Sr./Principal Software Engineer (Chief Engineer CMS/Federal Health Programs)

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

We are seeking a Senior / Principal Engineer (Chief Engineer) who leads through delivery and cares deeply about real-world impact. In this role, you will serve as the senior technical authority for a mission-critical platform at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), accountable for turning complex health data requirements into secure, scalable, compliant systems that work in production—not just on paper.

Day to day, you will guide hands-on technical execution across architecture, engineering, security, and operations, ensuring teams ship reliable software, meet federal compliance standards, and continuously improve outcomes for millions of people who rely on CMS services. You will make pragmatic technical decisions, unblock delivery, partner closely with product and program leadership, and own the health of systems from design through deployment and long-term operations. This role is ideal for a senior technologist who thrives at the intersection of technical leadership and mission delivery—someone who measures success by systems launched, problems solved, and the tangible social impact created when government health technology is done right.

What you'll do:
• Own end-to-end technical delivery of complex CMS systems, including APIs, data platforms, and cloud-native services
• Act as the final technical decision-maker when tradeoffs affect delivery timelines, risk, or compliance
• Ensure systems meet non-functional requirements for reliability, scalability, performance, accessibility, and cost efficiency
• Provide technical leadership and guidance to tech leads and senior engineers across multiple teams and workstreams
• Translate architectural vision and program goals into pragmatic, buildable, and maintainable solutions
• Enforce architectural patterns that promote loose coupling, interoperability, reuse, and alignment with CMS enterprise standards
• Balance long-term platform health and modernization goals with near-term delivery realities
• Collaborate with the Chief Security Engineer to ensure compliance with federal security requirements (FISMA Moderate/High, NIST 800-53) and support ATO and continuous monitoring activitie
• Own production readiness, operational maturity, and incident response, including observability and on-call practices
• Serve as a trusted technical partner to CMS stakeholders and cross-functional teams, clearly communicating complex technical decisions

Required skills:
• Ideal candidate has 8+ years of experience leading the implementation of enterprise-scale systems, preferably in the federal healthcare domain
• Proven success in delivering scalable, reliable, and secure IT infrastructures integrating hardware, software, cloud, databases, and APIs
• Programming Proficiency – Knowledge of modern programming languages (e.g., Python, Java, JavaScript, C++) for system development and integration
• Cloud Computing Expertise – Experience with cloud platforms like AWS, Azure, or Google Cloud to build cloud-based solutions
• Data Management and Modeling – Organizing, storing, and modeling data to support system operations and analytics
• Security Implementation – Applying robust security measures to protect systems from cyber threats
• Analytical and Problem-Solving Skills – Evaluating systems, identifying issues, and creating innovative solutions aligned with business goals
• Networking Knowledge – Understanding network infrastructure and protocols for seamless system integration
• Business Acumen and Resource Management – Aligning IT solutions with business objectives and managing project resources and budgets effectively
• Communication and Leadership – Clearly conveying technical concepts, leading teams, making decisions, and fostering collaboration
• Adaptability and Continuous Learning – Staying updated with evolving technologies and continuously enhancing 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, 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.

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.