Product Designer - New Grad (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 teammates who want to take on hard problems and help make a new generation of world-changing hardware possible.

The role

We’re looking for designers graduating in 2027 or sooner with solid visual and product design fundamentals to join Nominal full time.

You’ll own design work for defined features and product improvements, with support from experienced designers and close collaboration with engineering and product. You’ll help bring new capabilities to life, learn directly from customers, and grow your judgment as a product designer. Your work will support engineers testing and validating complex hardware systems, including nuclear reactors, rockets, and supersonic aircraft.

🚀 What you’ll do

• Turn complexity into clarity. Dive into high-frequency, high-volume hardware and data workflows and translate them into intuitive product experiences.
• Design alongside real users. Partner with engineers and customers to understand their workflows, identify pain points, and test potential solutions.
• Partner with design, engineering, and product to research, prototype with AI, and contribute directly to product improvements and features.
• Own the design of defined features from initial exploration through implementation, working with your team to clarify scope and make tradeoffs.
• Collaborate with engineers throughout development to refine interactions and deliver thoughtful

[…]
ences.

• Evolve our design system. Contribute reusable patterns and components that improve consistency and usability across the platform.
• Help shape our design culture by sharing work early, giving constructive feedback, and using customer insights to inform product decisions.

🎯 Reach out if…

• You’re graduating in 2027 (or sooner) and seeking a full-time product design role as a new graduate or early-career designer.
• You have a portfolio that demonstrates strong visual design fundamentals and product thinking through academic work, personal projects, internships, or professional experience.
• You can translate a user problem into clear flows, detailed interface designs, and prototypes.
• You can explain your design decisions and refine them based on feedback, user needs, and technical constraints.
• You take initiative to clarify unfamiliar problems and collaborate with others to move work forward.

🌟 Bonus, not required

• You’ve collaborated with engineers to bring a design into a working product.
• You’ve used AI tools to explore ideas or build prototypes.
• You’ve designed data visualizations, complex workflows, or tools for technical users.

✨ Benefits/Perks

• 100% coverage of medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Unlimited PTO and sick leave
• Free lunch, snacks, and coffee
• Professional 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 .