Design Engineer

About Nominal

Nominal is building the software infrastructure that powers the world’s most advanced hardware systems — from spacecraft and autonomous vehicles to next-generation industrial machines. Our platform ingests high-rate telemetry, validates complex autonomy software in real time, and helps engineering teams iterate faster without sacrificing safety or precision. We’re a small, fast-moving 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. As a dual-use platform, we're serving top-tier commercial and defense customers, including the U.S. Navy, United States Air Force, Shield AI, and Anduril.

We’re backed by top-tier investors — Sequoia, General Catalyst, Founders Fund, Lux Capital, and Lightspeed Ventures — who share our mission to accelerate innovation in mission-critical systems. 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.

As a Design Engineer at Nominal, you will operate at the intersection of design and engineering, transforming complex data and workflows into intuitive, high-performance user experiences. You will collaborate closely with cross-functional teams to prototype, build, and refine features that enhance our platform's usability and functionality.

• Design and develop mission-critical features and end-to-end workflows that handle complex data visualization and interaction.
• Collaborate with product managers, designers, and engineers to translate user needs into functional designs.
• Implement responsive and accessible UI components using modern frontend technologies.
• Collaborate closely with our customers to synthesize feedback and drive high-quality, impactful design solutions.
• Contribute strategically to the product and design direction, making pivotal decisions that influence the future of Nominal's platform.
• Understand and bring clarity to technical topics using concrete design outputs (e.g. diagrams, data visualizations, layout, typography).

• 3+ years of experience in a design engineering role or similar, with a strong portfolio showcasing design and development projects.
• Proficiency in Figma and frontend technologies (e.g., React, TypeScript, Tailwind CSS), with a strong foundation in prototyping, testing, and implementation
• Familiarity with Tailwind CSS or similar utility-first CSS frameworks, and Radix UI for building reusable UI components.
• Experience with APIs (RESTful and/or tRPC) and integrating them into frontend applications seamlessly.
• A keen ability to articulate the rationale, process, and impact behind your design decisions and adapt to technical constraints in creative ways using your knowledge of web technologies
• A versatile skill set that does not require prior hardware experience but is capable of navigating highly technical environments including aerospace, defense, and advanced energy applications
• An enthusiastic approach to problem-solving in complex scenarios, with a willingness to engage in customer immersion activities and on-site visits

• Experience in the aerospace, defense, or related industries.
• Knowledge of performance-focused tools and techniques for rendering large datasets and building responsive, smooth interfaces.
• Background in human-computer interaction or related fields.
• [Bonus!] Familiarity with WebGL or other advanced graphics technologies.

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