Workplace Operations Lead
Navan
Operations
New York, NY, USA
USD 61,650-137,200 / year + Equity
The Workplace Team is seeking an experienced Workplace Operations Lead to oversee and evolve our operations in New York, with additional operational support for our Boston site. This role is responsible for the operational excellence of our New York office while driving the development and maintenance of our global workplace standards. The role balances the management of a high-energy office with vendor governance, financial accountability, and project leadership. The position requires a strategic thinker with a hands-on approach to problem-solving and a proven track record of managing complex workplace operations and documentation at scale.
This is an essential role with a requirement to be in the office 5 days a week, based in New York City.
What You'll Do:
Facilities and Vendor Management
● Own end-to-end facilities operations across sites, overseeing both hard and soft services (HVAC, plumbing, janitorial) with a focus on proactive maintenance and rapid resolution of issues.
● Act as the primary point of contact with building management for all building-related issues, and onsite coordination.
● Source, negotiate, and manage local service providers (including catering, pantry, and janitorial) while optimizing these partnerships for cost-efficiency, high service quality, and the ability to scale.
● Implement a proactive preventative maintenance calendar to identify and resolve building system issues before they disrupt the team.
● Oversee the physical upkeep and aesthetics of the workspace, ensuring all furniture, fixtures, and equipment are in excellent condition.
● Ensure full compliance with all local health and safety regulations, including OSHA standards and site specific building codes.
● Manage and oversee emergency preparedness protocols, including emergency response plans and the coordination of.
Operational Excellence
● Refine internal operating systems, including the streamlining of workflows for workplace requests, procurement, and ticketing across sites.
● Maintain Site Playbooks ensuring all local standard operating procedures (SOPs) are documented, formatted, and accessible to the team.
● Own the annual OpEx budgets by monitoring expenditures and performing monthly forecasting to ensure all regional spending remains within budget.
● Deliver data-driven insights to leadership on site performance, risks, and opportunities to ensure informed decision-making.
Space Planning
● Manage the physical layout of the office, including seating assignments, desk configurations, and headcount growth planning across sites.
● Lead the execution of office projects such as moves, minor renovations, or relocations, ensuring all physical setups are completed on schedule and within budget.
● Analyze office utilization and occupancy data to provide leadership with insights on how the space is used and where improvements can be made.
Team Management and Collaboration
● Manage local team members and provide guidance and support within the region to foster a collaborative environment and ensure alignment with workplace objectives.
● Serve as the primary liaison between regional and global teams to maintain clear lines of communication and ensure local needs are represented in global strategy.
● Collaborate with site partners and stakeholders to ensure workplace operations seamlessly support departmental goals, from employee experience to fiscal compliance.
Employee and Visitor Experience
● Provide consistent and transparent communication to the office regarding workplace changes, initiatives, and building updates.
● Act as the primary workplace point of contact for new hires, managing the physical onboarding process and integrating them into the office environment.
● Maintain a high-touch feedback loop with employees to identify and resolve pain points related to the office environment and well-being.
What We're Looking For:
- Bachelor's degree with 5+ years of experience in workplace operations or facilities management, with a proven track record in a "Lead" or "Senior" capacity.
- Proven ability to independently oversee operations across multiple locations, with a track record of balancing high-stakes site needs with regional strategic goals.
- Direct experience managing office budgets and spending, including OpEx forecasting and vendor-related financial reconciliation.
- Strong operational knowledge of facilities management, including coordinating hard and soft services, managing landlord relations, and navigating building protocols.
- Advanced organizational skills with experience in process documentation and maintaining internal wikis or standard operating procedures.
- Demonstrated success in vendor negotiation, including managing contracts and service-level agreements for both hard and soft services.
- Proficiency with G-Suite, Slack, and project management tools like Jira or Asana; familiarity with data analysis for office utilization is a plus.
- A proactive leader who can work autonomously to solve high-stakes problems while collaborating effectively with a global team.
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.
About Navan
Navan (Nasdaq: NAVN) is the leading all-in-one business travel, payments, and expense management 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), a CNBC Disruptor 50 (2022-2025), and a Forbes Fintech 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-accommodations@navan.com.
Candidate Privacy Notice
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".