Job description
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 Open Source Developer Evangelist / Community Manager to help grow, support, and inspire our open source community. This role sits at the intersection of technology, communication, and community building. You’ll engage with developers, contributors, and partners, helping them succeed with our tools while championing open source practices that align with our mission.You will serve as the public face of the project for developers and civic technologists, creating pathways for contribution, running community programs, and ensuring that our open source work thrives through active participation and strong community health.
What you’ll do
- Build and maintain a welcoming and sustainable open source community
- Create high-quality content (blogs, tutorials, videos, sample apps, documentation) to help developers adopt and contribute
- Represent the project at conferences, hackathons, and industry events; deliver talks and workshops
- Manage community platforms (Discourse, Slack/Discord, GitHub) and moderate discussions
- Design and run contributor programs (onboarding guides, recognition, mentorship, ambassador networks)
- Partner with other Open Source Program Offices (OSPOs), civic tech orgs, and industry groups to strengthen collaboration
- 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)
Required skills
- Hands-on technical background: experience with GitHub/GitLab workflows, pull requests, and open source collaboration
- Experience with Ruby on Rails
- Familiarity with APIs, SDKs, or developer tools
- Strong written and verbal communication skills; ability to translate technical topics for diverse audiences
- Demonstrated experience building or sustaining an open source community (e.g., maintainership, community manager role, or active contributor)
- Experience with event planning or participation (meetups, hackathons, summits)
- Knowledge of open source licensing, governance models, and community norms
- Ability to work cross-functionally across engineering, product, and comms teams
Desired skills
- Experience as a developer advocate, evangelist, or community manager
- Public speaking experience at conferences, webinars, or workshops
- Background working with government, civic tech, or nonprofit communities
- Familiarity with community health metrics (e.g., CHAOSS metrics)
$113,900 - $135,900 a year
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.
