Senior/Principal Software Engineer (Python)Remote

Nava Public Benefit Corp; United States; Remote; USD 153,000 - 171,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health coverage

Disability, life, and AD&D insurance

Paid time off and holidays

Annual bonus

Parental leave

Wellness program

Virtual care

Sabbatical leave

401(k) match

Flexible work

Home office setup

Utility reimbursement

Learning opportunities

LinkedIn Learning allowance

Referral bonus

Commuter benefits

Supportive culture

Job summary

Nava Public Benefit Corp is seeking a Tech Lead to define technical strategy and lead a distributed engineering team in delivering scalable, secure open-source solutions for public-sector clients. You will coordinate across delivery teams, guide architecture, and collaborate with product teams, government stakeholders, and contractors.

The role emphasizes empathetic leadership, modern tech stacks, cloud-based delivery, and open-source collaboration while maintaining long-term maintainability and

Qualifications

• 10+ years of software engineering experience, including 2+ years managing engineers and leading technical delivery.
• Architect and deliver scalable, maintainable distributed systems.
• Advanced proficiency in modern programming languages and frameworks (Python, React, Node.js, or equivalent).
• Strong understanding of system integration, data migration, and API/interface development.
• Hands-on DevOps experience: CI/CD, IaC, automated testing, cloud environments (AWS or equivalent).
• Experience building and managing cross-functional engineering teams with product/design/stakeholder alignment.
• Familiarity with open-source development and community-driven initiatives.
• Proven ability to lead with empathy and foster an inclusive, high-performing team environment.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage a team of engineers with regular coaching and career development.
• Define the technical vision and architecture roadmaps with clients and delivery teams.
• Collaborate with government stakeholders to secure buy-in on technical initiatives and align stakeholders.
• Act as liaison between developers, executives, and non-technical stakeholders.
• Make key architectural decisions balancing long-term goals with short-term delivery needs.
• Enforce engineering best practices in code quality, testing, security, and documentation.
• Work with cross-functional product teams to identify and mitigate technical risks.
• Guide planning, estimation, prioritization, and balancing debt with milestones.

Skills

Leadership / mentoring

Software architecture

Modern languages & frameworks

System integration & APIs

DevOps & cloud

Cross-functional collaboration

Open-source familiarity

Empathetic leadership

Job description

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 needsOversee 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

• 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:

Alabama, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, DC, Delaware, 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.

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Please contact the recruiting team at [e-mail] 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.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Nava is committed to providing equal employment opportunities without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, gender and/or gender identity or expression, color, creed, religion, religious creed, age, national origin, ethnicity, disability, veteran or military status, sex, sexual orientation, reproductive health autonomy, pregnancy, childbirth, and medical conditions related to pregnancy or childbirth, genetic information, domestic violence victim status, marital status, citizenship status, or any other characteristic protected by law. Nava prohibits any such discrimination or harassment. This policy applies to all employees, applicants, contractors, and temporary workers of Nava.