Software Engineer - Internship (Summer 2027)

The posting, as Nominal wrote it

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.

The role

We’re looking for students with solid engineering fundamentals interested in a Summer 2027 internship and on track to graduate in Summer 2028 or sooner.

As a software engineering intern at Nominal, you’ll have an unparalleled opportunity to work closely with world-class engineers solving high-impact problems. As part of an early-stage company, you’ll help us grow, launch new products, and take on exciting challenges. You’ll have a front-row seat as our customers test and validate complex hardware systems like nuclear reactors, rockets, and supersonic aircraft.

🚀 What you’ll do

• Dive deep into cutting-edge data infrastructure, focusing on high-frequency, high-volume multi-modal hardware data
• Design and build new features in close collaboration with our customers, often working directly with our users in the field
• Quickly take ownership of projects from start to finish, while receiving mentorship from our world-class engineers and domain experts
• Take the driver’s seat at an early-stage company, helping Nominal grow, onboarding new customers, and expanding its product offerings, while contributing to our mission of accelerating the testing and validation landscape for complex hardware systems

🎯 Reach out if…

• You are targeting a 12-week internship in Summer 2027, full-time work starting in 2028
• You have a personal passion for solving challenging problems and contributing to the future of critical infrastructure
• You have exceptional hands-on experience and strong core engineering skills — whether through internships, personal projects, or academic work
• Your peers would describe you as ambitious, resourceful, and perseverant

✨ 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 .