Economist

01A; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 161,000 - 265,000; Full time

Job summary

Navan is seeking an experienced Economist to shape the research and economic function at our leading all-in-one business travel and expense platform. You will build indicators from millions of trips and purchases and translate complex data into strategic insights for executives and external audiences.

With 5–7 years of experience and an advanced degree, you will master econometrics, forecasting, and visualization tools, delivering data-driven guidance on risks and opportunities to Navan's

Qualifications

• 5-7 years of experience with an advanced degree in Economics, Statistics, Data Science, or related quantitative field.
• Deep expertise in econometrics, forecasting, and statistical analysis with complex datasets.
• Proficiency in SQL, Python or R, and common data visualization tools.
• Excellent writing and presentation skills translating complex findings for executives and media.

Responsibilities

• Perform econometric and statistical analysis on travel and spending patterns to identify macroeconomic trends and forecast business activity.
• Craft data-driven stories for press releases, blog posts, white papers, and executive keynotes.
• Partner with Marketing and Communications to present findings to journalists and analysts.
• Monitor global economic landscape and relate external events to Navan's data trends.
• Advise leadership with concise briefings on risks, opportunities, and competitive positioning.

Skills

SQL

Python or R

Data visualization tools

Writing and presentation

Cross-functional collaboration

Business-first mindset

Education

Advanced degree in Economics/Statistics/Data Science

Tools

Tableau

Power BI

Job description

Navan is seeking a driven, proactive and experienced Economist to join our growing team. This first-of-its-kind role is an exciting opportunity to shape the research and economic function at Navan, the leading all-in-one business travel, payments, and expense management platform.

Using data from millions of trips and purchases by 10,000+ companies worldwide, you will build economic indicators that deepen and drive the world’s understanding of global business travel and corporate spend. You will use these indicators to advance Navan’s position as a global authority on business travel and expense.

This position requires a self-starter with a proven track record in complex economic analyses and excellent storytelling.

What You’ll Do:

• As part of our broader Data Science and Analytics function, you will…

  • Perform complex econometric and statistical analysis on travel and spending patterns to identify emerging macroeconomic trends, forecast future business activity, and understand the drivers of corporate travel and expense.
  • Craft compelling data-driven stories and insights for multiple channels—including press releases, blog posts, white papers, and executive keynotes—to illustrate why business travel and spend are critical leading indicators for the global economy.
  • Partner with our Marketing and Comms teams to serve as an internal expert and external spokesperson, presenting your findings to journalists, industry analysts, and at major economic and travel conferences.
  • Continuously monitor the global economic landscape, linking external events (e.g., policy changes, supply chain disruptions, market volatility) to the proprietary trends you observe in Navan's data.
  • Serve as a key economic advisor to leadership and strategy teams, translating your macro findings into concise, high-level briefings on risks, opportunities, and the business’s competitive positioning.

What We’re Looking For:

• We are looking for a "full-stack" economist who is as comfortable with complex econometrics as they are with presenting to an executive or a journalist. This means:

  • 5-7 years experience with an advanced degree in Economics, Statistics, Data Science, or a related quantitative field.
  • Deep expertise in econometrics, forecasting, and statistical analysis, with experience modeling complex, "messy" datasets.
  • Required proficiency in SQL, a statistical language (Python or R), and common data visualization tools.
  • Excellent writing and presentation skills translating complex economic findings with simplicity and clarity for executives, media, and the public. We’d love to see examples of previous writing, presentations and data visualizations.
  • Voracious consumer of business news. Bonus points if you have previously established yourself as a voice on business, economics or data on e.g. Substack or X.
  • A collaborative and approachable style, with a proven ability to build relationships and manage priorities with cross-functional teams.
  • A practical, business-first mindset focused on driving real business results and supporting decisions, not just academic theory.

The posted pay range represents the anticipated 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.

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.

Pay Range

$161,250 — $265,000 USD

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.

Please refer to our Candidate Privacy Notice for more information about our processing of personal data, and your rights.

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