Capture Strategist
Nominal
New York, NY, USA · Washington, DC, USA
Posted on Jun 4, 2026
Capture Strategist
New York, NY • Washington, D.C.
Federal
In office
Full-time
About Nominal
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.
The Capture Strategist will play a critical role in how Nominal expands its footprint across U.S. Government and defense customers. This is a high-leverage, cross-functional role for someone who can connect dots early, structure complex pursuits, and drive alignment across teams to increase probability of win. This role partners closely with Business Development, which owns customer relationships and deal execution, while this role owns capture strategy and win positioning. They will work closely with growth, engineering, mission, product, and leadership teams to drive capture strategy for priority pursuits from early shaping through proposal submission.
🚀 About the role
- Shape customer-facing opportunity strategies by translating mission needs, procurement signals, and competitive context into clear win approaches for priority opportunities across U.S. Government customers
- Partner with Proposal Strategists to develop strategic written materials, including RFIs, RFPs, white papers, technical narratives, presentations, and other customer-facing documents
- Perform regular research to understand emerging programs and opportunities and to learn about industry-specific subject matter in order to shape early-stage opportunity development
- Conduct competitive analysis to gain insights into market dynamics and competitor landscape, which contributes to opportunity qualification, teaming determination, and narrative development
- Inform qualification of business opportunities and evaluate impact to business and probability of win
- Own development of capture plans in partnership with Business Development leadership, aligning with business priorities and growth targets across domains
- Attend customer meetings, industry days, conferences to inform capture strategy and opportunity shaping
🔍 We're looking for someone with
- 5+ years of experience in capture, proposal strategy, proposal writing, business development, strategic communications, or related roles in aerospace, defense, government technology, or other complex technical domains
- Proven ability to operate cross-functionally and drive alignment across technical and non-technical stakeholders
- Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, especially in translating technical concepts into compelling narratives
- Experience with highly technical products, systems, or mission concepts in aerospace, digital infrastructure, defense-tech, or related fields
- Strong strategic judgment, including the ability to assess risk, prioritize opportunities, and focus on highest-leverage efforts
- Comfort operating in fast-paced, ambiguous environments—ideally within a startup or high-growth company
- Willing to travel up to 25%
- The ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret / Secure Compartmented Information (TS/SCI) clearance is an advantage
⚡ Skills that accelerate us
- Familiarity with Federal acquisition processes, proposal structures, and evaluation criteria, especially for non-traditional acquisition pathways
- Significant experience supporting and writing Federal proposals and market research, with demonstrated success capturing multi-million-dollar awards
- Background in technology, engineering, or test and evaluation environments is an asset
✨ 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.
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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)? *
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Will you require sponsorship from Nominal for employment now or in the future? (e.g, OPT, H1B visa)? *
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? *
If you have held a U.S. security clearance in the past, what clearance level have you held? *
This position is based in either NYC or DC. Are you able to work 5 days in office in NYC or DC? *
This role requires up to 25% travel. Are you open to 25% travel requirements? *
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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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 disabilityRecently separated veteran
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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).Veteran status
Req ID: R81