Open Source Community Manager Engineer

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

At Nava, we are building open-source solutions that help governments move faster, reduce costs, and adapt technology to meet evolving needs for everyone. We believe government technology should be modern, flexible, and cost-effective, and our work empowers states and agencies to deliver smarter, more efficient services to millions of Americans.

We are seeking a passionate Open Source Community Manager Engineer to join our team and help build modular, reusable tools that scale across public agencies. This role offers the opportunity to work in the open, collaborate with civic technologists, and contribute to technology that makes a tangible impact on public services.

• Design, develop, and maintain open-source software that is modular, reusable, and production-ready (Rails)
• Collaborate across teams to implement best practices for scalable and maintainable code
• Contribute to a community-driven development process, including documentation, code reviews, and demos
• Help states and agencies leverage shared infrastructure to accelerate implementation and reduce costs
• Manage community platforms (Discourse, Slack/Discord, GitHub) and moderate discussions
• Design and run contributor programs (onboarding guides, recognition, mentorship, ambassador networks)
• Track and report on community health metrics: contributor growth, engagement, event participation, and impact
• Advocate internally for developer needs and ensure feedback informs the roadmap
• Ensure compliance with open source best practices (licensing, governance, contribution guidelines, documentation)

• Strong experience in software engineering and open-source development (GitHub workflow)
• Familiarity with cloud infrastructure (AWS), modular architecture, and collaborative workflows
• Passion for public service, civic technology, and working transparently in the open
• Excellent problem-solving, communication, and collaboration skills

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 UnitedHealthcare’s virtual visit program

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, DC, 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 [email protected] 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.