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Nominal builds software that lets hardware teams test, iterate, and deploy as fast as software teams.
The Role
Support customers operating rockets, satellites, aircraft, and other hardware systems using Nominal’s platform. Write Python or similar scripts to deploy software, configure systems, connect customer data, troubleshoot issues, document solutions, and provide structured product feedback. Participate in customer conversations and training, work directly in live test environments, and own a self-contained workflow improvement project during the 12-week internship.
Summary Generated by Built In
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 who are interested in a 12-week Summer 2027 internship and on track to graduate by Summer 2028.
As a Mission Ops Engineering intern, you'll work side by side with customers building rocket engines, satellites, and aircraft, helping them solve hard test and operations problems with Nominal's platform. You'll see what it takes to deploy software into a live test environment, write code that gets customer data flowing, and turn what you learn into product feedback that shapes what we build next.
🚀 What you’ll do
- Write scripts and tooling to deploy, configure, and connect customer data to Nominal's platform
- Sit in on customer conversations and training sessions to learn how operators use our tools day to day
- Help troubleshoot issues customers run into and document the fixes for the team
- Turn what you observe in the field into structured feedback for the product team
- Own a self-contained project over the summer that improves a specific part of a customer's workflow
- You're on track to graduate by Summer 2028 and are open to a full-time role afterward
- You have hands-on experience with hardware systems — test stands, robotics, aerospace, automotive, or similar — through coursework, research, personal projects, or prior internships
- You've written code (Python or similar) for a class, research, or personal project, and want to use it on real hardware data
- You communicate clearly and want to work directly with the people who'll use what you build
- You're comfortable stepping into unfamiliar technical environments and figuring out what's needed
- You have a genuine interest in hardware testing and the industries Nominal serves
- Exposure to data acquisition or hardware tools (DAQs, LabVIEW, MATLAB/Simulink) or data tools (SQL, Python, Pandas)
- Experience in a customer-facing or support role
✨ Benefits/Perks
- Receive mentorship from our world-class team
- Trips to co-locate with the team across our different offices
- Free lunch, dinner, snacks, and drinks
- A beginning-of-internship swag bag and an end-of-internship intern gift
- In-office hardware lab with a $250 project stipend
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.
Skills Required
- Be on track to graduate by Summer 2028
- Hands-on experience with hardware systems such as test stands, robotics, aerospace, automotive, or similar
- Experience writing code, preferably Python, through coursework, research, personal projects, or internships
- Clear communication skills and willingness to work directly with end users
- Comfort working in unfamiliar technical environments and determining what is needed
- Genuine interest in hardware testing and Nominal’s customer industries
- U.S. citizenship or nationality, lawful permanent residence, refugee or asylee status, or eligibility to obtain required ITAR authorizations
- Exposure to data acquisition systems, LabVIEW, MATLAB/Simulink, SQL, Python, or Pandas
- Customer-facing or technical support experience
Nominal Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Nominal and has not been reviewed or approved by Nominal.
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Healthcare Strength — 100% employer-paid medical, dental, and vision coverage is repeatedly described as covering both employees and dependents, indicating unusually strong healthcare provisioning. Additional mentions of “Platinum” coverage reinforce the sense of a high-tier plan offering.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Unlimited PTO and paid holidays/sick time are presented as part of the core package, suggesting broad time-off benefits on paper. Parental leave is also framed as fully paid in several places, reinforcing overall leave breadth.
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Wellbeing & Lifestyle Benefits — Wellness stipends, daily gourmet lunch (and sometimes dinner), and periodic retreats are consistently highlighted as meaningful lifestyle perks. Learning/development and other small stipends further round out a perks-heavy total rewards posture.
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The Company
What We Do
Nominal builds the essential software stack that enables hardware teams to test and iterate as rapidly as software teams. Nominal empowers engineers to continuously monitor, validate, and deploy innovations, transforming how mission-critical hardware is built and operated.
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