Senior/Principal Software Engineer (Python)

Nava Public Benefit Corp.; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 153,000 - 171,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health coverage

Disability insurance

Vacation and holidays

Annual bonus

Parental leave

Wellness program

Virtual care

Sabbatical leave

401(k) match

Flexible remote work

Home office setup

Utility stipend

Learning opportunities

Referral bonus

Commuter benefits

Supportive culture

Job summary

Nava Public Benefit Corp. is seeking a Senior/Principal Software Engineer (Python) to lead and define our technical strategy for scalable, open‑source solutions. This fully remote role collaborates with product teams and government stakeholders to build secure, reliable cloud systems and drive long-term maintainability.

You will oversee architecture, mentor engineers, and ensure alignment across delivery teams while balancing technical debt and delivering on milestones.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of software engineering experience, including 2+ years managing engineers and leading technical delivery
• Architect and deliver scalable, maintainable, and secure distributed systems
• Proficiency in Python and modern frameworks
• Strong understanding of system integration, data migration, and API/interface development
• Hands-on DevOps with CI/CD, IaC, automated testing, and cloud environments

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage a team of engineers, providing regular coaching and growth opportunities
• Define the technical vision and architectural roadmap with clients and delivery teams
• Collaborate with government stakeholders to secure buy-in for initiatives and align technical efforts
• Act as liaison between developers, executives, and non-technical stakeholders
• Make architectural decisions balancing long-term goals with short-term delivery needs
• Oversee delivery, manage risks, dependencies, and trade-offs to stay on track
• Enforce engineering best practices in code quality, testing, security, and docs
• Work with cross-functional product teams to identify and mitigate technical risks
• Guide planning, estimation, prioritization, and balancing debt with milestones

Skills

Software architecture

Team leadership

Python

Cloud/DevOps

API integration

Open source

Communication

Security

Tools

AWS

Docker

CI/CD

Kubernetes

Infrastructure as Code

Job description

Senior/Principal Software Engineer (Python)

Remote

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.

Position summary

As the Tech Lead, you will define the technical strategy and lead the engineering team in building modern, scalable, open‑source solutions. You will coordinate across delivery teams, guide architecture and implementation, and ensure that the system meets business needs, technical standards, and long‑term maintainability goals. You will collaborate with the product team, government stakeholders, and other contractors to build new systems and make improvements to existing systems.

What you’ll do

• Lead and manage a team of engineers, providing regular coaching, feedback, and support for professional growth
• Define the technical vision and architectural roadmap in collaboration with clients and the delivery team
• Work closely with government stakeholders to get buy‑in on technical initiatives. Build technical alignment across client, stakeholders, and vendor partners
• Act as a liaison between developers, executives, and non‑technical stakeholders
• Make key architectural decisions that balance long‑term program goals with short‑term delivery needs
• Oversee technical delivery, managing risks, dependencies, and trade‑offs to keep projects on track
• Establish and enforce engineering best practices in code quality, testing, security, and documentation
• Work closely with cross‑functional product teams to identify and mitigate technical risks
• Guide the engineering team on planning, estimation, prioritization, trade‑offs, and balancing technical debt and meeting project milestones

Required skills

• 10+ years of software engineering experience, including 2+ years managing engineers and leading technical delivery
• Proven ability to architect and deliver scalable, maintainable, and secure distributed systems
• Advanced proficiency in modern programming languages and frameworks (e.g., Python, React, Node.js, or equivalent)
• Strong understanding of system integration, data migration, and API/interface development
• Hands‑on experience with DevOps practices, including CI/CD pipelines, infrastructure‑as‑code, automated testing, and cloud environments (AWS or equivalent)
• Experience building and managing cross‑functional engineering teams, fostering alignment and collaboration with product, design, and client stakeholders
• Familiarity with open‑source development and community‑driven initiatives
• Demonstrated ability to lead with empathy, build trust, and create an environment where engineers can thrive

Compensation

$153,000 - $171,000 USD

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 a virtual visit program (depending on available providers)
• Sabbatical leave— earn extended unpaid 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:

*If you are not living in one of the states listed above, unfortunately, you will not be considered for a position at this time.

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.

Voluntary Self-Identification

For government reporting purposes, we ask candidates to respond to the below self‑identification survey.Completion of the form is entirely voluntary. Whatever your decision, it will not be considered in the hiringprocess or thereafter. Any information that you do provide will be recorded and maintained in aconfidential file.

As set forth in Nava PBC’s Equal Employment Opportunity policy,we do not discriminate on the basis of any protected group status under any applicable law.

If you believe you belong to any of the categories of protected veterans listed below, please indicate by making the appropriate selection.As a government contractor subject to the Vietnam Era Veterans Readjustment Assistance Act (VEVRAA), we request this information in order to measurethe effectiveness of the outreach and positive recruitment efforts we undertake pursuant to VEVRAA. Classification of protected categoriesis as follows:

A "disabled veteran" is one of the following: a veteran of the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service who is entitled to compensation (or who but for the receipt of military retired pay would be entitled to compensation) under laws administered by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs; or a person who was discharged or released from active duty because of a service‑connected disability.

A "recently separated veteran" means any veteran during the three‑year period beginning on the date of such veteran's discharge or release from active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval, or air service.

An "active duty wartime or campaign badge veteran" means a veteran who served on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service during a war, or in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized under the laws administered by the Department of Defense.

An "Armed forces service medal veteran" means a veteran who, while serving on active duty in the U.S. military, ground, naval or air service, participated in a United States military operation for which an Armed Forces service medal was awarded pursuant to Executive Order 12985.

Select...

Voluntary Self-Identification of Disability

Form CC-305

Page 1 of 1

OMB Control Number 1250-0005

Expires 07/31/2029

BUSINESS:

• Alcohol or other substance use disorder (not currently using drugs illegally)
• Autoimmune disorder, for example, lupus, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV/AIDS
• Blind or low vision
• Cancer (past or present)
• Cardiovascular or heart disease
• Celiac disease
• Cerebral palsy
• Deaf or serious difficulty hearing
• Diabetes
• Disfigurement, for example, disfigurement caused by burns, wounds, accidents, or congenital disorders
• Epilepsy or other seizure disorder
• Gastrointestinal disorders, for example, Crohn's Disease, irritable bowel syndrome
• Intellectual or developmental disability
• Mental health conditions, for example, depression, bipolar disorder, anxiety disorder, schizophrenia, PTSD
• Missing limbs or partially missing limbs
• Mobility impairment, benefiting from the use of a wheelchair, scooter, walker, leg brace(s) and/or other supports
• Nervous system condition, for example, migraine headaches, Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis (MS)
• Neurodivergence, for example, attention‑deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), autism spectrum disorder, dyslexia, dyspraxia, other learning disabilities
• Partial or complete paralysis (any cause)
• Pulmonary or respiratory conditions, for example, tuberculosis, asthma, emphysema
• Short stature (dwarfism)
• Traumatic brain injury

Disability Status Select...

PUBLIC BURDEN STATEMENT: According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. This survey should take about 5 minutes to complete.