Job Description Summary
We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced Travel and Expense Operations Team Leader to join GE Vernova's Global Travel, Meetings and Fleet team.
The Travel and Expense Operations Team Leader will oversee the management and optimization of our Global Travel and Expense program, ensuring GE Vernova's core pillars of Safety, Quality, Delivery and Cost (SQDC) are applied to our global travelers and processes. This role is responsible for leading a global team of GE Vernova Travel Operations professionals, building a team with best-in-class talent and fostering an environment of strong engagement and collaboration. This role will establish relationships with internal and external stakeholders to develop and execute strategies that meet business outcomes.
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The Travel and Expense Operations Team Leader requires the leadership and expertise for the day-to-day operations for GE Vernova's travel reservations and expense reporting processes, including managing strategic supplier output, enhancing current process with LEAN methodologies, and interacting with travelers and business partners as required.
Coordination with the Travel Sourcing and Business Unit Category Management teams is essential to ensure the delivery of a cohesive global strategy, coordinating sourcing efforts and policy, and executing initiatives. Strong partnerships with GE Vernova functional stakeholders are required across Sourcing, Operations, Supply Chain, Finance, and other functions to drive total cost efficiency (TCE) are critical to deliver word class Service Level Agreements (SLAs) to the organization.
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Job Description
Essential Responsibilities:
1. Team Leadership and Management
- Lead, mentor, manage and develop a high-performing global team of travel and expense specialists.
- Foster a collaborative and inclusive team environment.
2. Strategy Development:
- Develop and implement a global travel and expense strategy aligned with company objectives and policies.
- Create, execute, and lead global travel processes utilizing proven best practices, state of the art process tools, and world-class suppliers.
- Identify opportunities for cost savings and process improvements.
3. Stakeholder Management
- Partner with the Global Travel Sourcing / Category Managers, other business or functional partners and stakeholders across GE Vernova and multiple time zones on the best travel strategy for the company.
- Act as the primary point of contact for employees managing travel bookings across the organization, with streamlined communication and support.
- Identify pain points or inefficiencies in the travel and expense process.
- Develop and lead a Travel Super User Group, with regular meetings/forums to share updates and gather feedback.
- Engage with Key GE Vernova Travelers and Booking in a regular cadence.
- Act as a liaison between travel management, travelers and external partners.
- Collaborate with HR, finance, tax, compliance, and business partners to align Travel offerings to the travel policy, and adopt changes as required by statutory or regulatory changes.
- Partner with HR and Security on Duty of Care requirements, including ensuring travel data visibility required to provide medical, safety and security assistance to travelers in need.
4. Compliance and Risk Management:
- Ensure compliance with company policies, and external regulations, and manage safety and security risks in travel.
- Monitor adherence to travel and expense policies, making recommendations for updates as needed.
5. Supplier Management:
- Supplier management of Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) teams that handle customer service cases from GE Vernova travelers and ensure timely delivery of traveler support.
- Build and maintain relationships with travel service providers and work with the Travel Sourcing team to manage supplier contracts that optimize costs and services.
- Evaluate vendor performance via actionable SLA's and KPI's and implement improvements and hold vendors accountable as required.
6. Expense Management and Corp Card Administration:
- Oversee the expense reporting process, ensuring accuracy and timely reimbursement.
- Analyze expense data to identify trends and areas for cost optimization.
7. Technology and Tools:
- Align with the company's Travel Technology and Innovations Manager to review best in class travel solutions.
- Implement and manage travel and expense management tools to enhance efficiency.
- Stay updated on industry trends and technologies to drive innovative solutions.
8. Reporting and Analysis:
- Prepare and present regular travel and expense reports to senior management.
- Provide insights into travel and expense patterns and recommend actionable strategies.
- Drive benchmarking, best practices, and continuous improvement.
- Monitor & report on Travel performance metrics, including BPO performance.
- Report & analyze T&E spend patterns.
- Implement travel processes with GE Vernova businesses (acquisitions, re-orgs, etc.).
- Interface with other teams to improve and simplify handoffs between Travel and the regions and/or other enterprise standards.
- Assist with T&E related compliance and audit issues.
Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Finance, or a related field.
- Significant experience in travel and expense management
- Strong experience in a leadership role
- Strong understanding of global travel regulations and risk management.
- Excellent leadership, communication (verbal/written), and negotiation skills. Ability to work with all levels of leadership.
- Experience with travel and expense management software.
- Strong analytical skills and the ability to use data to drive decision-making.
- Highly organized, detail-oriented, and able to manage multiple priorities.
- Ability to travel to meet business needs (up to 30%).
Desired Characteristics:
- Significant experience in Global Travel Sourcing, Operations, or equivalent consulting experience related to other professional services.
- Demonstrated ability in leading organizational, process, and culture change.
- For roles not in USA, this role requires significant experience comparable to a Bachelor's degree from an accredited university or college (or a high school diploma with relevant experience), or equivalent experience/ knowledge.
- For roles in USA, this role requires a Bachelor's degree from an accredited university or college (or a high school diploma / GED with significant experience in job family group/function), or equivalent experience/ knowledge.
- FMP/CAS or equivalent leadership program.
- Strong analytical skills.
- Prior supplier management experience.
- Prior travel operations, expense reporting, corporate card, or online booking tool support experience.
- Demonstrated interpersonal and leadership skills in a cross functional and cross-cultural environment.
- Strong accounting skills, knowledge of GE's accounting policy and practices.
- Solid controllership mindset and ability to consistently manage policy across functional lines.
- Previous experience with T&E accounting processes, including familiarity with Concur data extracts interfacing to SAP and/or Oracle ERPs.
- Previous experience implementing Concur, including employee training, communications.
If contracted in the US:
The base pay range for this position is 149,400 - 199,200 USD annual. The specific pay offered may be influenced by a variety of factors, including the candidate's experience, education, and skill set. This position is also eligible for a performance based bonus. This posting is expected to close on February 6th, 2025.
Healthcare benefits include medical, dental, vision, and prescription drug coverage; access to a Health Coach, a 24/7 nurse-based resource; and access to the Employee Assistance Program, providing 24/7 confidential assessment, counseling and referral services. Retirement benefits include the GE Retirement Savings Plan, a tax-advantaged 401(k) savings opportunity with company matching contributions and company retirement contributions, as well as access to Fidelity resources and planning consultants. Other benefits include tuition assistance, adoption assistance, paid parental leave, disability insurance, life insurance, and paid time-off for vacation or illness.
General Electric Company, Ropcor, Inc., their successors, and in some cases their affiliates, each sponsor certain employee benefit plans or programs (i.e., is a "Sponsor"). Each Sponsor reserves the right to terminate, amend, suspend, replace, or modify its benefit plans and programs at any time and for any reason, in its sole discretion. No individual has a vested right to any benefit under a Sponsor's welfare benefit plan or program. This document does not create a contract of employment with any individual.