Software Engineer - Internship (summer 2026)

Software Engineer - Internship (Summer 2026)

Nominal is building software to accelerate the development of the world's most advanced hardware systems — from spacecraft and autonomous vehicles to next-generation industrial machines. Our platform makes data analysis and integration simple, helping engineering teams move faster without sacrificing safety or precision. We're a tight-knit team of engineers and operators who own problems end-to-end, work across disciplines, and thrive on solving challenges at the intersection of hardware and software. We're backed by top-tier investors like Sequoia, General Catalyst, Founders Fund, Lux Capital, and Lightspeed Ventures and were recently named in Forbes' next billion-dollar startups list. Our team brings experience from SpaceX, Palantir, Anduril, Applied Intuition, and other leading companies, united by a common goal: enabling hardware engineers to push the boundaries of advanced technology with speed, safety, and precision.

The role

We're looking for students with solid engineering fundamentals interested in a Summer 2026 internship and on track to graduate in Summer 2027 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 2026, full-time work starting in 2027
• You have a personal passion for contributing to the future of aerospace, energy, and national security
• You have exceptional hands-on experience and strong core engineering skills – whether through internships, personal projects, or academic work - and can explain how they work down to the smallest implementation decisions
• Your peers would describe you as extremely resourceful, obsessed, and grounded

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

$10,000 - $10,000 a month

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.