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

Serve as the principal advisor to the Program ISSO involving the security and privacy of an information system

Be responsible for ensuring the implementation and maintenance of security and privacy controls in accordance with existing agency

Department, and federal government policies, as applicable

Provide 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

Empathetic communication and relationship building – 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

Be highly organized and care deeply about building and growing a sustainable, culture-conscious business

Take a strategic approach to delivery planning and contract management over the medium-term and long-term

Take 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 — monthl