Vice President, Global Real Estate and Workplace

About the role

The Vice President, Global Real Estate and Workplace at Navan is responsible for shaping the company's global workplace strategy, leading the real estate portfolio, and delivering a consistent, hospitality-driven workplace experience across all offices.

Responsibilities

• Shape Navan's Global Workplace Strategy
• Develop and execute a long-term global real estate and workplace strategy aligned with Navan's business priorities, workforce plans, and growth trajectory.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to executive leadership on portfolio strategy, workplace investments, location planning, and future capacity needs.
• Translate business priorities and workforce plans into scalable, flexible workplace solutions that evolve with the business.
• Identify opportunities to simplify operations, improve the employee experience, and maximize the return on workplace investments.
• Lead the Global Real Estate Portfolio
• Lead Navan's global real estate portfolio, including transactions, lease negotiations, site selection, occupancy planning, and ongoing optimization.
• Balance workplace experience, operational needs, and financial performance to ensure every real estate investment supports business outcomes.
• Build and manage strategic partnerships with brokers, landlords, developers, and external partners to support Navan's global growth.
• Drive Workplace Experience and Operations
• Deliver a consistent, hospitality-driven workplace experience across Navan's global offices while recognizing regional and cultural differences.
• Oversee workplace operations, facilities, workplace services, and office services with a customer-first mindset, ensuring employees have the environments and support they need to do their best work.
• Partner closely with Finance, People, IT, Security, Legal, and business leaders to continuously evolve workplace programs as organizational needs change.
• Deliver Financial and Operational Excellence
• Own the global operating and capital budgets for the workplace function, driving disciplined planning, forecasting, and investment decisions.
• Establish meaningful portfolio metrics to measure portfolio utilization, project delivery, financial performance, and operational effectiveness.
• Lead through influence and strong vendor partnerships to deliver exceptional results within a lean operating model.
• Ensure compliance with applicable regulatory, safety, and sustainability requirements across Navan's global locations.

Requirements

• 12+ years of progressive leadership experience spanning corporate real estate, workplace, facilities, portfolio strategy, and capital projects within high-growth, global organizations.
• Deep expertise across portfolio strategy, commercial real estate transactions, workplace operations, design and construction, occupancy planning, and workplace services.
• Strong financial acumen, with experience managing significant operating and capital budgets, evaluating investments, and partnering with executive leadership to make sound business decisions.
• Proven ability to build, lead, and develop high-performing teams while navigating growth, ambiguity, and organizational change.
• A strategic and commercially minded leader with a bias for action who thrives in a lean, fast-paced environment.
• A customer-first leader who views Workplace as a service organization and is passionate about creating exceptional employee experiences.
• Outstanding communication and executive presence, with the ability to influence across all levels of the organization and build trusted partnerships with senior leaders.
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience in business, real estate, finance, architecture, engineering, facilities management, or a related field.

Qualifications

• Experience leading global workplace and real estate functions within a late-stage technology company or similarly dynamic environment.
• Experience managing a geographically distributed global portfolio and supporting hybrid ways of working.
• Professional certifications in corporate real estate, facilities management, project management, or related disciplines.
• Experience leveraging workplace technology and analytics to improve portfolio performance, operational efficiency, and workplace services.

Skills

• Strategic thinking and execution
• Financial management and budgeting
• Team leadership and development
• Customer service and experience management
• Commercial acumen and negotiation skills
• Project management and portfolio strategy
• Global operations and real estate management

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits program including healthcare coverage, insurance offerings, and wellness resources.
• Retirement savings programs and equity participation opportunities.
• Flexible time off, country-specific holidays, and paid parental leave.
• Additional benefits such as connectivity and commuting support, mental health resources, and exclusive travel-related perks.

Pay

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.

Schedule

This role requires regular domestic and international travel to support Navan's global office portfolio and business priorities.