Empowered to do impactful work from day one
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.
