creating a People Ops function that makes it possible for our People team - and our broader REGENT team - to scale sustainably, reliably, and with impact.
You’ll own the backbone of our People systems, while flexing into other areas of People work as needed - from onboarding to engagement to compliance. You’ll thrive in ambiguity, approaching problems like a product manager: gathering inputs, prioritizing, building solutions, testing, and iterating.
As part of the People Team, you’ll be joining a group of collaborative, mission-driven teammates who approach the People function like a product function: customer-focused, data-driven, and built for scale. We move quickly, think boldly, and rely on systems thinking and teamwork to create seamless experiences and systems that enable REGENT's growth.
If you’re energized by building systems and experiences that shape how people work, grow, and thrive in a fast-moving startup, you’ll be in the right place - and we can’t wait to have you on the team!
*As a note, this is a fully on-site position. We offer generous relocation packages and support to help you feel at home and ready to thrive at REGENT from day one!
What You'll Do:
- Be the Product Owner of People Systems: Define, prioritize, and ship improvements across People team systems, processes, and tools (ex. HRIS, ATS, payroll, and engagement tools)
- Automate & Optimize Workflows: Build scalable processes that reduce manual work, increase accuracy, and eliminate friction
- Turn Data into Insight: Create dashboards and reporting that give leaders visibility into headcount, recruiting, retention, and performance
- Flex as a Generalist: Jump in across People Ops - onboarding, benefits, comp cycles, engagement, compliance - to keep the team moving forward
- Lead Cross-Functional Projects: Partner with cross-functional stakeholders (ex. Finance, IT, and Legal) and managers to drive initiatives that improve the employee experience
- Scale Through Iteration: Break down ambiguous problems, test lightweight solutions, and evolve them into repeatable systems
What We’re Looking For:
- People Ops Generalist: You’ve built or scaled People, BizOps, Product, or automation systems in a fast-moving environment (startup experience strongly preferred), and you design processes that make work smoother, more intuitive, and enjoyable for employees.
- People Systems Builder: You’ve worked with HR, BizOps, or Product systems (HRIS, ATS, payroll, engagement tools, Confluence, or operational platforms) and understand how to implement, optimize, and design systems that can grow with a fast-moving, high-growth company.
- Empathetic Product Mindset: You design solutions that balance human experience with scale, building systems that work for both people and the business.
- Systems Builder: You see patterns, design for the long term, and know how to scale processes without overcomplicating them.
- Technical Fluency: You navigate HRIS, ATS, and automation tools (e.g., Ashby, Gusto, ChartHop, Zapier) with ease, and you’re comfortable exploring, testing, and integrating new tools to improve systems and workflows.
- Data-driven: You turn raw data into actionable insights, building dashboards, reports, and analysis that drive decisions.
- Project & Change Leadership: You excel at prioritizing, planning, and executing initiatives, keeping multiple stakeholders aligned while driving smooth adoption of new processes and systems across functions.
- Comfort with Ambiguity: You create clarity and structure in situations where processes don’t yet exist.
Bonus Experience:
- Experience implementing or scaling People systems in a high-growth environment.
- Background in workflow automation beyond HR (Finance, IT, Ops).
- Familiarity with compliance frameworks (EEO, FLSA, GDPR, SOC-2, NIST).
- Prior exposure to hardware or deep tech environments
Who We’re Looking For:
- Collaborative Team Player: You believe the best solutions come from working closely with others. You communicate effectively with People teammates, leaders, and cross-functional partners to align on goals, drive initiatives, and create seamless employee experiences. You bring people together and ensure everyone is moving toward a shared vision.
- Creative Problem Solver: You thrive on tackling complex people challenges and designing smart, scalable solutions. Whether it’s improving processes, building automation, or creating better experiences for employees, you approach problems with curiosity, creativity, and a focus on long-term impact.
- Adaptable & Agile: In a dynamic startup, you quickly adjust to changing priorities and evolving business needs. You navigate ambiguity with confidence, pivot when necessary, and keep projects moving forward without losing sight of quality or experience.
- Innovative Mindset: You are passionate about improving how work gets done and how employees experience it. You embrace new tools, methods, and ways of thinking to make People Ops more effective, scalable, and human-centered.
What We Offer:
- Competitive compensation including a robust equity incentive plan to reward your contributions to our success
- Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance - we cover 100% of your premiums (including dependents!)
- 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 lunchesLearning & professional development opportunities with the chanceto make a direct impact on the company’s growth and success
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.
