Director of Design, Operations
Remote
Nava Roles - Delivery – Creative / Design /
Full-time /
Remote
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, Operations is responsible for ensuring efficiency in how the team works, removing logistical and procedural obstacles that hinder productivity, and leading operations across the Design Org. The Director provides operational leadership across the Design and Delivery Organizations, promoting best practices that encourage fast learning, quality, reuse, and creativity. They ensure that the Design Org is recruiting, hiring, and growing, and that staff are placed on programs quickly and effectively. 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
- Provide operational leadership and people management with the right balance of compassion and candor
- Develop and refine equitable practices and cultivate a diverse and effective Design team, helping them realize their potential and honoring each team member's unique experiences
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including product management, engineering, and business development, to ensure seamless integration of design throughout the product life cycle
- Seek support from champions within Nava or amongst clients, especially in the digital services and digital transformation space, where there is anticipated resistance to new practices or decisions
- Promote reuse and enable new Nava Designers to access Nava’s institutional knowledge and best practices to encourage fast learning, quality, reuse, and creativity
- Ensures the team understands their role in effective operations
- Oversee hiring and staffing for the Design Org, and collaborate with Design leadership to recruit, hire, and grow according to company goals and objectives
- Ensure staff are placed on programs quickly and effectively
- Collaborate with teaming partners to staff programs in a way that meets our contractual obligations
- Establish best processes and practices for hiring and staffing, and share those across Nava
- Develop, roll out, and manage hiring and staffing initiatives and training
- 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
- Ensure staff consistently hit billable hours targets
- Other duties as required
- Serve as a strategic partner by influencing and shaping Nava’s approach to growth
- Actively contribute to Nava’s revenue growth by supporting and contributing to business development activities
- Provide input on bid opportunity assessments to help Nava decide which bids to pursue
- Assign subject matter experts from Design to help Nava submit strong proposals
- Identify key personnel for business development proposals
- Contribute directly to business development by writing proposals, coaching, participating in market studies, and reviewing proposals
Hiring & Staffing
Leadership
Growth
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 leadership
- 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
- 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
Desired skills and experience
$165,000 - $175,000 a year
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
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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.
