Modernization Engineer (Mainframe)
New Jersey
Nava Roles - Engineering – Software /
Full-time /
Hybrid
About Nava
Nava is a consultancy and public benefit corporation working to make government services simple and effective. Since 2015, 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 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.
For more information, visit https://www.navapbc.com/.
Position Summary
As a modernization engineer, you will play a key role in transforming mission-critical legacy systems into modern, user-centered digital services. You will serve as a bridge between system administrators, policy experts, and the delivery team, analyzing how systems function today, capturing institutional knowledge, and guide modernization efforts. This role is a hybrid role and it requires on site in the office minimum 2 days a week.
What you'll do
- Analyze how the legacy system operates across workflows, data, and user roles
- Collaborate with clients and stakeholders to capture domain knowledge and understand constraints
- Translate legacy system into business requirements
- Create tech specs to guide development of the replacement system
- Build interfaces between the legacy system and the replacement system
- Participate in code reviews to ensure implementation aligns with system requirements and standards
Required skills
- This is a hybrid role. Must be able to commute to Downtown Trenton, NJ 2-3 days a week, based on client need
- Prior experience working on modernization efforts involving legacy systems (e.g., mainframes, monolithic architectures, outdated custom platforms)
- Strong ability to reverse-engineer legacy systems and understand complex workflows
- Ability to identify gaps, inconsistencies, and undocumented behaviors in existing systems
- Proficient in documenting systems, workflows, and decisions in a clear and consistent manner
- Experience writing clear and actionable technical specifications for engineering teams
- Experience with modern programming languages and web development frameworks
- Experience with COBOL, VSAM, DB2 is a plus
$135,900 - $153,000 a year
Other requirements
All roles at Nava require the following:
Legal authorization to work in the United States
Ability to 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
Insurance coverage — Nava provides disability, life, and accidental death insurance at no cost
Time off — vacation, holidays (including Juneteenth), and floating holidays to rest and recharge
Company holidays — enjoy 12 paid federal holidays each year on top of your regular PTO
Annual bonus — when Nava meets its 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 opportunities — LinkedIn Learning access & an annual allowance for courses, tuition, & certs
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
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, Ohio, 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.
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 recruiting@navapbc.com 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.
