ISSO Program 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.  

Position summary 

Nava is seeking a Senior Program Manager (ISSO) to lead system security, risk management, and infrastructure oversight in support of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

In this role, you'll lead Risk Management Framework (RMF) activities, maintain the system's Authorization to Operate (ATO), oversee security controls and risk assessments, support continuous monitoring and incident response, and serve as a trusted advisor to CMS stakeholders on the program's overall security and privacy posture.

The ideal candidate will have a bachelor's degree and at least seven years of relevant experience, with a strong background in the Risk Management Framework (RMF), Authorization to Operate (ATO) management, cybersecurity, and federal compliance. Experience leading security assessments, managing POA&Ms, and implementing federal security controls in an operational environment is essential. While Nava and CMS provide onboarding through the ISSO Handbook and ISSO Boot Camp, candidates should bring established experience managing RMF activities and supporting federal information security programs. Although no specific certification is required under the contract, credentials such as CISSP, CISM, or CompTIA Security+ are highly desirable.

This is an opportunity to take on a highly visible leadership role supporting one of CMS's mission-critical systems. You'll work closely with engineering teams, program leadership, and federal stakeholders to strengthen the program's security posture while helping deliver secure, reliable digital services that support millions of Americans.

What you'll do

• Serve as an ISSO supporting the implementation and ongoing maintenance of information security controls for assigned OEDA systems.
• Provide security engineering support for information systems and services operating within CMS-authorized enterprise platforms, including cloud-based and managed service environments.
• Provide essential support to the Authorizing Official (AO) and Authorizing Official Designated Representative (AODR) in making risk-based authorization decisions.
• Conduct continuous monitoring activities for assigned systems, including security event logging, vulnerability scanning, and configuration management to ensure ongoing compliance with security requirements and ATO conditions.
• Serves as the principal advisor to the Program ISSO involving the security and privacy of an information system.
• Responsible for ensuring the implementation and maintenance of security and privacy controls in accordance with existing agency
• Department, and federal government policies, as applicable.
• Provides guidance, oversight, and expertise to the development of security documents and implementation of security and privacy controls

Required skills

• 7+ years cybersecurity experience with a focus on federal contracts
• Must have experience with Custom Software or Cloud infrastructure programs/projects
• Federal security officer experience required
• Experience working with or for government agencies, with solid understanding of government contracting, compliance, and importance of audit trails 
• Experience with leading and growing agile development teams and the challenges of managing a project at scale, whether you inherited that team or built it from scratch
• Ability to demonstrate experience leading large-scale projects with significant complexity, including managing milestones, dependencies, and integrations with significant risk, uncertainty or scale
• Experience using agile frameworks like scrum, kanban, or SAFe and familiarity with agile development practices such as continuous integration and continuous delivery
• You are an empathetic communicator and relationship builder – you take a service-oriented approach to supporting the program team and our clients
• Adaptable problem solving and ability to deal with multi-dimensional challenges involving many organizations, processes, cultures, and technologies
• You are highly organized and care deeply about building and growing a sustainable, culture-conscious business
• A strategic approach to delivery planning and contract management over the medium-term and long-term
• An iterative approach to execution that emphasizes rapid team progress
• Ability to maintain broader situational awareness beyond the immediate team
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills

Desired Skills

• Previous experience in managing Paid Family Leave Benefits Programs, either in-house or as a vendor
• Experience working closely with or inside state government (or local government of major cities like NYC, LA, Chicago, or Houston) 
• Proven track record of building and leading high-performing, agile technology teams of 50+ staff
• Experience launching new production systems with high public visibility
• Experience with long term, complex, and ambiguous IT modernization efforts. 
• Experience with using common project management tools like Jira and Confluence
• Track record of introducing and expanding agile transformation and pursuing best practices in project management with clients and stakeholders
• Experience managing projects that provide production operations and support alongside ongoing product/feature development

Compensation$157,500—$177,300 USD

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 a virtual visit program (depending on available providers) 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, Connecticut, 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.   

Stay in touch

Sign up for our newsletter to find out about career opportunities, new partnerships, and news from the broader civic tech community.   Please contact the recruiting team at recruiting@navapbc.com 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.