The Role
As an Engineering Apprentice, you will receive on-the-job training, technical instruction, and structured career development while contributing to real projects in civic tech.
Summary Generated by Built In
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.
About the Apprenticeship Program
The Nava Engineering apprenticeship Program is a paid, full-time (40 hours/weekly) program starting in early 2026 for early-career professionals and career-changers interested in civic tech. This Maryland state–registered, competency-based program pairs apprentices with experienced mentors and places them on project teams working on challenges that impact millions. Nava is proud to be the first civic tech-based company offering an official apprenticeship program registered with the state of Maryland.
Apprenticeships begin with an immersive remote onboarding experience to build a foundational understanding of the profession. Apprentices will then join a Nava team to train on-the-job, while continuing to engage in engineering-specific curriculum throughout the your full-time, paid, on-the-job training, Nava invests in your growth by offering CompTIA academic instruction that can be completed outside of work hours.
Position summary
As an Engineering Apprentice at Nava, you’ll receive on-the-job training, technical instruction, and structured career development to build lasting professional skills. You’ll learn by doing—contributing to real projects that have meaningful public impact. Throughout the program, you’ll develop core software engineering skills in coding, testing, debugging, version control, and collaborative development, all while gaining hands-on experience building scalable, human-centered digital services for the public sector.
Position type: Exempt, full-time apprenticeship
Location: Remote
Apprenticeship duration: 2000 hours of hands-on learning and civic tech experience
What matters to us
- You thrive on cross-functional teams, enjoy collaborating, and can also work independently
- You bring empathy to your work and care deeply about the people who rely on the systems you build
- You value humility, personal growth, and see feedback as an opportunity to get better
- You’re comfortable giving and receiving kind, candid feedback
What you'll do
- Get comfortable presenting works-in-progress so mentors and teammates can provide timely feedback and support
- Bring an adaptive, empathetic, collaborative, and positive approach to challenges and teamwork
- Ability to think broadly about issues, considering technical, user, and organizational perspectives
- Get a solid understanding of org fundamentals and best practices
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills—able to explain complex technical ideas to both technical and non-technical audiences
Required skills
- Ability to work remotely, including strong, proactive communication skills; ensure productivity, clear blockers, and share your work progress while working independently
- Communicate clearly and professionally in writing, in-person, and through online tools
- Exhibit good judgment and adapt to new situations with flexibility and resilience
- Willingness to ask questions, seek feedback, and learn from mistakes
- Strong time management and organizational skills; able to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines
- Demonstrated curiosity and eagerness to learn new tools, technologies, and approaches
- Dependable, accountable, and able to follow through on commitments and take ownership of your work
- Collaborative mindset; comfortable working with teammates across disciplines while learning from others
Desired skills
- Some experience with coding, including through coursework, workforce training programs or software bootcamps
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.
Stay in touch
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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.
Top Skills
Coding
Software Engineering
Version Control
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The Company
What We Do
Nava is a public benefit corporation working to radically improve how government serves people. Formed as a team of designers and engineers in the effort to fix HealthCare.gov in 2013, Nava now works with Medicare and the Department of Veterans Affairs. With a strong research practice and a depth of experience scaling digital services, Nava helps more than sixty million people access critical government services.
We’re thinkers and designers of civic technology. We work holistically across engineering, research, design, and operations to proactively envision the services of a better future. We build with empathy and inclusion, and as we come from many backgrounds and countries ourselves, we seek and value different perspectives. We’d love for you to come join us.
