Mission Dev Engineer - New Grad (Summer 2027)

Nominal; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision coverage (

Unlimited PTO

Free lunch, snacks, and coffee

Project stipend

401k plan

In-office hardware lab with stipend

Annual company retreat

Job summary

Nominal is seeking a Mission Dev engineer in Los Angeles for students graduating Summer 2027 or sooner. You’ll work with engineers building and testing complex hardware systems, learn customer workflows, and develop software that speeds testing and analysis.

This role blends hands-on software with product judgment—shipping features, iterating with users, and turning lessons into reusable capabilities. You’ll be mentored by experienced engineers on a fast-moving hardware platform that powers

Qualifications

• Students on track to graduate Summer 2027 or sooner.
• Strong core engineering skills with hands-on software experience.
• Interest in working directly with customers to solve real problems.

Responsibilities

• Work directly with customer engineers to understand testing workflows and identify problems solved by software.
• Design and build integrations, data pipelines, and applications connecting Nominal to customers’ systems.
• Own projects from concept through deployment and support with mentorship from experienced engineers.
• Release working software early, learn from usage and iterate quickly based on feedback.
• Contribute learnings to product and engineering teams to broaden impact across customers.

Skills

Engineering fundamentals

Software development

Customer collaboration

Problem solving

Education

Pursuing CS/CE degree

Job description

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.

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 a Mission Dev (forward deployed software engineering) engineer at Nominal, you’ll work directly with engineers building and testing complex hardware systems like nuclear reactors, rockets, and supersonic aircraft. You’ll learn how our customers work, understand what’s slowing them down, and build software that helps them move faster. The role combines hands‑on software engineering with product judgment: figuring out what to build, shipping it, and working with users to make sure it solves their problem.

What You’ll Do

• Work directly with customer engineers to understand their testing and analysis workflows and identify problems you can solve with software
• Design and build integrations, data pipelines, and applications that connect Nominal to our customers’ systems and help them work with high-frequency, high-volume hardware data
• Own projects from understanding the problem through building, deploying, and supporting the solution, with mentorship from experienced engineers and domain experts
• Put working software in users’ hands early, learn from how they use it, and iterate quickly based on their feedback
• Bring what you learn back to our product and engineering teams, helping turn solutions for individual customers into capabilities that benefit many

Reach out if…

• You’re graduating in Summer 2027 or sooner and are interested in a full‑time position.
• You have strong core engineering skills and hands‑on experience building software, whether through internships, personal projects, or academic work
• You want to work directly with the people using your software and understand whether what you’ve built is making a difference
• You’re excited to work through open-ended problems, learn unfamiliar systems, and figure out what’s needed to get a solution into use
• You have a personal passion for solving challenging problems and contributing to the future of critical infrastructure
• Your peers would describe you as ambitious, resourceful, and perseverant

Benefits/Perks

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

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

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.

• 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.