Staff Backend Software Engineer, Flights

Traveltechessentialist; New York (NY); On-site; USD 130,000 - 288,000; Full time

Job summary

Navan is seeking a Staff Engineer in the Flights group to help build and scale Navan’s flagship flight platform that serves customers worldwide. You will be hands-on while providing technical leadership across the team, partnering with engineers, product managers, and designers to deliver high-impact features.

In this role you will own end-to-end features, design scalable architectures, improve reliability and performance, and mentor colleagues to raise the engineering bar.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience building and scaling complex systems.
• Strong product mindset with user empathy.
• Hands-on coder with leadership in large-scale projects.
• Experience with Java, Spring Boot, and AWS.

Responsibilities

• Build at scale as a prolific individual contributor with technical leadership.
• Champion a product mindset by translating user needs into high-performance features.
• Solve complex problems by turning ambiguity into actionable solutions.
• Deliver end-to-end features and monitor their health and impact.
• Collaborate with global, cross-functional partners to drive results.
• Elevate engineering culture through code quality, documentation, and testing.

Skills

Java & Spring Boot

AWS / Cloud

Distributed systems

Microservices

API design

Hands-on coding

Product mindset

Leadership & mentoring

Ambiguity handling

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's or Master's degree in CS/Engineering

Job description

At Navan, “It’s all about the user. All of them.” We’re passionate about providing a seamless one-stop experience for business travelers, no matter how they travel, where they stay, or where they’re going. Our engineers work closely with product managers, designers, and data scientists to build innovative tools and services that provide a frictionless, efficient, and enjoyable traveler experience.

This is a unique opportunity that combines the hyper-growth, fast-paced environment of a startup, with the perks, opportunity size, and impact of an established company. Our teams are at the forefront of the next-generation of modern airline retailing.

As a Staff Engineer in the Flights group, you’ll play an essential part in building and scaling the next-generation flight platform, Navan’s flagship product that drives global business growth. This is a high-scale, complex environment where your work will impact customers worldwide. You’ll solve challenging problems, collaborate with engineers, product managers, and designers across the globe, and contribute to a platform trusted by major enterprises.

As a technical leader and contributor on the Flights team, you will partner closely with other engineers to drive change and improve systems and developer experience. Although you will be at one of our highest levels of seniority, all individual contributors are expected to be hands‑on and contribute code.

What You’ll Do:

• Build at Scale: Act as a prolific individual contributor while providing technical leadership and mentorship to engineers across the team. Design and develop robust, high-performance architecture and services that support our flagship product globally.
• Champion a Product Mindset: Cultivate a deep understanding of our customers' needs and strive for excellence in the customer experience, translating user insights into seamless, high-performance technical realities.
• Solve Complex and Ambiguous Problems: Apply deep technical expertise and creativity to turn highly ambiguous problem spaces into clear, actionable technical solutions, addressing large-scale engineering challenges, and driving improvements in reliability, performance, and user experience.
• Deliver End-to-End Business Impact: Own critical features end-to-end. Collaborate closely with product managers and designers, ship high-impact features, monitor their operational health, and ensure key technical decisions directly drive exceptional quality, user value, and positive business outcomes.
• Collaborate Across Teams: Work effectively as part of a global, cross-functional team, partnering with fellow engineers, product managers, designers, and business leaders to deliver impactful solutions and elevate team performance.
• Elevate Engineering Culture: Champion engineering excellence, setting the standard for code quality, scalability, documentation, and testing. Mentor team members to foster continuous growth and technical mastery.

What We're Looking For:

• 10+ years of experience building and scaling complex systems in fast-paced, high-growth, or large-scale environments.
• A strong product mindset with genuine empathy for the user and a relentless drive to deliver an exceptional customer experience.
• A proven track record as a hands‑on coder who balances high-volume, high-quality code output with technical leadership.
• In-depth experience with Java, Spring Boot, and AWS (or other cloud provider), including a deep understanding of JVM performance, optimization, and cloud architecture.
• Strong expertise in distributed systems, microservices, and API design.
• Ownership mentality with a record of delivering production-quality, maintainable code, and supporting features post-release through monitoring and troubleshooting.
• Demonstrated ability to operate comfortably in highly ambiguous environments, thinking creatively to develop and implement solutions.
• Collaborative team player able to work effectively with global, cross‑functional partners.
• Commitment to engineering excellence across the software development lifecycle.
• Problem‑solving mindset with a passion for tackling technically demanding and customer‑impacting challenges.
• Domain knowledge in the travel industry (flights, bookings, or inventory management) is a strong plus.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or related field, or equivalent hands‑on experience.

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

$129,600 — $288,000 USD

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.

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.

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.