Manager, Event Operations Australia

Location:Sydney, AUS

Department:Events

The Opportunity

Navan Events is bringing together its meetings and events businesses under a unified, technology-enabled operating model. We are building a scalable managed-services organisation that combines Navan technology with deep event expertise. The Manager, Event Operations will lead the Australia Event Operations function, with responsibility for team performance, client delivery, operational standards and commercial outcomes, while working within the strategic direction set by the executive leadership.

Based in Sydney and reporting to the Director, Event Travel, this leader will oversee an organisation responsible for event travel, event planning, venue sourcing, supplier contracting, registration, attendee management, event production, onsite delivery, and reconciliation. They will establish globally consistent standards while enabling regional teams to respond effectively to local clients, markets, and suppliers.

The work

Lead operational risk management, compliance, duty of care, incident escalation, financial controls and business continuity planning across the function.
Establish scalable service, staffing, and delivery models that improve profitability without compromising client experience.
Establish standards for delivery quality, supplier management, contracting, budget control, reconciliation, risk management, and service recovery.
Serve as primary contact and resolution lead for critical account challenges and delivery risks.
Partner with Product and Engineering to automate manual workflows, improve client visibility, and ensure new products are operationally ready and adopted successfully.
Lead an organisation comprising travel and event professionals across Australia.
Build a high-performing team across Australia. Accountable for commercial, client, operational, and people outcomes
Surface performance and operational issues early, explain their commercial implications, and give leadership clear recommendations for resolving them. Communicate change to the organisation with transparency, clarity, and confidence.
Drive M&E business growth. Partner with Sales and Customer Success, qualify opportunities, define service scope and pricing, and ensure new business is operationally ready. Accountable for delivering contracted commitments and retaining profitable revenue.

How success will be measured

Success means delivering on what the Sales team sells and creating an operational flywheel that brings customers back and retains revenue. It will be measured through:

Gross margin, operating expense, and forecast performance
Client retention, satisfaction, and service quality
Employee engagement, retention, development, and succession readiness
Team utilisation, productivity, and cost-to-serve
Adoption of common platforms, processes, and reporting
Cross-functional alignment and stakeholder collaboration

Requirements:

12+ years in meetings and events, corporate and group travel operations.
Proven experience in leading Corporate Travel and/or Event Management organisations.
Strong knowledge of venue sourcing, supplier contracting, registration, attendee management, event production.
Sound knowledge of event registration, attendee-management and event-management platforms.
Excellent understanding of the corporate travel environment, with expert knowledge of GDS systems, fares and ticketing, NDC and group contracting. Sabre experience preferred.
Experience supporting organisational integration, improving operating models, and delivering operational change.
Great commercial acumen, proven success managing budgets, expanding revenue, and maximising overall business profitability.
Proven background overseeing intricate, large-scale event portfolios, encompassing multi-city logistics or high-capacity delegate travel.
Evidence of building high-performing teams and credible succession pipelines.
Ability to cultivate cross-functional alignment and collaborate effectively with senior stakeholders.

Navan uses AI-assisted Automated Employment Decision Tool (Metaview) to assist with evaluating resumes against job qualifications for this role. All final decisions are made by human recruiters and hiring managers.

Human oversight: Metaview does not automatically reject candidates or make final hiring decisions. Our recruiters and hiring managers review all outputs and make the final hiring decision regarding every application.

Your rights: If you prefer to have your application reviewed without AI assistance, you may request a human evaluation by entering your email here. Your decision to do so will not affect how your candidacy is evaluated.

Please refer to our Candidate Privacy Notice for more information about our processing of personal data, and your rights.

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.