Operational Lead APAC - Events

Location:Sydney, AUS

Department:Events

About the Role

The Operational Lead APAC – Events is responsible for leading the day-to-day delivery of Event Travel and Events operations across the region, ensuring a consistent, high-quality and commercially driven service. This hybrid leadership role combines strategic oversight, team leadership, client ownership, and hands-on operational delivery, ensuring ensuring both operational excellence and strong team performance. It plays a critical part in scaling the Australia and broader APAC operations while aligning with global standards.

What You'll Do

Lead the day-to-day delivery of Events and Event Travel operations across Australia and APAC, ensuring a consistent, high-quality client experience.
Own and deliver a portfolio of complex events and group travel programmes, ensuring projects are delivered on time, within budget, and to client expectations.
Remain actively involved in the hands-on management of key accounts, strategic clients, and high-value projects.
Oversee group travel logistics and event operations across Australia and APAC, including air, accommodation, and supplier management for groups of varying size
Act as the senior escalation point for operational and client issues, ensuring swift and effective resolution.
Lead, mentor, and develop a regional team, fostering a high-performing, collaborative, and accountable culture.
Establish and manage team and individual objectives, providing ongoing performance management.
Oversee workforce planning, resource allocation, recruitment, onboarding, and training to support business growth and service delivery requirements.
Build and maintain trusted relationships with clients and suppliers, acting as a senior consultant and strategic advisor across key accounts.
Lead client meetings, business reviews, and strategic discussions to ensure alignment with client objectives and expectations.
Drive commercial performance through effective budgeting, supplier negotiations, cost management, revenue optimisation, and financial oversight.
Ensure accurate and timely financial processes, including invoicing, reconciliation, and event budget management.
Implement and champion standardised processes, systems, and best practices to improve scalability, efficiency, and operational excellence.
Collaborate with global stakeholders and cross-functional teams to ensure service consistency, knowledge sharing, and alignment with broader business objectives.

This role is instrumental in shaping and growing Navan's Events and Event Travel capabilities across APAC. By leading high-performing teams, strengthening client partnerships, and driving operational excellence, you'll directly contribute to business growth, client satisfaction, and the continued expansion of Navan's global events offering.

What we’re looking for:

Proven experience in Events and Group Travel operations, including group travel logistics
Demonstrated people leadership experience, ideally within a regional or multi-market team
Strong working knowledge of GDS systems (Sabre preferred) and travel booking processes
Experience in managing large, complex event programmes, including multi-destination or high-volume attendee movements
Sound knowledge of event management platforms (e.g. Cvent)
Strong commercial acumen with a track record of driving revenue and profitability
Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
Ability to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously
High attention to detail with strong organisational capability

About Navan

Navan (Nasdaq: NAVN) is the global AI-powered business travel and expense platform that makes travel easy for frequent travelers. From finding flights and hotels, to automating expense reconciliation, with 24/7 support along the way, Navan delivers an intuitive experience travelers love and finance teams rely on. See how Navan customers benefit and learn more at navan.com.

Culture of Excellence

Our team is our competitive edge — a high-performance group of smart, driven people committed to winning together. This dedication to excellence is why we’ve been recognized as a Best Place to Work by Built In (2023–2026), a G2 Best Global Software Company (2025–2026), Forbes Cloud 100 (2022–2025), and CNBC Disruptor 50 (2022–2025). At Navan, we provide an environment where top talent excels, offering the autonomy and fast-paced trajectory needed to build a defining career and do the best work of your life.

Our Benefits

Navan offers a comprehensive benefits program designed to support your well-being, financial security, and life outside of work. Our benefits, thoughtfully tailored by country to meet local needs, include healthcare coverage, insurance offerings, and wellness resources for you and your family.

We support long-term financial growth through retirement savings programs and opportunities to participate in our equity plans, so you can share in Navan’s success. To promote balance, we offer flexible time off, country-specific holidays, and paid parental leave for all new parents. Additional benefits include connectivity and commuting support*, mental health resources, and exclusive travel-related perks. Wherever you’re based, our benefits evolve with you.

Workplace Policy

Navan believes in the value of in-person connections, whether that’s sitting down to have lunch with one another, taking a walking 1:1, or collaborating in a room together. The connections forged through face-to-face interactions improve company culture and drive business results. Navan invests in global office spaces — in the U.S., Europe, and Asia, among others — that feel welcoming. In-office perks such as company-provided lunches and happy hours create a strong team environment to help you do your best work. Our employees work from the office four days a week. Please expect this policy for all roles that are tied to an office.

Equal Opportunity

Navan is an equal opportunity employer. We make all employment decisions based solely on merit. We provide equal employment opportunity to all applicants and employees without discrimination on the bases of race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. We prohibit any such discrimination or harassment. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including hiring.

Accommodations

Navan complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), as amended by the ADA Amendments Act, and all applicable state or local law. Navan will reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with a disability in connection with applications for employment as required by law.

If you need any assistance or accommodations due to a disability, you are welcome to email us at talent-accommodations@navan.com.

Candidate Privacy Notice and Use of AI

As part of the recruitment process, certain personal data may be processed using automated tools, including tools that use AI. For details on how Navan collects and uses your personal data, please review Navan's Candidate Privacy Notice here.

Job Search Best Practices

We have been made aware of recruitment scams involving fraudulent attempts to lure job seekers into sending money or personal information in return for fake job offers or coerce them into purchasing equipment by electronic funds transfer (Zelle, Venmo, etc.) Legitimate Navan recruiters will never ask for money in any recruitment or onboarding activities. All available job openings at Navan will be posted on Navan’s website and all Navan recruiters will be reachable through an email address ending in “@navan.com” or “@navan.tech” or "@talent.navan.com".

*Applies to select locations.