The Senior Designer/Researcher will lead design and research efforts, focusing on user needs to create digital services for government programs. Responsibilities include user research, prototyping, and collaborating with cross-functional teams.
About Nava
Nava is a consultancy and public benefit corporation working to make government services simple and effective. Since 2013, federal, state, and local agencies have trusted Nava to help solve highly scrutinized technology modernization challenges.
As a client services company, we guide agencies constrained by legacy systems to a future with sharp user experiences built on secure, reliable, fault-tolerant cloud infrastructure. We bill for our time, offering our expertise and problem-solving approach to help our government partners enhance their digital products and services.
People are at the heart of our work, from members of the public who rely on benefit programs to government agency staff. Through human-centered design and modern engineering best practices, we help our government partners better understand user needs and deliver on their missions more effectively. This focus gives everyone at Nava the opportunity to do work that is meaningful, impactful, and deeply connected to public good.
Position Summary
Nava is at the forefront of reimagining how our government serves its people, and we’re looking for a Senior Designer/Researcher to help drive this mission forward.
As a Senior Designer/Researcher at Nava, you’ll drive the design and research efforts of our work with the government, for programs that affect millions of Americans. You’ll lead work on cross-functional teams, moving from concept to implementation and championing user needs with everything from user research to prototyping to designing systems. You’ll bring us closer to the people we ultimately serve, helping deliver high-quality work that is simple, empathetic, and accessible.
You will be working within the government ecosystem, collaborating dynamically with other government contractors and civil servants. This means you'll likely encounter different working styles, and cultural norms, and be responsible for maintaining order and focus in complex stakeholder ecosystems.
What you'll do
- Prioritize, plan, and deliver roadmap-level design and research initiatives on projects
- Apply a human-centered design mindset to challenges by relentlessly focusing on user needs
- Drive understanding of users, by running quantitative and qualitative user research initiatives and sharing findings with internal and external collaborators
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams to deliver design work, including discovery artifacts, diagrams, user flows, high-fidelity prototypes, and design systems
- Collaborate with multidisciplinary Nava product teams and government staff to turn complex requirements into simple and accessible digital experiences
Required skills
- At least five years of experience working as a designer working in product teams within a professional working environment
- Experience mapping and driving systemic improvements within complex service environments
- Experience in designing, testing, and implementing digital services
- Experience designing with web and responsive user interface best practices
- A relentlessly curious mindset that is never satisfied with easy answers and able to quickly pick up new knowledge
- Equal parts systems thinker and advocate for users
- Highly resourceful, reliable, organized, and detail-oriented
- Ability to think strategically around trade-offs and short-term vs. long-term benefits in complex ecosystems
- Ability to build and form strong collaborative relationships with the internal team and external partners
- An adaptive, empathetic, and positive mindset
- Excellent communication skills
Please include a portfolio with your application. Applications without an online portfolio will not be considered.
Other requirements
All roles at Nava require the following:
Must be legally authorized to work in the United States.
Must meet any other requirements for government contracts for which candidates are hired.
Work authorization that doesn’t require visa sponsorship, now or in the future.
May be subject to a government background check or security clearance, depending on the contract.
Perks working with Nava
Health coverage – Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans to support your overall health needs.
Time off – Vacation, holidays (including Juneteenth), and floating days to rest and recharge.
Company holidays- Enjoy 12 paid federal holidays each year on top of your regular PTO.
Annual bonus – When Nava meets goals, eligible employees receive a performance-based annual bonus.
Parental leave – Paid time off for new parents, plus weekly meals delivered to your home.
Wellness program – Full platform offering physical, mental, & emotional health resources & support tools.
Virtual care – See doctors online with no copay through UnitedHealthcare’s virtual visit program.
Sabbatical leave – Earn extended paid leave after continuous service for personal growth or rest.
401(k) match – Nava matches 4% of your salary to support your retirement savings plan.
Flexible work – Remote-first environment with flexibility built around your schedule and responsibilities.
Home office setup – Company laptop & setup assistance provided via Staples for remote work needs.
Utility support – Monthly reimbursement to help offset eligible home office utility expenses.
Learning opportunities – Internal training programs and resources to help grow your professional skills.
Development budget – Annual allowance for courses, tuition, certifications, & LinkedIn Learning access.
Referral bonus – Get rewarded when you refer great people who join the Nava team.
Commuter benefits – Pre-tax commuter programs to support in-office travel when applicable.
Insurance coverage – Nava provides disability, life, and accidental death insurance at no cost.
Supportive culture – A collaborative and remote-friendly team environment where people genuinely care.
Location
We have fully remote options if you reside in one of the following states:
Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, DC, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, New Jersey, New York, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas, Tennessee, Utah, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin.
*If you are not living in one of the states listed above, unfortunately, you will not be considered for a position at this time. Additionally, if employed with Nava, you must be based in the U.S. and cannot work from outside the country.
Stay in touch
Sign up for our newsletter to find out about career opportunities, new partnerships, and news from the broader civic tech community.
Please contact the recruiting team at [email protected] if you would like to request reasonable accommodation during the application or interviewing process.
We participate in E-Verify. Upon hire, we will provide the federal government with your Form I-9 information to confirm that you are authorized to work in the U.S. This role requires you to work from the contiguous United States.
Top Skills
Design Systems
Prototyping
User Research
Web Design
Similar Jobs
Artificial Intelligence • Cloud • HR Tech • Information Technology • Productivity • Software • Automation
The Staff UX Researcher will develop research strategies, conduct various research methods, and influence product decisions to enhance customer experience.
Top Skills:
Ai-Powered ToolsOnline SurveysQuantitative And Qualitative Research Methods
Fintech • Legal Tech • Payments • Sales • Software
As a Senior Product Designer, you will define user-centered product experiences, collaborate with teams, conduct user research, and mentor junior designers.
Top Skills:
Adobe Creative SuiteAngularCSSFigmaHTMLJavaScriptReactSketch
Cloud • Information Technology • Productivity • Security • Software • App development • Automation
As a Lead Motion Design Technologist, you will elevate motion design across products, emphasizing storytelling and collaborating with cross-functional teams to enhance user experience.
Top Skills:
After EffectsBlenderC4DCreative CloudFigmaGsapLottiefilesMotion.DevOctaneProtopieRedshiftRive.App
What you need to know about the Charlotte Tech Scene
Ranked among the hottest tech cities in 2024 by CompTIA, Charlotte is quickly cementing its place as a major U.S. tech hub. Home to more than 90,000 tech workers, the city’s ecosystem is primed for continued growth, fueled by billions in annual funding from heavyweights like Microsoft and RevTech Labs, which has created thousands of fintech jobs and made the city a go-to for tech pros looking for their next big opportunity.
Key Facts About Charlotte Tech
- Number of Tech Workers: 90,859; 6.5% of overall workforce (2024 CompTIA survey)
- Major Tech Employers: Lowe’s, Bank of America, TIAA, Microsoft, Honeywell
- Key Industries: Fintech, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, cloud computing, e-commerce
- Funding Landscape: $3.1 billion in venture capital funding in 2024 (CED)
- Notable Investors: Microsoft, Google, Falfurrias Management Partners, RevTech Labs Foundation
- Research Centers and Universities: University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Northeastern University, North Carolina Research Campus
