Director, Strategy & Operations (Office of the CIO)

Navan•New York, NY

6d•$167,400 - $372,000

About The Position

Navan is seeking a Strategy & Operations Leader to collaborate directly with the Chief Information Officer (CIO). This strategic role involves acting as an operational force multiplier for the IT and Technology organization. Key responsibilities include defining and executing the CIO department strategy, driving operational cadence, managing budgets and program portfolios, and establishing enterprise IT governance frameworks. The role also supports scaled AI initiatives, ensuring AI tools and modernizations align with the technology vision, cost structures, and business goals.

Requirements

5+ years in Strategy & Operations, Chief of Staff, IT Program Management, or Management Consulting, working directly with senior technology leadership (CIO/CTO/VP of IT).
Proven track record of helping build, document, and execute enterprise IT strategies and multi-year technology roadmaps.
Practical understanding of enterprise IT architectures, cloud/SaaS vendor ecosystems, software development lifecycles, and modern workforce tools.
Balanced familiarity with corporate AI use cases, automation capabilities, and the governance/cost considerations associated with enterprise AI adoption.
Demonstrated experience managing IT operational budgets, vendor contract evaluations, headcount planning, and resource allocation.
Experience framing clear, enforceable policies, program frameworks, and portfolio tracking mechanisms in fast-paced environments.
Clear, concise written and verbal communication skills with a proven ability to synthesize complex technology strategies into clear executive materials.

Responsibilities

Lead the creation, iteration, and execution of the long-term CIO Department Strategy, ensuring IT capabilities, infrastructure, and team structures directly enable Navan’s broader business strategy.
Partner with IT and business leaders to build, communicate, and track a cohesive multi-year IT roadmap that incorporates core modernization, cloud infrastructure, enterprise security, and practical AI application.
Draft high-impact narratives and decks for the Board of Directors, executive leadership, and company town halls to communicate the CIO department strategy, delivery milestones, and business ROI.
Act as a strategic partner to the CIO, providing structured insights, operational metrics, and decision-support materials on critical technology investments and organizational design.
Direct the operational flow of the CIO team, setting agendas for leadership staff meetings, tracking cross-functional dependencies, and driving accountability against strategic goals.
Oversee the development of pragmatic IT policies, including safe data usage, information security operational guidelines, and responsible AI usage standards.
Manage the department’s operating and capital budgets ($OPEX/$CAPEX), vendor portfolios, software licensing, and cloud costs to optimize spend in alignment with departmental strategy.
Translate the overarching CIO strategy into measurable quarterly and annual team OKRs; establish clear KPIs for system reliability, project velocity, and enterprise tool adoption.
Drive high-priority strategic IT programs from kickoff through execution, collaborating with Security, Engineering, Legal, Finance, and Business Operations.
Continuously evaluate the departmental operating model, identifying bottlenecks and leading process improvement initiatives to elevate overall IT execution.