Empowered to do impactful work from day one - Anonymous employee Nava Employee Review

5.0
17 Feb 2018
Anonymous employee
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

This is the first place where I really do wake up most days, excited and motivated to come to work and roll up my sleeves. Nava attracts smart, caring, highly competent people who put people first. It is invigorating to work alongside folks who believe in the mission and are motivated by the incredible social impact and potential of the work we do -- but also value work/life balance and understand that taking care of each other and thinking long-term for yourself is essential to the sustainability of this company. Even during the interview process, I could tell that Nava is a place where I would feel respected and empowered to do my best work. Leadership is transparent, open to feedback, and empowers us to take ownership in our respective projects. For me, personally, this has unlocked a lot of skills that I never knew I had or could exercise in previous jobs. I also really appreciate Nava's commitment to diversity and inclusion. It was clear to me just by the language used on Nava's website during my interview process that Nava is extremely thoughtful about diversity. My first week on the job, I attended HR's monthly unconscious bias training (mandatory for all new employees). We have a committee that meets monthly to talk about D&I initiatives. We encourage and support female employees to submit proposals to speak at tech conferences. These are just a few examples of how Nava's commitment to D&I manifests - from even before you join Nava through to your day-to-day. Nava is still relatively small, and with leadership's emphasis on transparency and inclusion, there is plenty of opportunity to shape the company as it grows.

Cons

- Lots of stakeholders to manage. - Arbitrary divide between us (contractor) and government stakeholders (feds) can make it hard to make greater, more far-reaching impact.

Explore other reviews about Nava

5.0
12 Jan 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

Nava is invested in their people and operate with a clear direction in the uncertain landscape of government contracting.

Cons

The whole contracting industry is subject to the whims of individual administrations.

2.0
24 Apr 2026
Recommend
CEO approval
Business outlook

Pros

The company offers a competitive salary and strong benefits package, Flexible work arrangements, including remote and hybrid options, along with occasional travel opportunities that add variety to the role. Colleagues are intelligent, thoughtful, and genuinely committed to making a difference. There is a clear, shared sense of purpose around supporting individuals who rely on government assistance programs, particularly within the public health space, which lends the work a strong mission-driven foundation.

Cons

The organization struggles with fundamental operational and leadership challenges. Direct management was inconsistent and lacked the clarity, guidance, and accountability expected at this level, making it difficult to succeed and grow in the role. More broadly, there is a noticeable absence of accountability across teams, often resulting in confusion about ownership and responsibilities. Communication practices are another significant issue. An overreliance on Slack created a highly fragmented and overstimulating work environment, where critical work was buried in constant notifications and excessive back-and-forth. This was compounded by an overabundance of company-wide huddles, many of which disrupted day-to-day productivity without delivering clear value. The organization often felt structurally undefined. Roles and responsibilities weren't always clearly communicated, leaving employees frequently unclear on who has been hired or what their function is. There were several moments where I would attempt to reach out to someone via email or Slack just to find out that their access is activated and they no longer work for the company. No announcement, nothing, just awkard moments of realizing that a coworker no longer works at the company. High turnover further destabilized team cohesion. Leadership also appears to lack strategic clarity at times, particularly when it comes to differences of opinions, and establishing clear event goals and objectives, leading to inefficiencies and last-minute pivots. Cross-team collaboration, while encouraged, often resulted in misalignment and duplicated efforts rather than streamlined outcomes. Some assigned tasks felt redundant and lacked meaningful opportunities for growth or skill development. Additionally, it was difficult to schedule time with colleagues, which slowed progress and created bottlenecks on critical tasks and projects. Onboarding and role clarity are particularly weak points—receiving a formal job description more than eight months into the role reflects a broader pattern of disorganization. Overall, the company operates in a reactive mode, often “building" the plane while flying it,” which contributes to an unsustainable and at times chaotic work environment.

7
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