Former Boeing intern lands his dream job in the Osprey nest

A V-22 engineering manager shows how learning to fail leads to incredible growth opportunities.

May 02, 2023 in Defense

  Reg Torrevillas with a V-22 Osprey in 2016, just months after being hired as a design engineer. Reg Torrevillas with a V-22 Osprey in 2016, just months after being hired as a design engineer. (Courtesy of Reg Torrevillas)

Reg Torrevillas, a V-22 production engineering manager at Boeing Philadelphia, has had Boeing on the brain since childhood.

“I was a kid when I knew I wanted to work on aerospace products,” Torrevillas said. In 2015, he proudly obtained an internship on the V-22 program supporting the Bell Boeing V-22 Osprey tiltrotor, a role he was able to turn into his dream Boeing career. Through determination, communication and collaboration, “I treated my six-month internship as a six-month job interview,” he said.

  Reg Torrevillas (far left) with a new-build V-22 Osprey in 2022. Reg Torrevillas (far left) with a new-build V-22 Osprey in 2022. (Courtesy of Reg Torrevillas)

Torrevillas encourages others to treat every opportunity as growth. “Learn to fail. This mentality reminds me to step outside of my comfort zone and think creatively.” It helped him go from intern, to design engineer, to engineering manager.

In his current engineering manager role on the Osprey, he has the opportunity to develop the right repair alongside his team. “I love the cross-functional collaboration of Quality identifying an issue, Engineering authoring a fix, Supplier Management expediting material, and Operations executing.”

  Reg Torrevillas, now a V-22 engineering manager, at the Boeing Philadelphia site. Reg Torrevillas, now a V-22 engineering manager, at the Boeing Philadelphia site. (Boeing photo)

Excellent communication between functions mitigates risk, Torrevillas said. He emphasized that he must understand each group’s priorities to achieve the program’s common goal: creating a quality product for the customer’s missions.

“I take great pride in knowing my work affects the product we deliver to our customers,” he said. “Safety and quality are at the forefront of everything we do.”

  Reg Torrevillas, now a V-22 engineering manager, at the Boeing Philadelphia site. Reg Torrevillas, now a V-22 engineering manager, at the Boeing Philadelphia site. (Boeing photo)

The enthusiasm and determination of employees like Torrevillas keeps program momentum going. Bell Boeing has delivered four V-22 Ospreys so far this year, with additional deliveries scheduled through 2025.

By Quinn Marciano