# Manager, Business Operations, Specialty Travel & Events

**Company:** [Navan](https://zerogtalent.com/frontier-companies/navan)
**Location:** London, UK
**Work mode:** On-site
**Seniority:** Mid
**Category:** Operations
**Department:** Events
**Listed:** 2026-11-13

[View and apply on Zero G Talent](https://zerogtalent.com/frontier-jobs/navan/manager-business-operations-specialty-travel-events-8386046)

## What you'll do

- Drive strategic initiatives end-to-end
- Solve complex operational bottlenecks
- Synthesize data into strategy
- Build cross-functional partnerships
- Manage global programs across regions

## What you need

- 5+ yrs in business operations, program management, or strategy
- Proficient in Excel/Google Sheets and SQL
- Systems thinking and scalable process design
- Cross-functional influence without direct authority
- High momentum and end-to-end execution ownership

## Job description

**About the Role**

The Business Operations team solves the Specialty Travel & Events team's most critical, emergent challenges across business, product, and operations. As a Manager-level individual contributor, you will have the unique opportunity to scope, design, and drive high-impact initiatives that support business growth, optimization, and stability.

You are someone who can look at a complex business challenge, map out the connections between people, processes and tools, and help design a path forward. You aren't just managing projects; you are evaluating how our business runs, leveraging data to challenge assumptions, and driving the hands-on execution of some of our most important initiatives.

  

**What You Will Do**

-   Drive Strategic Initiatives: Execute on high-impact, 0-to-1 operational initiatives end-to-end. Investigate complex, ambiguous problems, develop rigorous work plans, and drive day-to-day execution.

-   Solve Complex Problems: Identify operational bottlenecks and help design scalable processes that allow cross-functional teams (Sales, Operations, Data Analytics, Finance, etc.) to work together seamlessly.
-   Synthesize Data into Strategy: Dig into raw business data (using Excel, SQL, or other systems) to reveal patterns and truths behind operational challenges. Translate these findings into clear, actionable recommendations for leadership and cross-functional partners.
-   Cross-Functional Influence: Build trusted partnerships across teams, navigating obstacles with empathy to drive alignment across competing priorities, often without direct authority.
-   Unblock and Accelerate: Anticipate technical bottlenecks, call out trade-offs between business desires and constraints, and keep project teams aligned and moving forward.
-   Manage Global Programs: Drive multi-phased initiatives across regions, establishing working groups and cross-functional alignment across teams.

  

**What We’re Looking For**

-   Relevant experience: 5+ years of experience in business operations, program management, or strategy within a fast-paced environment (BA/BS degree or equivalent experience).
-   Analytical fluency: Highly proficient in Excel/Google Sheets and comfortable using SQL to query databases, extract insights from messy data, and build narratives that drive business decisions.
-   Systems thinker: You intuitively see how workflows and tech stacks interconnect, preferring to build scalable, long-term processes rather than temporary fixes.
-   Influence without authority: A proven track record of managing cross-functional relationships (Sales, Finance, Data), building alignment, and driving results across competing priorities.
-   High momentum & ownership: You approach complex, ambiguous problems with a "beginner's mind," move decisively to avoid analysis paralysis, and take clear ownership of end-to-end execution.

  

**Bonus Points**

-   Experience at a travel management company or roles in event planning or supplier/vendor management.
-   Background in Product Operations or Business Systems in high-growth environments.

  
  

  

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](https://my.metaview.app/applications/opt-out?organization=15dd7e883f). Your decision to do so will not affect how your candidacy is evaluated. 
    

Please refer to our [Candidate Privacy Notice](https://navan.com/candidate-privacy-notice) for more information about our processing of personal data, and your rights.

## Other open roles at Navan

- [Field Marketing Manager](https://zerogtalent.com/frontier-jobs/navan/field-marketing-manager-8369942) — Paris, FR
- [Sr. Software Engineer](https://zerogtalent.com/frontier-jobs/navan/sr-software-engineer-8348562) — Bengaluru, IN
- [GTM Systems Manager](https://zerogtalent.com/frontier-jobs/navan/gtm-systems-manager-8381986) — New York, NY
- [Director, Field Marketing EMEA](https://zerogtalent.com/frontier-jobs/navan/director-field-marketing-emea-8372307) — London, UK
- [Sr. Software Engineer, Core AI](https://zerogtalent.com/frontier-jobs/navan/sr-software-engineer-core-ai-8360525) — New York, NY

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