Mission Operations - U.S. Government

Nominal; Los Angeles (CA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

100% coverage of medical, dental, and視

Unlimited PTO and sick leave

Free lunch, snacks, and coffee

Professional Development Stipend

Annual company retreat

Job summary

Nominal is seeking a Mission Operations Engineer to bridge our software with real-world government applications, advising U.S. Government customers and tailoring deployments to meet demanding environments.

You will train users, address challenges, and drive operations forward with a focus on safe, reliable mission outcomes. You will own project lifecycles, coordinate internal and external stakeholders, and communicate across teams to ensure on-time delivery.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of professional experience in technical project management or managing product development lifecycles.
• Experience navigating U.S. government processes, regulations and procurement.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, able to influence senior leaders.
• Strong systems-thinking mindset with technical depth in math/physics related to mission ops.
• Willingness to travel up to 50% and engage across sites.
• Eligibility to obtain and maintain a U.S. TS Clearance.

Responsibilities

• Own the outcomes of projects, coordinating stakeholders and ensuring on-time delivery.
• Translate complex requirements into actionable program plans with objectives and metrics.
• Deploy and integrate Nominal's tech in high-stakes environments, including govt networks.
• Build deep partnerships with government and system integrators to drive impact.
• Train users and support operations to maximize product adoption.
• Collect feedback for continuous product improvement and operational excellence.
• Resolve issues quickly and maintain seamless collaboration across teams.
• Be the bridge between Nominal and customers to translate needs into solutions.

Skills

Customer-facing skills

Software delivery

Hardware engineering

Acquisition experience

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.

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.

Mission Operations Engineer

As a Mission Operations Engineer, you'll bridge Nominal's software with real-world applications, becoming an indispensable advisor to our U.S. Government customers with a focus on US agencies like the Department of Defense, Department of Energy, and NASA. You'll ensure our solutions not only meet but exceed operational requirements, tailoring deployments to unique environments, providing comprehensive training, and directly addressing any challenges that arise. Your work will transform customer operations, enhance user experiences, and drive Nominal's technology to new frontiers.

About the role

• Own the Outcome: You will own entire project lifecycles, proactively engage and align internal and external stakeholders, demonstrate exceptional levels of communication, and ensure on-time and on-target delivery of Nominal's tech to Government customers.


• Plan & Deliver: You will be responsible for translating technical and bureaucratic complexity into actionable program plans with clear objectives traceable to mission impact, strategic impact, financial outcomes, and program objectives.


• Deploy & Integrate: Take Nominal's tech to operation on the ground, tailoring solutions to fit our clients' high-stakes environments perfectly, including but not limited to deployments on US Government-managed networks.


• Build Relationships & Business: You're not just deploying technology; you're partnering closely with Nominal’s Federal Growth team to drive Nominal's presence and impact. You will be expected to establish deep, productive partnerships with both US government stakeholders and integration partners (e.g., systems integrators). You’re acting as a program manager and product expert, with important relational and technical capital on your shoulders.


• Train & Support: You're on the front lines with the broader Mission Ops (MOps) team, making sure our users understand our products and can use them to their full potential.


• Enhance & Evolve: Your feedback loops are gold, turning user experiences into actionable insights for continuous product improvement.


• Solve & Streamline: See an issue? You're on it, with the autonomy to fix problems fast and keep our technology ahead of the curve.


• Be the Bridge: You're the vital link between Nominal and our customers, translating needs and critical dependencies into solutions and ensuring seamless collaboration across all fronts.

We're looking for someone with

• Proven Project Management Experience: 5+ years of professional experience in technical project management or managing product development lifecycles. You have first-hand experience developing project plans, including milestones, timelines, and interdependencies. You can point to real-world success in hitting deadlines, managing project risks, and delivering impactful results.


• Bureaucratic Ninja: You have a solid track record working inside of or with the U.S. government (ideally the Department of War) and understand how to navigate the bureaucracy. You understand how regulations, rules, and policies impact project outcomes and have the patience and creativity to break down barriers.


• Communicator & Influencer: You articulate complex ideas with ease and confidence, steering conversations and projects with clarity, honesty, and diplomacy. You are comfortable engaging with senior civilian and military leaders and have strong writing skills to author compelling and understandable written deliverables (e.g., status reports, white papers, etc)


• Technical Sharpshooter: Your intellectual curiosity drives you to solve complex problems. You think in systems and see the big picture, yet you're all about nailing the details. You have a strong intuition for the math and physics our customers encounter daily.


• Dynamic Leader & Team Player: With a mix of humility, eagerness to learn, and empathy, you're a natural at leading and lifting those around you. You don't just spot problems; you solve them. You are comfortable coordinating and leading cross-functional teams, often with teammates who don't directly report to you.


• Ready to Roll: Up to 50% travel? No problem. You're ready to be where the action is, anywhere, anytime.


• Must be eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S.TS Clearance

Skills that supercharge us

• Customer-facing Skills: Experienced government program manager, consultant, customer success leader, and/or technical program manager.


• Software Delivery: Previous experience deploying software products on US government networks, with a proven track record for navigating Information Assurance and cybersecurity compliance requirements.


• Hardware Engineering Expertise: You have worked in the trenches of hardware engineering. You have firsthand experience in environments like propulsion test stands, satellite mission operations, flight testing, or autonomy development.


• Acquisition Experience: Bonus points if you have direct experience dealing with federal acquisition regulations, government contracting, or formal test and evaluation processes.

Benefits/Perks

• 100% coverage of medical, dental, and vision insurance


• Unlimited PTO and sick leave


• Free lunch, snacks, and coffee


• Professional Development 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.

Compensation

The base pay range for this role is $150,000 - $210,000 per year.