Nominal is building the connected test and operations platform powering the world's most advanced hardware systems, from spacecraft and autonomous vehicles to next-generation defense programs. Our platform gives hardware engineering teams a single place to ingest data, analyze performance, automate test execution, and collaborate across every phase of development, so they can move faster without sacrificing safety or precision. We're a fast-moving team that owns problems end-to-end, works across disciplines, and thrives at the intersection of hardware and software.

We serve top-tier commercial and defense customers, from autonomy leaders like Anduril and Shield AI to next-generation aerospace teams like Hermeus and REGENT, and performance engineering teams like Pratt Miller Motorsports, alongside mission partners within the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force on programs where failure isn’t an option. We’re backed by Sequoia, General Catalyst, Founders Fund, Lux Capital, and Lightspeed. Our team draws from SpaceX, Palantir, Anduril, Applied Intuition, 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 looking for an operator to help design and scale the federal business during a period of rapid growth. You'll help drive how a leading defense technology company wins and scales its rapidly growing federal business, with exposure across the U.S. Government, including the Department of Defense, Department of Energy, NASA, and other critical agencies. You'll work directly with senior leadership, shape how the team operates, and help drive some of our most important opportunities from pipeline to contract.

💼 What you'll do

Act as a force multiplier to Federal leadership: Operate as a trusted extension of leadership, helping set priorities, drive decision-making, and ensure execution against team’s highest-impact initiatives.
Design and scale the federal operating system: Build and evolve how the team runs - including opportunity qualification, pipeline management, forecasting, and cross-functional coordination - with a focus on enabling repeatable, scalable growth.
Drive strategic coordination across the business: Lead cross-functional efforts across BD, Commercial Sales, Product, Engineering, Legal, and Operations to move priority opportunities from pipeline to contract and through successful delivery. Coordinate with other Growth teams at Nominal to extend and adapt best practices for the Federal team.
Improve visibility and predictability: Help design and run systems that connect pipeline, program execution, and financial outcomes - enabling leadership to make better, faster decisions.
Translate strategy into execution: Break down ambiguous, high stakes opportunities into structured plans with clear owners, timelines, and measurable outcomes.
In this role, success means helping Nominal’s federal business evolve from a set of high-potential opportunities into a repeatable, predictable growth engine.

🚀 We’re looking for someone with

5+ years in government, policy, operations, or program management (e.g., federal agencies, Congress, think tanks) or fast-paced background with similar operational rigor (e.g., consulting, startups)
Experience operating at the intersection of strategy and execution in ambiguous, high-growth environments.
Experience in Chief of Staff, program, or operations leadership roles where you owned outcomes, not just tasks
Experience scaling teams and processes in fast-paced, rapid-growth, ambiguous environments: a political campaign, a new government initiative, or a startup where you helped write the playbook
Exceptional communication skills—able to synthesize complex inputs, write clearly, and run efficient, high-impact meetings
Strong analytical skills, with a bias to outcomes-based results
Highly organized with strong attention to detail
Willing to travel up to 25%
The ability to obtain and maintain a U.S. TS Clearance is an advantage

🎯 Skills that supercharge us

Background in military, national security, defense policy, or federal program management
Prior experience at a defense tech or gov tech company is a plus, but not required
Experience managing up to senior leadership and operating as a strategic partner
A graduate degree in government affairs, technology policy, international relations, or a related field is preferred

✨ Benefits/Perks

🏥 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.

Compensation

The base pay range for this role is $130,000 – $200,000 per year.

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This position requires access to information and technology that is subject to U.S. export controls. Your responses to the questions below will be used solely to determine your eligibility under U.S. law to receive information and materials subject to U.S. export controls. Are you any of the following “protected individual(s)” as defined in the Immigration and Naturalization Act, 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3)? *

A person lawfully admitted for permanent residence of the United States (i.e. Green Card holder)

A person admitted as a refugee to the United States under 8 U.S.C. 1157

A person admitted as an asylee to the United States under 8 U.S.C. 1158

A United States citizen or national

None of the above

U.S. Work Authorization - Are you authorized to work in the United States? *

Yes

No

Will you require sponsorship from Nominal for employment now or in the future? (e.g, OPT, H1B visa)? *

Yes

No

Clearance Eligibility - Do you presently hold an active U.S. security clearance, or are you eligible to obtain and maintain a U.S. security clearance? *

Yes, I hold an active U.S. security clearance

Yes, I'm eligible for a U.S security clearance

No

If you have held a U.S. security clearance in the past, what clearance level have you held? *

Confidential

Secret

Top Secret

N/A - have never held a U.S. security clearance

This position is 5 days in office in NYC or DC. Are you able to work 5 days a week in one of these offices? *

Yes

No

This position requires travel up to 25%. Are you able to travel at this rate? *

Yes

No

Voluntary Self-Identification

To comply with government reporting requirements, we invite candidates to participate in the self-identification survey below. Your completion of this form is entirely optional, and your decision will neither influence the hiring process nor any subsequent stages. Any information you choose to share will be kept confidential and stored in a secure file. As outlined in our Equal Employment Opportunity policy, we uphold a commitment to non-discrimination based on any protected group status specified in applicable laws.

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Voluntary Self-Identification of Veteran Status

VEVRAA requires Government contractors to take affirmative action to employ and advance in employment protected veterans. To help us measure the effectiveness of our outreach and recruitment efforts of veterans, we are asking you to tell us if you are a veteran covered by VEVRAA. If you believe that you belong to any of the following categories of protected veterans, please indicate by making the appropriate selection.

Veteran status descriptions

Disabled veteran

A veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military and is entitled to disability compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to disability compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, or was discharged or released from active duty because of a service-connected disability

Recently separated veteran

A veteran separated during the three-year period beginning on the date of the veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S military, ground, naval, or air service

Active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran

A veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge was authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense

Armed Forces service medal veteran

A veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military ground, naval, or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985 (61 Fed. Reg. 1209).

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Req ID: R13

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