Remote New

Vice President of People Operations

Nava Public Benefit Corp
parental leave, paid time off, 401(k), remote work
United States, D.C., Washington
Apr 30, 2025
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 VP of People Operations provides strategic leadership and drives operational excellence across People Services, People Strategy, People Analytics, and Talent Acquisition for Nava's rapidly scaling professional services organization. The VP aligns employee experience and high quality service towards our longterm talent strategy, and designs, runs, and adapts our operations to be customer-centered, efficient, and scalable. The People teams use data and feedback to inform continuous improvement to an end-to-end employee lifecycle to support Nava's longterm strategic objectives. Together, the VP is an executive that leads our efforts to field the industry's most effective teams. You will work as part of a remote-first team to deliver the highest quality internal support and solutions to employees at scale in a fast-growing company. Nava is 500+ people today, and the VP of People Operations will be integral to help us scale over the next several years and become a more mature delivery and consulting firm. Critical to this role will be the ability to continuously enhance people operations strategies and services, and you will play an instrumental role in developing our employees' experience, skills, and sense of well-being. As a proven leader, you bring joy to your team's work and the work of all at Nava, build trust in all interactions, elevate your team and company employees, serve as a role model for others, and understand the challenges and business realities of our industry. You will be able to recognize, balance, and double down on what makes Nava different from competitors, while being able to mature our company and team with sound decisions, practices, and techniques. What you'll do Inspire, lead, and develop the company's People team in a manner which promotes a customer service mindset, an ability to deliver high-touch solutions, and an inclusive approach to People strategies and service. Work with delivery, growth, operations, and finance teams to set holistic strategies that enable Nava to hire, grow, and retain the best talent in civic tech. Maintain a pulse of the market - what our client value about working with Nava staff and teams, what prospective candidates value in a career, etc - and ensure that our strategies are adapted to maintain a competitive edge. Develop solutions that foster a healthy workplace culture, including initiatives related to employee relations, communication, engagement, recognition, and sense of belonging across our remote-first workforce. Build, develop, and execute talent engagement strategies, including design and implementation of company-wide programs for training, people management, and retention. Ensure that Nava's Talent Acquisition team has the resources, guidance, culture, training, and support to effectively source, hire, and onboard the best talent in civic tech, including Strategic and Contract hiring, the Apprenticeship program and Navalum engagement. Set and achieve clear metrics to ensure high quality recruiting and staffing occurs quickly during peak recruiting spikes; proactively capacity plan for contract wins or risks. Design and implement integrated talent management solutions, including leadership development, talent reviews, and succession planning, to support employee growth across the organization. Partner with executives, directors, managers, and staff to create career maps aligned with levels, manager expectations, performance management, benefits, and incentives that drive business success and enhance the employee experience. Work with people managers to develop and nurture high potential employees while identifying ways to expand growth and development opportunities for all employees, including design and implementation of Total Rewards and bonus programs, matrix aligned Performance Management Program, Engagement Survey and Learning/Development curriculum, balancing organization capacity with the ability to expand the company's position in the market for talent. Ensure the company has robust and supportive policies, procedures, and related documentation, including the development of new People policies in accordance with organizational goals, industry trends, and labor laws and regulations and effectively implement strategies for new or improved programs, policies, and processes to improve organizational results and risk mitigation. Serve as a leader in the company's evolution of its business processes, change management capabilities, and engagement model that are aligned with company values, mission, and ability to deliver results for our clients. Design, implement, and enhance people operations-related technology to deliver high-touch services, efficient internal processes, standardization, and ease of reporting and data analysis, including HRIS/Personnel record administration, Workforce and Demographic reporting, Onboarding/Offboarding. Nava is a unionized workplace, so this role must negotiate and administer negotiated labor contracts and agreements, while ensuring effective working relationships between company management and the union. Successfully identify and implement leading benefit programs which serve our growing workforce. Ensure compliance with key laws and regulations as they affect employees, including the ADA, ADEA, EPA, FLSA, FMLA, ACA, IRCA, and other important federal, state, and local standards, as well as responding to and maintaining support for any annual or other audits, including those specifically related to government contractors . Required skills 10+ years of progressive People Operations management experience, including 5+ years as an senior People Operations Leader BS/BA required, Masters preferred; PHR or SHRM certification preferred Experience with complex HRIS migrations at scale, or implementing Workforce Development/Planning programs Experience standing up HRBP programs to support rapidly scaling workforces Experience with at least two of the following: Government contracting, Professional services firm experience at 1000+, Union relations Experience leading People teams of 10+ Experience building People Operations teams in a professional services context, where delivery staff and consultants may come from a large range of backgrounds and experience levels A seasoned, experienced leader in the field of People Operations and human resources with a customer service mindset and desire to see individuals reach their full potential Ability to independently implement strategies and services and in a fast-paced, dynamic, and growing environment while maintaining alignment across organizational boundaries Significant exposure to a broad range of People Operations functions, including people strategy, people services, culture development, change management, recruiting, retention, workforce planning, and organizational development Demonstrated and results-oriented experience leading organizational design initiatives, succession planning, and talent development Capacity and resilience to develop, build, and grow strong working relationships at all levels of leadership, management, and the organization Confidence and proven ability to present challenging concepts to a wide ranging audience Experience with complex and difficult change management, from conception to rollout and communication High level of personal integrity, ethics, motivation, and ability to foster mutual respect and inclusion Thorough knowledge of recruiting, people operations, and human resources principles and applicable federal and state regulations Experience managing high-performing employees and teams in the field of people operations and human resources Desired skills Experience with a federal government contractor is a plus, as is experience with software used to manage government contracts Proficiency in GSuite, Slack, Zoom, Excel, Apple computers, and other tools used to support a remote-work environment 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 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.