Senior Director of Communications

01A; Greater London; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Retirement savings programs

Paid parental leave

Connectivity and commuting support

Mental health resources

Travel-related perks

Job summary

Navan is seeking a Senior Director of Communications, EMEA to own the regional strategy, narrative, and reputation posture. You will advise the executive team, shape crisis responses, and steer cross-market programs across corporate, product, and digital communications.

You will lead a high-visibility, enterprise-facing function, partnering with the C-suite and regional leaders to ensure timely, credible messaging and effective stakeholder engagement across markets.

Qualifications

• Typically 12+ years in corporate, agency, public affairs, or executive communications across markets.
• Experience advising senior executives and leading communications through business change.
• Strong judgment in ambiguous or politically sensitive situations with executive credibility.
• Ability to lead through influence in a matrixed organization with multi-market programs.
• Exceptional writing, storytelling, media, presentation, and stakeholder-management skills.
• Experience working across markets; fluency in French or German is a plus.

Responsibilities

• Own the EMEA communications strategy, priorities, governance in partnership with C-suite and regional leadership.
• Advise executive leadership on reputation, risk, transformation, geopolitical developments, and market-sensitive issues.
• Own EMEA reputation through an integrated strategy across corporate, product, financial, internal, executive, and digital comms.
• Translate global strategy into locally credible narratives, balancing consistency with market realities.
• Set comms strategy and executive narrative for major organizational change, acquisitions, crises, and leadership transitions.
• Lead the regional media and thought-leadership agenda; approve platforms, positioning, and stakeholder priorities.
• Own regional crisis posture and escalation during high-impact incidents; align with Legal, HR, and leadership.
• Direct the regional operating model, budget, measurement, governance, and planning rhythms.
• Build comms leadership through coaching, talent planning, succession, and clear roles.
• Establish outcome frameworks linking communications to business priorities for investment decisions.
• Represent EMEA in global planning and ensure regional insights influence enterprise decisions.

Skills

Strategic communications

Executive advising

Crisis management

Stakeholder engagement

Leadership in matrix orgs

Written & narrative development

Education

Bachelor's in Communications/PR

Job description

The Senior Director of Communications, EMEA owns the EMEA communications strategy and regional reputation posture. This is a strategic, enterprise-facing role that advises executive leadership, sets the narrative and risk response for major business moments, and makes cross-market trade-offs across a complex matrix of countries, functions, and global stakeholders. The Senior Director is accountable for direction, prioritization, and outcomes—not day-to-day production.

What You’ll Do:

• Own the EMEA communications strategy, annual priorities, resource allocation, and governance in partnership with the C-suite, regional leadership, and communications.


• Serve as the principal communications adviser to executive leadership on reputation, risk, transformation, geopolitical developments, and market-sensitive issues; challenge assumptions, recommend choices, and guide leaders through ambiguity.


• Own EMEA reputation through an integrated strategy spanning corporate, product, financial, internal, executive, and digital communications.


• Set the principles for translating global strategy into locally credible narratives, balancing consistency with market, language, cultural, and regulatory realities.


• Set the communications strategy and executive narrative for major organizational change, acquisitions, market entries, crises, leadership transitions, and other high-visibility events.


• Set the regional media and thought-leadership agenda; approve story platforms, executive positioning, reputation programs, and stakeholder engagement priorities.


• Own the regional crisis posture and serve as the senior escalation point during high-impact incidents; determine response strategy and align Legal, HR, and business leadership.


• Direct the regional operating model, including agency strategy, budget, measurement, governance, planning rhythms, quality standards, and resource trade-offs.


• Build communications leadership capability through coaching, talent planning, succession, and clear role design across the EMEA portfolio.


• Establish outcome frameworks that connect communications to business priorities and use them to make investment and prioritization decisions.


• Represent EMEA in global communications planning and ensure regional insight influences enterprise decisions.

What We’re Looking For:

• Typically 12+ years of experience in corporate, agency, public affairs, or executive communications, including a demonstrated record of leadership across multiple markets.


• Demonstrated experience advising senior executives and leading communications through significant business change.


• Strong judgment in ambiguous or politically sensitive situations, with the credibility to challenge, simplify, and make decisions at executive level.


• Proven ability to lead through influence in a matrixed organization and manage directors, agencies, and multi-market programs.


• Exceptional writing, narrative development, media, presentation, and stakeholder-management skills.


• Experience working across markets and fluency in French or German.

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.

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.

• retirement savings programs and opportunities to participate in our equity plans, so you can share in Navan’s success.


• flexible time off, country-specific holidays, and paid parental leave for all new parents.


• 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‑[e-mail].

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.