Business Operations Manager (Specialty Travel & Events)

Navan; Boston (MA); On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Parental leave

Commuter benefits

Healthcare

Flexible Vacation

Health and Wellness

Fuel for Connection

Pet Friendly

IATAN discounts

401k retirement plan

Connectivity Allowance

Learning & Development

Job summary

Navan in Boston is seeking a Manager-level, IC Business Operations professional to scope, design, and drive high-impact initiatives that support growth and stability. You will map complex systems, work with Sales, Operations, Data Analytics, and Finance, and translate insights into actionable guidance.

The role emphasizes data-driven problem solving, proactive change management, and hands-on execution in a fast-paced tech environment. BA/BS required with 4–6 years in strategy/operations.

Qualifications

• BA or BS degree or equivalent practical experience.
• Comfort with data: Excel/Google Sheets; SQL experience is a plus.
• Collaborative and growth-minded mindset in fast-paced environments.
• 4–6 years in business operations, strategy, or strategic cross-functional roles.
• Experience driving organizational change management with system/process rollouts.

Responsibilities

• Execute high-impact, 0-to-1 operational initiatives end-to-end.
• Investigate complex, ambiguous problems and develop rigorous work plans.
• Identify bottlenecks and design scalable cross‑functional processes.
• Analyze raw business data and translate findings into actionable recommendations.
• Balance strategic goals with financial/technical constraints.
• Communicate progress and align stakeholders through changes.
• Unblock bottlenecks and ensure teams stay aligned and moving forward.

Skills

Cross-functional collaboration

Data analysis

Analytical thinking

Stakeholder management

Problem solving

Education

BA/BS degree

Tools

Excel

SQL

Job description

• The Specialty Travel & Events Business Operations team is built to solve our organization’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
• This is a role for a first-principles thinker. You are someone who can look at a highly complex business challenge, map out the unseen connections between teams and systems, and help design a creative, elegant path forward. You aren’t just managing projects; you are critically evaluating how our business runs, leveraging data to challenge assumptions, and driving the hands‑on execution of some of our most important strategic initiatives
• 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 Systems 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
• Balance Trade-offs: Anticipate roadblocks and partner with leadership to find the right balance between strategic business goals and technical or financial constraints
• Manage Change and Execution: Clearly communicate progress, manage stakeholder alignment, and guide cross‑functional teams through process changes without losing momentum
• Unblock and Accelerate: Anticipate technical bottlenecks, call out trade‑offs between business desires and constraints, and keep project teams aligned and moving forward

Benefits

• Parental leave
• Commuter benefits
• Healthcare
• Flexible Vacation
• Health and Wellness
• Fuel for Connection
• Pet Friendly
• IATAN (travel-related discounts)
• 401k (retirement plan)
• Connectivity Allowance
• Learning & Development

Influence Without Authority: Proven track record of managing cross‑functional relationships, building alignment, and driving results across diverse teams without direct management authorityIntellectual Humility & Curiosity: You approach problems with a "beginner's mind." You have the self‑critical awareness to challenge your own initial assumptions, ask deeply thoughtful questions before forming a plan, and actively seek out diverse perspectives to find the best solutionAnalytical Tooling: Strong comfort with data. You should be highly proficient in Excel/Google Sheets and comfortable using SQL (or eager to leverage it) to query databases, join tables, and extract your own insightsData-Driven Critical Thinker: You don't make decisions based on gut feel alone. You are energized by messy, fragmented data, and you know how to ask the right questions, connect the dots, and find the narrative within a raw datasetNatural Systems Thinker: You intuitively see how different parts of an organization, workflow, and technology stack interconnect. You don't build temporary "band-aid" fixes; you design systems that hold complex, interdependent relationships in balanceEducation: BA or BS degree (or equivalent practical experience)Collaborative & Growth-Minded: You love being in rooms with brilliant people who challenge you. Instead of feeling intimidated, you use those environments as fuel to grow, learn, and elevate your own capabilitiesExperience: 4–6 years of experience in business operations, strategy, or a highly strategic cross‑functional operations role in a fast-paced environmentHigh Momentum (Anti-"Swirl"): You move quickly and decisively. While you are thorough, you do not get caught in analysis paralysis or allow yourself to be dragged sideways by organizational noise. You know how to maintain focus and keep projects moving forwardPrior experience in business operations or strategic program management in a high-growth tech environmentExperience driving organizational change management alongside system or process rollouts