People Operations Manager

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.

About this Role

The Manager, People Operations blends traditional HR leadership with deep expertise in managing the Workday platform, including configuration, data analytics, reporting, and integrations to optimize processes, ensure compliance, and provide strategic workforce insights for data-driven decisions. This role is responsible for managing a high-performing team to deliver people related services and solutions in a high-growth environment. This role requires strong leadership, technical proficiency in Workday and a deep understanding of HR best practices. The purpose of this position is to help cultivate and sustain a diverse and inclusive environment where employees feel valued and able to deliver their best work. The People Operations Manager will build strong relationships with employees, serving as a thought partner to people managers, while staying informed of federal, state, and local guidelines affecting people operations in support of Nava’s culture and mission: Be Active Stewards, Pursue the Root Cause, Think Long-Term, Build Together, Inclusion is Essential and Progress Takes Work.

• Drive self insured program administration and champion wellness initiatives 
• Develop and deliver clear, effective benefits information
• Ensure adherence to federal, state and local regulations e.g. ERISA, HIPAA, ACA
• Provide guidance and input on benefits changes and communicating updates to employees
• Ensure the accuracy of all benefits enrollments in company systems to provide employees and vendors with accurate and timely information
• Respond to 401(k) inquiries from employees related to enrollment, plan changes, and contribution amounts
• Lead open enrollment process, including Workday system updates, and new hire onboarding; manage life status changes
• Respond to benefits inquiries from managers and employees on plan provisions, benefits enrollments, status changes and other general inquiries
• Assist employees with benefits claim issues and plan changes
• Oversee wellness budget, invoice management, and assist with budget forecasting 
• Ensure accurate and timely processing and support of all leave-of-absence (LOA) requests and ADA disability paperworkReview and provide assistance with leave documentsMaintain knowledge of leave laws and updating appropriate stakeholders
• Configure, maintain, and optimize Workday modules, manage system updates, integrations, security and conduct validation tests
• Design dashboards, generate reports, and perform statistical analysis on HR data to provide strategic insights and support decision-making 
• Drive stakeholder collaboration by serving as the primary liaison between People Operations, IT, Finance and business leaders to translate needs into actionable Workday 
• Champion compliance and auditing best practices by ensuring data integrity, security, and compliance with policies, and legal regulations within Workday
• Provide expert support, documentation and training for People Operations team and employees on Workday functionality
• Monitor and supporting Nava’s people systems and databases, including the HRIS, as well as recommending software for addressing the needs of employees
• Assist with onboarding and other new hire information management tasks
• Ensure personnel records are up to date, accurate and in compliance
• Review employee compensation and make recommendations to management Review and provide assistance with leave documents
• Assist in the design and implementation of the organizations compensation program to ensure pay is fair, equitable, cost-effective, and legally compliant to retain talent 
• Ensure regulatory adherence and collaborating with leadership on total rewards
• Support job description development and role evaluation to ensure alignment with unionized workforce
• Management of the company's policies, procedures and handbook, including the development of new people policies in accordance with organizational goals, industry trends, and labor laws and regulations.
• Identify and support all required compliance standards, as well as responding to and maintaining support for any annual or other audits, including those specifically related to government contractors
• Effective interpreting key laws and regulations as they affect employees, including the ADA, ADEA, EPA, FLSA, FMLA, ACA, IRCA, and other important federal and state standards.
• Generate  reports and completing data analysis for audit purposes
• Collaborate on efforts to foster positive workplace relations, support the handling of grievances, workplace investigations, and CBA administration. 
• Conflict resolution and guide fair resolution processes. 
• Promote positive culture and employee experience. 
• Ensure adherence to CBA in addition to all employment laws (ADA, FMLA, EEO). 
• Coach leaders on employee and labor relations, performance management, disciplinary actions and terminations
• Other duties as required.

• 7+ years’ progressive human resources experience with at least five years’ management or leadership experience leading teams and human resource programs.
• Thorough knowledge of federal and state employment laws.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build strong relationships across all levels of staff, to include executive leadership.
• Ability to work efficiently in a fast-paced environment. 
• Ability to use independent judgment.
• High emotional intelligence.

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Human Resources, Behavioral Science, or related field.
• Professional in human resources certification (PHR or SHRM certification).
• Experience working in a professional services firm or technology environment.
• Experience working in multi-state organizations.
• Working knowledge and experience in talent acquisition or recruiting.
• Proficiency using Google products.
• Proficiency in GSuite, Slack, Zoom, Excel, Apple computers, and other tools used to support a remote-work environment.
• Experience with a federal government contractor is a plus.

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, 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 [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.