Director, Strategy & Operations (Office of the CIO) at Navan

<p>Navan is looking for a&nbsp;<strong>Strategy &amp; Operations Leader</strong> to partner directly with the <strong>Chief Information Officer (CIO)</strong>. In this pivotal strategic role, you will act as the operational force multiplier for the IT and Technology organization, owning the definition and execution of the <strong>CIO department strategy</strong>, driving operational cadence, managing budgets and program portfolios, and establishing enterprise IT governance frameworks.</p> <p>In addition to traditional IT strategy and operations, this role supports pragmatically scaled AI<strong> </strong>initiatives, ensuring AI tools and modernizations are aligned directly with the overarching technology vision, cost structures, and business goals.</p> <p><strong>What You’ll Do</strong></p> <h4><strong>CIO Department Strategy &amp; Leadership</strong></h4> <ul> <li><strong>CIO Department Strategy:</strong> Lead the creation, iteration, and execution of the long-term CIO Department Strategy, ensuring IT capabilities, infrastructure, and team structures directly enable Navan’s broader business strategy.</li> <li><strong>Strategic Alignment &amp; Roadmapping:</strong> Partner with IT and business leaders to build, communicate, and track a cohesive multi-year IT roadmap that incorporates core modernization, cloud infrastructure, enterprise security, and practical AI application.</li> <li><strong>Executive Communications:</strong> Draft high-impact narratives and decks for the Board of Directors, executive leadership, and company town halls to communicate the CIO department strategy, delivery milestones, and business ROI.</li> <li><strong>Trusted Advisor:</strong> Act as a strategic partner to the CIO, providing structured insights, operational metrics, and decision-support materials on critical technology investments and organizational design.</li> </ul> <h4><strong>Department Operations, Governance &amp; Policies</strong></h4> <ul> <li><strong>CIO Office Cadence:</strong> Direct the operational flow of the CIO team, setting agendas for leadership staff meetings, tracking cross-functional dependencies, and driving accountability against strategic goals.</li> <li><strong>IT &amp; AI Governance:</strong> Oversee the development of pragmatic IT policies, including safe data usage, information security operational guidelines, and responsible AI usage standards.</li> <li><strong>Budget &amp; Cost Control:</strong> Manage the department’s operating and capital budgets ($OPEX/$CAPEX), vendor portfolios, software licensing, and cloud costs to optimize spend in alignment with departmental strategy.</li> </ul> <h4><strong>Execution &amp; Program Delivery</strong></h4> <ul> <li><strong>Goal Setting &amp; Metrics (OKRs):</strong> Translate the overarching CIO strategy into measurable quarterly and annual team OKRs; establish clear KPIs for system reliability, project velocity, and enterprise tool adoption.</li> <li><strong>Cross-Functional Program Management:</strong> Drive high-priority strategic IT programs from kickoff through execution, collaborating with Security, Engineering, Legal, Finance, and Business Operations.</li> <li><strong>Operational Excellence:</strong> Continuously evaluate the departmental operating model, identifying bottlenecks and leading process improvement initiatives to elevate overall IT execution.</li> </ul> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>What We’re Looking For</strong></p> <ul> <li><strong>Relevant Experience:</strong> 5+ years in Strategy &amp; Operations, Chief of Staff, IT Program Management, or Management Consulting, working directly with senior technology leadership (CIO/CTO/VP of IT).</li> <li><strong>Strategic Capability:</strong> Proven track record of helping build, document, and execute enterprise IT strategies and multi-year technology roadmaps.</li> <li><strong>Core IT &amp; Business Tech Acumen:</strong> Practical understanding of enterprise IT architectures, cloud/SaaS vendor ecosystems, software development lifecycles, and modern workforce tools.</li> <li><strong>Pragmatic AI Understanding:</strong> Balanced familiarity with corporate AI use cases, automation capabilities, and the governance/cost considerations associated with enterprise AI adoption.</li> <li><strong>Financial &amp; Analytical Competency:</strong> Demonstrated experience managing IT operational budgets, vendor contract evaluations, headcount planning, and resource allocation.</li> <li><strong>Structured Governance Focus:</strong> Experience framing clear, enforceable policies, program frameworks, and portfolio tracking mechanisms in fast-paced environments.</li> <li><strong>Communication &amp; EQ:</strong> Clear, concise written and verbal communication skills with a proven ability to synthesize complex technology strategies into clear executive materials.</li> </ul><div class="content-pay-transparency"><div class="pay-input"><div class="description">The posted pay range represents the&nbsp;anticipated&nbsp;low and high end of the compensation for this position and is subject to change based on business need. To determine a successful candidate’s starting pay, we carefully consider a variety of factors, including primary work location, an evaluation of the candidate’s skills and experience, market demands, and internal parity.<br><br>For roles with on-target-earnings (OTE), the pay range includes both base salary and target incentive compensation. Target incentive compensation for some roles may include a ramping draw period. Compensation is higher for those who exceed targets. Candidates may receive more information from the recruiter.</div><div class="title">Pay Range</div><div class="pay-range"><span>$167,400</span><span class="divider">&mdash;</span><span>$372,000 USD</span></div></div></div><div class="content-conclusion"><p>&nbsp;</p> <p>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.&nbsp;</p> <p><strong>Human oversight:</strong>&nbsp;<span style="color: #000000; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">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.&nbsp;</span></p> <ul> <li> <p><strong>Your rights: </strong>If you prefer to have your application reviewed without AI assistance, you may request a human evaluation by entering your email <a href="https://my.metaview.app/applications/opt-out?organization=15dd7e883f">here</a>. Your decision to do so will not affect how your candidacy is evaluated.&nbsp;</p> </li> </ul> <p>Please refer to our<a href="https://navan.com/candidate-privacy-notice"> Candidate Privacy Notice</a> for more information about our processing of personal data, and your rights.</p></div>