Expense Report Lead

About the Role

The Expense Report Lead will provide leadership and oversight for Backroads' expense management function, guiding the Expense Report Team and ensuring the accurate, timely, and compliant processing of employee expenses worldwide. This role is responsible for supporting the full expense lifecycle, including cash advances, corporate card programs, and employee reimbursements, while delivering a high level of service to both Field Staff and Office employees across multiple currencies and locations.

This is an exciting opportunity to help shape a newly reestablished role and make a meaningful impact on the future of expense management  the company continues to invest in its finance systems and processes, the Expense Report Lead will play a key role in enhancing workflows, strengthening reporting and analytics, refining policies and procedures, and partnering with cross functional stakeholders to improve the employee experience.

The ideal candidate will bring both operational expertise and a continuous improvement mindset to help build scalable, effective processes that support the organization's continued growth.

Lead and develop the Expense Report Team, establishing priorities, service standards, and response-time expectations to support a globally distributed employee population. Review and audit employee expense reports to ensure compliance with company policies, accurate expense coding, and appropriate supporting documentation; escalates exceptions and high-risk items to the Senior Manager of Finance Operations. Own expense reporting and analytics, including building and maintaining Concur reports, reviewing recurring report outputs for accuracy and relevance, and identifying trends, risks, and process improvement opportunities through new reporting solutions.

Manage the expense-related aspects of the corporate card program, including tracking unsubmitted and delinquent expense reports, administering recurring reporting, and executing tiered escalation processes with managers. Monitor and reconcile cash advances issued to Field Staff, ensuring timely settlement and tracking outstanding balances and employee financial obligations. Partner with the Junior Concur Administrator to support system configuration, expense types, audit rules, workflows, user access, and ongoing process enhancements.

Collaborate with Leader Development to support Field Staff onboarding and deliver Concur training and education. Maintain and update expense management policies, procedures, and training materials while serving as the primary point of contact for expense-related questions and support. Participate in cross-functional and departmental meetings to support operational alignment and continuous improvement initiatives. Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

2+ years of experience in expense management, accounts payable, or accounting operations. Working knowledge of accounting principles, including debits and credits, accruals, expense coding, and period-end cutoffs. Experience with Concur Expense strongly preferred; experience building reports using Cognos or a similar reporting tool preferred. Experience using JIRA Service Management to log, track, and resolve expense management support tickets strongly preferred. Strong Excel skills, including pivot tables, lookup functions, and reconciliation of large datasets.

Strong written communication skills, with the ability to communicate clearly, concisely, accurately, and professionally – especially via email. Ability to interpret and apply policies consistently, exercise sound judgment, and appropriately escalation issues when needed. Experience supporting multi-currency transactions and international expense reimbursement processes preferred.

On‑site, Berkeley, CA – 4 days in‑office, 1 day work from home (Wednesdays). I can't imagine a better way to travel the world than under your own power and in the company of like‑minded adventurers. Sure, Backroads provides superb accommodations and meals, amazing Trip Leaders and unforgettable local encounters. But whether you’re sticking with the group or breaking off on your own, all of our planning and support are ultimately aimed at one simple thing: giving you the flexibility you need to discover the world on your own terms.

Tom Hale, Founder & President