Creative Director

Traveltechessentialist; New York (NY); Hybrid; USD 143,100 - 318,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare coverage

Flexible time off

Paid parental leave

Job summary

Traveltechessentialist is seeking a Creative Director to spearhead the creative vision and global branding strategy at Navan in New York City. The role requires a leader capable of integrating narrative into corporate communications and scaling a high-output creative studio.

With 10+ years of leadership experience, you should thrive in a dual-audience world, balancing the needs of corporate buyers with emotional storytelling. By leveraging AI and innovative processes, you will push the boundaries of traditional creative roles.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in creative leadership.
• Proven track record of building and mentoring design teams.
• Understanding of metrics of conversion and business impact.

Responsibilities

• Own the creative vision and drive global strategy.
• Oversee and scale in-house design, copy, and video teams.
• Pioneer AI-driven efficiencies for creative processes.
• Act as a strategic partner to cross-functional teams.

Skills

Creative leadership

Mentoring design teams

Strategic thinking

Storytelling

AI-driven innovation

Job description

At Navan, our mission is to power the in-person connections that move people, ideas, and businesses forward. We help our travelers focus on being there, not getting there.

Navan’s Marketing team is looking for a Creative Director to lead a talented, high-output creative studio that balances the prestige of a world‑class brand with the relentless speed of a social‑first newsroom. You won't inherit a playbook or manage "the look"—you will have greenfield creative authority to shape the brand and business impact of every creative asset.

This role requires someone comfortable operating in a dual‑audience world, possessing a consumer‑grade storytelling sensibility. You understand that enterprise creative doesn’t have to be boring, and you know how to switch registers to make both corporate buyers (CFOs, procurement) and end‑users feel seen across their emotional and rational journeys.

What You’ll Do

• Own the Creative Vision: Drive the global creative strategy and brand consistency across all marketing assets, platforms, and physical experiences—from TV, OOH, Digital, and Social to flagships like our Navigate conference.
• Lead a High‑Output Engine: Oversee and scale our in‑house design, copy, video, and animation team.
• Integrate Creative into the Business: Help writers and designers deeply understand Navan’s business model, sales cycles, and customer pain points. You are fluent in the metrics of conversion and business impact, not just aesthetics.
• Pioneer AI‑Driven Efficiency: Act as a champion for generative innovation. You will operationalize AI tools to automate ideation, rapid prototyping, mood boarding, and asset generation—enabling your team to move 10x faster and stay focused on "big‑rock" ideas.
• Cross‑Functional Partnership: Act as a strategic peer to Demand Generation, Sales, and regional teams to translate complex functionality into powerful, persona‑centric campaigns.

What We’re Looking For

• Seniority & Growth Experience: 10+ years of creative leadership with a proven track record of building and mentoring high‑performing design/creative teams. You have scaled creative operations through significant growth inflections (e.g., Series C+, rapid headcount expansions, or post‑IPO environments).
• The "Scrappy‑Scale" Paradox: Big‑brand pedigree leading multi‑channel, integrated campaigns for global brands, paired with an infrastructure‑agnostic mindset. You don’t need a massive agency bench to scale; your formative years were spent in fast‑paced environments like newsrooms, agencies, or social‑first shops.
• Transparent Culture: You thrive in an environment of candor and assertive leadership. You provide direct, objective feedback and expect the same from your peers and team.
• Conviction + Flexibility: You hold a "strong opinion, loosely held". You will fiercely defend the best creative concept, but you possess the humility and speed to pivot instantly when stakeholder needs or business data dictate a new direction.
• Target Industry Background: Ideally, you have run creative inside design‑forward travel/hospitality brands (e.g., Airbnb, Away, Expedia), category‑norm‑breaking B2B SaaS spaces (e.g., Stripe, Figma, Brex), or consumer lifestyle brands with a distinct B2B reach (e.g., Squarespace, Notion).

What Will Excite You About Navan

• A post‑IPO company with real momentum and an internal culture that always asks "Can we go bigger?" rather than one that hedges.
• Travel as a creative canvas: rich, emotional visual territory that most B2B corporate creative functions never get access to.
• An execution‑strong, capable team that is hungry to be pushed, elevated, and expanded.

Pay Range

$143,100 — $318,000 USD

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.

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.