Travel Program Lead

Responsibilities

• Develop, maintain, and enforce corporate compliance with travel policies.
• Develop regular T&E reporting for presentation to management on compliance and spend.
• Partner with Legal, HR, Security and Risk on duty-of-care initiatives.
• Establish and manage supplier relationships with airlines, hotels, car rental, ground transportation, and catering service providers.
• Lead sourcing events, negotiations, and contract management activities.
• Manage and Oversee the Travel Management Company (TMC).
• Monitor travel spend and identify cost-savings opportunities.
• Collaborate with leadership on preferred supplier programs to maximize value and compliance.
• Track contract performance, rebates, and savings.
• Support travel budgeting and forecasting activities.
• Collaborate with internal security teams on traveler safety and emergency response.
• Ensure suppliers meet safety and insurance requirements.
• Collaborate on reporting for spend, compliance, and supplier performance.
• Serve as the primary escalation point for travel-related issues.
• Deliver training and communication on travel policies and tools.
• Required Qualifications
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Supply Chain, Hospitality, Finance, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• Typically a minimum of 5 years of progressive corporate travel or travel industry experience with a minimum of three (3) years in a Travel Manager/Lead or Travel Program Manager/Lead role.
• Experience managing enterprise travel programs.
• Effective negotiation, contract management and communication skills.
• Experience working with Travel Management Companies (TMCs).
• Familiarity with online booking tools (e.g., Concur, Egencia, Navan).
• Knowledge of traveler duty of care and corporate risk management.
• Background and drug screen.

Requirements

• Experience supporting mid-size to large enterprise travel programs.
• Familiarity with procurement frameworks.
• Experience using travel analytics and reporting tools.
• GBTA or CTIE certification preferred.
• Physical Requirements
• Candidates responding to this posting must independently possess the eligibility to work in the United States at the date of hire.
• The above job description is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of duties and standards of the position. Incumbents will follow instructions and perform other related duties as assigned by their supervisor.
• The base pay scale for this position in:
• Phoenix, AZ/ Chicago, IL / Washington, DC in USD per year is: $84,000 - $105,000.
• Additionally, candidates are eligible for a discretionary incentive plan and benefits.
• This pay scale is subject to change and is not necessarily reflective of actual compensation that may be earned, nor a promise of any specific pay for any specific candidate, which is always dependent on legitimate factors consider

Additional Information

At Early Warning, we've powered and protected the U.S. financial system for over thirty years with cutting-edge solutions like Zelle®, Paze℠, and so much more. As a trusted name in payments, we partner with thousands of institutions to increase access to financial services and protect transactions for hundreds of millions of consumers and small businesses. Positions located in Scottsdale, San Francisco, Chicago, or New York follow a hybrid work model to allow for a more collaborative working environment. Candidates responding to this posting must independently possess the eligibility to work in the United States, for any employer, at the date of hire. This position is ineligible for employment Visa sponsorship. Overall Purpose The Travel Program Lead is responsible for executing strategy and day-to-day administration of the company's corporate travel & expense program. This role maintains flow between travel and expense processes, ensures travel policies are consistently applied, travel spend is optimized, and employee safety, compliance, and traveler experience are balanced effectively. The Travel Program Lead will manage supplier relationships across air, lodging, ground transportation and catering service providers, oversee the Travel Management Company (TMC), and collaborate with Finance and business user stakeholders to deliver analytics-driven insights to support cost control, risk mitigation, and operational efficiency.

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