Manager, Engineering

About the Role

Navan's Enterprise Team builds the critical "operating system" of our corporate travel platform—handling complex travel policies, dynamic approval workflows, user identity, and enterprise-grade analytics. As an Engineering Manager, you will lead a high-performing team of 5-10 full-stack engineers to build sophisticated configuration tools and scalable backend engines.

You will be responsible for translating business requirements into technical strategies, balancing short-term execution with long-term architectural vision. By combining deep technical expertise with strong leadership, you will foster a collaborative environment where engineers can thrive and do the best work of their careers.

What You’ll Do:

• Lead & Mentor: Manage, coach, and grow a team of 5-10 talented full-stack engineers. Set performance goals, conduct regular 1:1s, and provide actionable feedback.
• Drive Execution: Collaborate closely with Product Managers, Designers, and other stakeholders to define project scopes, deliverables, and roadmaps for our Admin and User portals.
• Technical Leadership: Guide architectural decisions and trade-offs for our stack (Java/Spring Boot, React/TypeScript, SQL/NoSQL), ensuring the team delivers scalable, secure, and highly available microservices.
• Process Optimization: Maintain and improve agile development processes. Organize schedules, track deliverables, check work for technical accuracy, and ensure robust operational reliability.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Effectively communicate and coordinate work with other managers and staff to seamlessly integrate complex, cross-domain features.
• Team Building: Identify staffing needs, lead hiring efforts, and onboard top-tier engineering talent to scale your team.

What We’re Looking For:

• Experience: 8+ years of hands-on software engineering experience building scalable systems, plus at least 2+ years of direct engineering management experience.
• Technical Depth: Strong architectural background with a solid understanding of both backend (Java, Spring Boot, Hibernate) and frontend ecosystems (modern frameworks like React/Angular/Vue, and TypeScript).
• Leadership & Organization: Highly organized and detail-oriented. Proven ability to manage project delivery, balance competing priorities, and challenge the status quo to make our products better.
• Analytical & Problem-Solving Skills: Ability to evaluate complex technical information, solve intricate system challenges, and validate the engineering methods used by your staff.
• Excellent Communication: Strong verbal and written skills for overseeing staff, setting clear expectations, and presenting technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders.
• Modern Workflow Awareness: An understanding of AI-enabled development tools (like GitHub Copilot or Claude) to help the team accelerate workflows while maintaining high quality.Education: Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in a technical discipline (Computer Science, Engineering, etc.) or equivalent practical experience.