Director of Private Equity Partnerships

Navan•Boston, MA

1d•$167,400 - $372,000

About The Position

Navan is seeking an entrepreneurial commercial leader to build its private equity partnerships program into a measurable, scalable growth channel. The Director will deepen and activate existing private equity relationships while expanding coverage across priority sponsors and portfolio companies, turning broader reach into commercial opportunities through strategy, repeatable engagement motions, and close collaboration with Sales. This hands-on leader will initially own key relationships, support active deals, establish the commercial model, and demonstrate a repeatable approach before building a team as the program scales. The role will develop the strategy, operating model, commercial objectives, performance measures, and investment priorities for the program. It will cultivate relationships with private equity investors, operating partners, portfolio operations teams, and other stakeholders; position Navan as a travel and expense partner; and create partnership arrangements and joint engagement plans. The Director will drive portfolio-level campaigns and work with Sales on active opportunities, while tracking partner-sourced and partner-influenced pipeline, bookings, revenue, and adoption. The position will also engage across the private equity investment lifecycle, including acquisitions, carve-outs, and portfolio transitions. The leader will establish the processes, playbooks, systems, collateral, reporting infrastructure, team structure, and coverage model needed to scale the program, and recruit and develop a high-performing partnerships team. Regular travel to engage sponsors and portfolio companies is expected. The posted pay range is $167,400–$372,000 USD. For roles with on-target earnings, the range includes base salary and target incentive compensation. Starting pay may vary based on work location, skills and experience, market demands, and internal parity.

Requirements

8+ years of relevant experience in one or more of the following: private equity value creation, private equity partnerships, or commercial roles at high-growth B2B software or technology companies.
Experience building a private equity partnerships program from the ground up, including channel strategy, partner activation, value-creation initiatives, and events.
Track record leading commercial teams and consistently achieving pipeline and revenue targets.
Experience hiring and managing high-performing teams.
Established network across private equity firms, operating partners, and portfolio-company finance leaders.
Strong commercial judgment and analytical skills, with the ability to prioritize using data and work with Sales on complex enterprise deals.
Ability to operate hands-on and independently while building systems and processes to scale a new program.
Excellent communication and relationship-building skills, including the ability to earn trust and translate private equity relationships into commercial outcomes.
Willingness to travel regularly to engage sponsors and portfolio companies.

Nice To Haves

Understanding of the private equity investment lifecycle.
M&A, acquisition, or carve-out experience.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute a private equity partnerships strategy to generate qualified pipeline, new customers, and revenue.
Identify and prioritize target firms based on portfolio fit, industry, company size, operating influence, existing Navan customer relationships, and commercial potential.
Create a tiered coverage model, with high-touch engagement for priority sponsors and scalable programs for the broader middle-market private equity ecosystem.
Define the program’s operating model, commercial objectives, performance measures, and investment priorities with Sales, Revenue Operations, Finance, and Marketing.
Build relationships with investment professionals, operating partners, portfolio operations teams, and other stakeholders who can influence portfolio-company priorities.
Position Navan as a travel and expense partner for relevant portfolio companies, emphasizing cost savings, spend visibility, and operational efficiency.
Develop partnership arrangements and joint engagement plans that create value for private equity firms and their portfolio companies.
Represent Navan at industry events, portfolio leadership forums, operating-partner roundtables, and executive meetings.
Develop portfolio-level campaigns that generate qualified introductions to portfolio-company decision-makers.
Work with Sales leadership and account executives on active opportunities by coordinating outreach, making sponsor introductions, identifying deal blockers, and helping advance deals through the sales cycle.
Build repeatable programs for portfolio mapping, account targeting, executive engagement, partner activation, and follow-through.
Establish consistent accountability and definitions for partner-sourced and partner-influenced pipeline, bookings, and revenue in partnership with Revenue Operations.
Track results and refine the program based on commercial outcomes, partner engagement, and portfolio-company adoption.
Develop understanding of how private equity firms engage with portfolio companies, including value-creation priorities, acquisitions, carve-outs, and integration needs.
Build relationships with M&A advisors and deal teams to create opportunities around acquisitions and portfolio transitions.
Help operating partners connect Navan to portfolio value-creation plans.
Create the processes, playbooks, systems, collateral, and reporting infrastructure needed to scale the program.
Develop the team structure and coverage model as the business grows, with differentiated approaches for strategic sponsors and the broader private equity market.
Recruit, develop, and lead a high-performing partnerships team as the program expands.
Collaborate with Sales, Marketing, Revenue Operations, Corporate Development, and other functions to integrate private equity partnerships into Navan’s go-to-market organization.