Instrumentation Engineer - New Grad (Summer 2027)

Nominal; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 105,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical/dental/vision coverage

Unlimited PTO

Free lunch/snacks/coffee

Professional development stipend

401k plan

In-office hardware lab with stipend

Annual company retreat

Job summary

Nominal is seeking a new‑grad Instrumentation Engineer to join our in‑office team. You’ll bridge software and hardware in real test stands, instrument stacks, and live control systems.

You’ll write code that talks to hardware and deliver results to customer test campaigns within weeks. You’ll collaborate with engineers on-site, own a scoped hardware‑to‑software integration project, and grow through mentorship from instrumentation and product teams while contributing to open‑source tools like

Qualifications

• Graduating Summer 2027 or sooner with solid engineering fundamentals.
• Experience with data acquisition systems, test instruments, or industrial hardware preferred.
• Strong Python and/or Rust fundamentals; comfortable reading hardware manuals and protocol specs.

Responsibilities

• Write reliable Python and/or Rust to interface with customer hardware using PyVISA and industrial protocols.
• Automate data collection and control processes across hardware test environments.
• Contribute new drivers and instruments to the instro library.
• Collaborate on-site with engineers to deploy test setups and troubleshoot integrations.
• Own a scoped hardware-to-software integration project from start to finish with mentorship.

Skills

Python

Rust

Data acquisition

Hardware interfacing

Embedded systems

Tools

PyVISA

NI-DAQmx

LabJack

Dewesoft

instro

Job description

Instrumentation Engineer - New Grad (Summer 2027)

New York, NY • Los Angeles, CA

Software Engineering

In office

Full-time

About Nominal

Nominal is building the connected test and operations platform powering the world's most advanced hardware systems, from spacecraft and autonomous vehicles to next-generation defense programs. Our platform gives hardware engineering teams a single place to ingest data, analyze performance, automate test execution, and collaborate across every phase of development, so they can move faster without sacrificing safety or precision. We're a fast-moving team that owns problems end-to-end, works across disciplines, and thrives at the intersection of hardware and software.

We serve top-tier commercial and defense customers, from autonomy leaders like Anduril and Shield AI to next-generation aerospace teams like Hermeus and REGENT, and performance engineering teams like Pratt Miller Motorsports, alongside mission partners within the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force on programs where failure isn’t an option. We’re backed by Sequoia, General Catalyst, Founders Fund, Lux Capital, and Lightspeed. Our team draws from SpaceX, Palantir, Anduril, Applied Intuition, and other leading companies, united by a common mission: giving hardware engineers the tools to build the future with speed, safety, and confidence.

The role

We're looking for students with solid engineering fundamentals on track to graduate in Summer 2027 or sooner.

As an Instrumentation intern at Nominal, you'll work at the boundary between software and physical test hardware, helping integrate Nominal solutions in real test stands, hardware instrumentation stacks, and live control systems. You'll write code that talks directly to hardware in the field, whether that's a test stand, a clean room, or an industrial setup, and see your work show up in customer test campaigns within weeks.

What you'll do

• Write reliable and performant Python and/or Rust-based software to interface with customer hardware using PyVISA, broad-base industrial protocols, and proprietary vendor SDKs (NI-DAQmx, LabJack, Dewesoft), etc.
• Help automate data collection and control processes across hardware test environments
• Contribute new drivers and instruments to our open-source instrumentation library (instro)
• Work shoulder-to-shoulder with engineers on-site to get test setups running and troubleshoot hardware-software integrations live
• Take ownership of a scoped hardware-to-software integration project from start to finish, with mentorship from our instrumentation and product teams

Reach out if…

• You’re graduating in Summer 2027 or sooner and are interested in a full-time position
• You've worked hands-on with data acquisition systems, test instruments (power supplies, eLoads, DMMs, oscilloscopes), embedded hardware, or industrial controllers, whether through coursework, research, or a team like solar car, formula racing, or robotics
• You have strong Python and/or Rust fundamentals, are comfortable reading hardware manuals and communication protocol specs, and have prior experience contributing to open source or building hardware abstraction layers
• You have strong interest in developing software that dictates how high-impact electro-mechanical systems behave in the real world
• Your peers would describe you as ambitious, resourceful, resilient, and persistent when something isn't working

Benefits/Perks

• 100% coverage of medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Unlimited PTO and sick leave
• Free lunch, snacks, and coffee
• Professional Development Stipend
• 401k Plan
• In-office hardware lab with a $250 project stipend
• Annual company retreat

ITAR Requirements

To conform to U.S. Government export regulations, applicant must be a (i) U.S. citizen or national, (ii) U.S. lawful, permanent resident (aka green card holder), (iii) Refugee under 8 U.S.C. § 1157, or (iv) Asylee under 8 U.S.C. § 1158, or be eligible to obtain the required authorizations from the U.S. Department of State. Learn more about the ITAR here.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, or national origin.