Director of Design, Strategy & Growth

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

The Director of Design, Strategy & Growth leads strategic design initiatives and business development efforts across Nava. They contribute to Nava's growth through solutioning on contract proposals and providing strategic guidance on business development efforts. They collaborate across Delivery, Business Development, and Nava to identify new opportunities, grow the business, and build capacity to take on new work. The Director of Design also builds the Design Org's management practice by leading mentorship, coaching, and capabilities-focused professional development efforts. They collaborate with cross-functional teams and leaders across Nava's Delivery Organization and provide support and information to stakeholders.

Opportunities and Challenges

The government contracting ecosystem is a compliance-driven multi-stakeholder environment – particularly when compared to the operating environments for companies of our size in the private sector. Successful members of our team understand how to be innovative within this environment. Finding and recommending ways to improve how government digital services are procured and built is one of the highest-leverage ways we fulfill our mission.

What You’ll Do

Growth & Business Development

• Actively contribute to Nava's decisions on which new work to pursue
• Contribute directly to business development through activities such as proposal development, solutioning, reviews, tech challenges, or market research presentations
• Identify and facilitate the assignment of subject matter experts (SMEs) and key personnel (KP) for business development proposals
• Translate Delivery Org insights into growth strategies and reusable assets for business development
• Identify, develop, and scale new Delivery capabilities in the Design Org
• Serve as a strategic partner by influencing and shaping Nava’s approach to growth




Design Strategy & Capabilities

• Foster a collaborative and delivery-focused design culture, promoting a high standard of design excellence and user-centered thinking
• Lead capabilities-focused professional development opportunities across the Design Org
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including product management, engineering, and business development, to ensure design is strategic in all phases of company growth
• Stay up-to-date with design trends, industry standards, and emerging technologies to drive innovation
• Develop internal and external communications to position Nava as an innovator in the civic tech space




Leadership

• Manage a team of up to eight direct reports across multiple projects
• Act as a sounding board for design team members at Nava, coaching them through challenges, helping to review and structure their work, and providing coverage when necessary
• Serve as an escalation point for direct reports and their teams
• Meet regularly with senior/principal designers and Design Managers, using that time for identifying coaching and training opportunities, removing blockers, and managing team operations
• Identify opportunities for collaboration or escalation with other organizations/departments at Nava 
• Contributing and being accountable to quarterly and yearly goals and metrics for the Design Org
• Ensure staff consistently hit billable hours targets
• Other duties as required

Required skills

• A skilled practitioner with deep experience in creative, strategic, technical, managerial, and operational aspects of human-centered design at scale
• A proven leader who has experience managing complexity, developing strategy, and conducting long-term planning
• In-depth experience cultivating strong relationships with external stakeholders and partners
• 10+ years of experience as a human-centered design practitioner
• 5+ years of direct people management experience and team
• Experience with fast-growing companies, with a bonus for experience within government contracting or professional service firms 
• An adaptive, empathetic, collaborative leadership mindset 
• Excellent organizational skills and effective presentation skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication




Desired skills and experience

• Experience managing the business dynamics in a professional services firm (billable hours, contract portfolios, client services skills)
• Experience and bias toward a “company-builder” frame of mind
• Track record of introducing and expanding agile transformation and pursuing best practices in design management with clients and stakeholders

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.