Navan.com

Software Engineer - Backend

Navan.com

About the Role

Software Engineer - Backend

Location: Palo Alto, CA

Department: Engineering

Job Description:

We are looking for a Backend Engineer to join our growing team, designing and building core services and APIs that power our platform, used by thousands of travelers every day. You’ll work closely with engineers, product managers, and designers to deliver reliable, scalable, and high-quality solutions.

This role combines the excitement of working in a fast-paced environment where you can have a direct impact, with the stability and resources of an established company.

What You’ll Do

  • Design, develop, and maintain backend services and APIs that support critical business functionality
  • Collaborate with product and frontend teams to deliver customer-facing features end-to-end
  • Write clean, maintainable, and well-tested code following best practices
  • Debug, monitor, and resolve production issues to ensure reliability and performance
  • Participate in code reviews, giving and receiving constructive feedback
  • Stay current with backend technologies and leverage AI-assisted development tools (Copilot, CodeGPT, Claude, Cursor) to improve speed and quality
     

What We’re Looking For

  • 2–4 years of professional experience building backend systems or APIs
  • Solid understanding of computer science fundamentals (data structures, algorithms, concurrency, networking)
  • Experience with Java and Spring Boot (or equivalent backend frameworks/languages)
    Familiarity with distributed systems, microservices, and API design
  • Comfortable working with cloud platforms (AWS or similar)
  • Strong sense of ownership demonstrated through delivering production-quality features and supporting them after release
  • Ability to effectively leverage AI development tools to accelerate coding, testing, and troubleshooting
  • Good communication skills with the ability to explain technical concepts clearly
     

Nice to Have

  • Experience with relational and NoSQL databases (MySQL, PostgreSQL, MongoDB, etc.)
  • Familiarity with event-driven systems (Kafka, CDCs, or other messaging frameworks)
  • Exposure to observability tools (logging, tracing, monitoring)
  • Understanding of scalability challenges in high-growth environments

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. Candidates may receive more information from the recruiter.

Pay Range

$101,250—$175,000 USD

Navan About Us

Navan is the all-in-one super app that makes travel and expense easy so you can focus on being there, not getting there. Say goodbye to spending hours on the phone trying to change your flight or saving stacks of receipts to manually input expenses. From EAs and finance teams to travel managers and employees, Navan empowers people to focus on the things that matter most to them — all while providing companies with real-time visibility, savings, and control.

Navan’s investors include visionaries like Andreessen Horowitz, Lightspeed Ventures, Greenoaks, Zeev Ventures, and entrepreneurs Lee Fixel, Adam Bain, and Elad Gil. Valued at $9.2B, Navan is well-positioned for continued growth as it continues its takeover of the travel and expense market.

In April 2023, Navan expanded in the Indian market with the acquisition of Tripeur, a modern, people-centric corporate travel and expense management company. The group’s fifth acquisition in under two years, Tripeur joined the Navan Group alongside Spanish meetings and events specialists, Atlanta Events & Corporate Travel Consultants; Berlin-based modern travel management company, Comtravo; leading Scandinavian travel agency Resia AB; and London-based high-touch TMC, Reed & Mackay — the latter of which remains a standalone brand.

At Navan, we’re never satisfied with the status quo, and we know breakthrough ideas come from diverse perspectives. We are committed to cultivating a workplace that reflects the diversity of the customers we serve while fostering leadership and innovation. All voices are valued here and you’ll have the resources, tools, and training you’ll need to do the best work of your life.

Our Benefits

Navan provides a comprehensive benefits package tailored to support your well-being and financial security. Our offerings include generous medical plans, dental, and vision benefits with premiums covered by Navan, as well as various insurance options designed to cover each family's needs. We also prioritize your holistic wellness with perks like paid parental and bereavement leave, subsidized commuter benefits, mental health support, connectivity stipends, and even pet insurance.

Workplace Policy

Navan believes in the value of in-person connections, whether that is sitting down to have lunch with one another, taking a walking 1:1, or collaborating in a room together. The connections forged through face-to-face interactions improve company culture and drive business results. Navan invests in global office spaces — in the U.S., Europe, and Asia, among others — that feel welcoming. Perks such as lunches and happy hours create a strong team environment to help you do your best work. We prioritize in-person connections and operate on a four-day-in-office work model. Please expect this policy for all roles that are tied to an office.

Equal Opportunity

Navan is an equal opportunity employer. We make all employment decisions based solely on merit. We provide equal employment opportunity to all applicants and employees without discrimination on the bases of race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. We prohibit any such discrimination or harassment. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including hiring.

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