The Capture Strategist will develop strategies for U.S. Government defense proposals, manage capture plans, conduct competitive analysis, and collaborate across teams to improve winning chances in contracts.
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.
Nominal New York, New York, USA Office
New York, NY, United States
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