Nominal builds software that lets hardware teams test, iterate, and deploy as fast as software teams.
The Role
As a Software Engineer on the Mission Dev team, you will deploy software in federal environments, manage integrations, and support mission-critical programs for government agencies.
Summary Generated by Built In
About Nominal
Engineers today are building some of the most ambitious machines humanity has ever seen. They should have AI that’s purpose-built for them.
Nominal is building the Hardware Intelligence Platform that gives engineers increased visibility into complex physical systems, helps them make better decisions, and ultimately gets their products into the real world faster. It brings together the systems, data, intelligence, and applications hardware engineering requires to meet the AI moment. Hardware engineering teams use Nominal to simulate, test, manufacture, and operate the physical systems that keep the world moving, from spacecraft and autonomous vehicles to next-generation energy systems and robotics.
Our customers span aerospace, defense, manufacturing, transportation, energy, and robotics. They include Anduril, Shield AI, Wisk Aero, Pratt Miller Motorsports, Antares, and Shinkei Systems, amongst others, alongside programs within the U.S. Air Force and Navy. Our team draws from SpaceX, Palantir, Anduril, Applied Intuition, Tesla, and other leading companies, united by a common mission: giving hardware engineers the tools to build the future with speed, safety, and confidence. We're a fast-moving team that owns problems end-to-end, works across disciplines, and thrives at the intersection of hardware and software.
Some of the world’s leading technology investors, including Sequoia, Lightspeed, Founders Fund, General Catalyst, Lux Capital, and Insight Partners, are backing Nominal’s ambition to change how machines are built and operated. We’re looking for engineers who want to take on hard problems and help make a new generation of world-changing hardware possible.
As a Software Engineer on the Mission Dev team, you will operate at the intersection of software engineering, customer deployment, and mission-critical government programs. You are not just shipping code — you are embedding with customers, deploying software into high-stakes environments, and owning outcomes from first integration to long-term success. You will bridge Nominal’s platform with real-world government applications across the Department of Defense, Department of Energy, NASA, and other U.S. government agencies.
This is a hybrid of software engineer, forward-deployed engineer, and technical program lead. You will write production-grade code, design integrations, manage deployments on government networks, and serve as a trusted technical advisor to mission operators. If you think like a startup founder, thrive in ambiguity, and want to see your code powering rocket test stands, autonomy labs, and mission-critical defense programs, Nominal is the place to do it.
🚀 About the role
Mission Dev is one of the most unique roles at Nominal. You'll write production-grade code, embed with government customers on-site, and own the bridge between what our platform offers today and what a government program needs to succeed.
That might mean deploying Nominal onto a classified network for a Navy flight test squadron, building a custom telemetry pipeline for a DoD autonomy program, or standing up integrations at a NASA test facility, then watching an engineer use what you shipped yesterday and iterating on the spot. You'll work inside the constraints that come with federal environments: accreditation processes, air-gapped networks, strict cybersecurity requirements, and government acquisition timelines. The role requires someone who can deliver high-quality software without losing velocity in these environments.
Mission Devs are brought in when there's a specific technical gap to bridge. You might get looped in during pre-sales to integrate a program's data and demonstrate how Nominal fits their mission workflows, or you might be building program-specific tooling mid-deployment that evolves into a permanent product capability. The work you do for one program often becomes a core product used across our entire customer base — our video-alongside-telemetry capability, for example, started as a single customer need and is now a platform-wide feature. The "last 10%" looks different for every mission, and that's what makes the work compelling.
🔍 What we’re looking for
- 5+ years of experience in software engineering, forward-deployed engineering, or a technical role that combined building with customer-facing work.
- Experience working with or inside U.S. Government agencies, particularly DoD, and with deploying software on U.S. government networks.
- Track record of shipping production software in dynamic or ambiguous environments.
- Strong systems thinking — you can understand complex technical ecosystems end-to-end.
- Clear communicator, comfortable writing technical documentation and presenting to executive stakeholders.
- Willingness to travel up to 50%.
- Curiosity about hardware systems and willingness to learn the physical domains our customers operate in.
- Active TS/SCI clearance or the ability to obtain one is strongly preferred.
🎯 Why Nominal
- Mission-critical impact with top-tier government and commercial customers
- Backed by world-class investors
- Work alongside elite engineers from SpaceX, Palantir, Anduril, and more
- Build and deploy real systems powering rockets, aircraft, autonomous systems, and national security infrastructure
At Nominal, your code doesn’t sit in a demo environment — it powers real missions.
✨ Benefits/Perks
- 🏥 100% coverage of medical, dental, and vision insurance
- 🏖️ Unlimited PTO and sick leave
- 🍽️ Free lunch, snacks, and coffee
- 🚀 Professional Development Stipend
- 🛠️ 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.
CompensationThe base pay range for this role is $149,000 – $250,000 per year.
Skills Required
- 5+ years of experience in software engineering or technical roles
- Experience deploying software on U.S. government networks
- Track record of shipping production software in dynamic environments
- Strong systems thinking skills
- Clear communication skills and ability to write technical documentation
- Willingness to travel up to 50%
- Eligibility to obtain and maintain a U.S. Top Secret clearance
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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