Director of Design, Strategy & Growth

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  The Director of Design, Strategy & Growth leads strategic design initiatives and capabilities development efforts across Nava. They play a critical role in growing Nava's design practice and enabling us to stay at the forefront of how modern design teams work.  The Director of Design builds the Design Org's leadership practice by leading mentorship, coaching, and capabilities-focused professional development efforts. They will report to the VP of Design and work closely with peers in Engineering, Product, Program Delivery, and Business Development to advance Nava’s mission and goals.  The scope of this role will flex with the needs of the practice and the candidate's strengths. We expect every Director of Design to be a strong general leader of the practice, with the ability to provide strong leadership on AI enablement and developing modern design teams. What you'll do Design Strategy & Capabilities Foster a collaborative and delivery-focused design culture, promoting a high standard of design excellence and user-centered thinking Lead capabilities-focused professional development opportunities across the Design Org Shape how the Design practice adopts AI, identifying opportunities, piloting approaches, scaling what works, and coaching Designers in building AI-informed workflows on their teams. Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including product management, engineering, and business development, to ensure design is strategic in all phases of company growth Stay up-to-date with design trends, industry standards, and emerging technologies to drive innovation Leadership 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 Guide teams in applying Nava's cross-functional delivery model and human-centered system integration expertise to build modern, user-centered products that achieve strong outcomes for clients. Other duties as required Growth & Business Development Actively contribute to Nava's decisions on which strategic work to pursue Contribute directly to business development through activities such as proposal development, solutioning, reviews, tech challenges, or market research presentations Identify, develop, and scale new Delivery capabilities in the Design Org Serve as a strategic partner by influencing and shaping Nava’s approach to 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 Communicates with clarity and credibility in all channels and formats, across audiences including executive leadership, external clients, peer collaborators, direct reports, and cross-functional delivery teams  Ability to develop, build, and maintain productive relationships at all levels of leadership, management, and the organization Desired skills Demonstrated AI leadership in a design organization: setting and executing AI strategy, scaling AI workflows across multiple design teams, and building AI products.  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 Compensation $185,000 — $210,000 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 mea