Operational Lead APAC - Events

Responsibilities

• Lead the day-to-day delivery of Events and Event Travel operations across Australia and the APAC region.
• Own and deliver a portfolio of complex event and group travel programmes, ensuring they are on time and within budget.
• Oversee group travel logistics, including air, accommodation, and supplier management for various group sizes.
• Lead, mentor, and develop a regional team, managing performance, recruitment, and training.
• Act as a senior escalation point for operational and client issues to ensure swift resolution.
• Build and maintain strategic relationships with clients and suppliers, acting as a senior consultant.
• Drive commercial performance through effective budgeting, supplier negotiations, and revenue optimisation.
• Implement standardised processes and best practices to improve scalability and operational excellence.

Requirements

• Proven experience in Events and Group Travel operations, including complex logistics.
• Demonstrated people leadership experience, ideally managing regional or multi-market teams.
• Strong working knowledge of GDS systems (Sabre preferred).
• Experience managing large, complex event programmes with high-volume attendee movements.
• Proficiency with event management platforms such as Cvent.
• Strong commercial acumen with a track record of driving revenue and profitability.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• High attention to detail and the ability to manage multiple complex projects simultaneously.

About the Company

Navan is the global AI-powered business travel and expense management platform that makes travel easy for frequent travelers. Powering travel programs at more than 10,000 companies, Navan simplifies travel, payments, and expense management with intuitive tools for booking, automated payments, and seamless reporting.