Director of Engineering (State)

About the role

You will ensure delivery is predictable, high-quality and aligned to client and company goals, while developing engineering leaders and strengthening technical and delivery practices. You will partner with program and client stakeholders as needed to navigate ambiguity, manage risk and ensure alignment in complex, highly constrained environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead, hire and develop engineering teams, building strong leadership capability and supporting long-term career growth
• Own outcomes across a portfolio of client engagements, ensuring consistent execution, visibility into risks and high-quality outcomes
• Provide technical leadership across teams, shaping strategies to address client challenges and deliver scalable, sustainable solutions
• Engage directly with client stakeholders as needed to align on priorities, navigate ambiguity and build durable partnerships
• Drive decision-making across competing priorities, balancing delivery timelines, technical quality and team sustainability
• Strengthen engineering practices and standards across system design, quality, reliability and execution
• Collaborate across engineering, program management and the broader organization to plan work, manage tradeoffs and resolve dependencies
• Support business development through technical strategy, proposal input and identifying growth opportunities within existing engagements
• Foster a supportive, collaborative and high-performing engineering culture

Requirements

• 15+ years of experience in software engineering, including leadership of engineering teams
• 5+ years of experience as a manager of managers, leading multiple engineering teams
• Experience leading multiple engineering teams with responsibility for delivery outcomes across a 50+ engineering organization, driving alignment and technical direction across teams
• Proven ability to deliver complex, ambiguous work, balancing technical quality, team development and strategic priorities
• Experience owning delivery outcomes across multiple teams or initiatives, with clear accountability for quality, execution and results
• Experience influencing or shaping technical strategy across teams, driving alignment and consistency in approach
• Experience leading organizational or operational change, improving processes, structures or ways of working
• Strong technical judgment, with the ability to raise the bar on system design, reliability and engineering practices across teams
• Ability to operate effectively in constrained environments, navigating ambiguity, stakeholder complexity and evolving requirements

Desired skills

• Experience in client services, consulting or government technology environments
• Experience modernizing legacy systems, including incremental migration, system decomposition and working within existing constraints
• Track record of building and scaling engineering practices and engineering culture
• Strong business acumen, with experience partnering with program management or business development to drive strategic growth
• Experience identifying and applying AI/ML or generative AI opportunities in complex systems, including improving developer workflows, accelerating delivery or enhancing end-user services

Compensation

$207,400 - $229,000 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
• Insurance coverage
• Time off
• Company holidays
• Annual bonus
• Parental leave
• Wellness program
• Virtual care
• Sabbatical leave
• 401(k) match
• Flexible work
• Home office setup
• Utility support
• Learning opportunities
• Development opportunities
• Referral bonus
• Commuter benefits
• Supportive culture

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

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.