Senior Manager, Travel and Expense

Job Summary

The Senior Manager, Travel & Expense is responsible for the leadership, governance, and operational oversight of Otsuka's Travel & Expense (T&E) program. This role sits in the Otsuka Procurement function within the Corporate Services Strategic Services tower. The Senior Manager serves as the business owner for the Travel & Expense ecosystem, including SAP Concur, corporate card programs, expense compliance, travel operations, supplier management, and traveler support services.

The role is responsible for establishing and maintaining effective controls, driving process improvements, supporting business objectives, and delivering a positive end-user experience. This position partners closely with Finance, Compliance, Legal, Procurement, Human Resources, Information Technology, and business stakeholders to ensure the Travel & Expense program operates efficiently, remains compliant, and supports organizational goals. The ideal candidate combines strong program management, financial acumen, system ownership, and leadership skills with a continuous improvement mindset.

• Lead day-to-day operations of the Travel & Expense program.
• Ensure consistent application of policies, controls, and processes.
• Monitor program performance and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Resolve complex issues and escalations related to travel, expense, and payment activities.
• Support the development and execution of program strategies and initiatives.

• Oversee approximately $30M in travel spend and $95M in corporate card spend.
• Maintain financial controls and governance across all Travel & Expense activities.
• Partner with Finance on reporting, forecasting, budgeting, and spend analysis.
• Identify cost-saving opportunities and operational efficiencies.
• Support audit readiness and compliance objectives.

• Oversee expense audit processes, including App Zen administration and governance.
• Monitor compliance with company policies and regulatory requirements.
• Identify risk trends and partner with stakeholders to implement corrective actions.
• Support internal and external audits as required.
• Manage escalations involving policy violations, audit findings, and compliance concerns.

• Serve as the business owner of the SAP Concur platform.
• Lead system governance, configuration management, and enhancement activities.
• Partner with IT on integrations, upgrades, testing, and system improvements.
• Evaluate and prioritize enhancement requests.
• Drive automation and user experience improvements.

• Manage relationships with travel and expense-related vendors, including airlines, hotels, car rental suppliers, card providers, travel management companies, expense technology providers, and duty-of-care partners.
• Conduct regular business reviews with vendors.
• Monitor service levels and vendor performance.
• Support contract negotiations and renewal activities.
• Drive supplier initiatives that improve traveler experience and program value.

• Lead employee and manager training initiatives related to Travel & Expense programs.
• Promote policy awareness, compliance, and adoption of best practices.
• Develop communication strategies supporting program changes and enhancements.
• Reinforce manager accountability within the expense approval process.
• Continuously enhance training materials and user support resources.

• Partner with Finance, Compliance, Legal, Procurement, Human Resources, and IT.
• Support governance committees and stakeholder meetings.
• Lead cross-functional projects and process improvement initiatives.
• Drive alignment across stakeholders to support program objectives.
• Act as a key resource and subject matter expert for Travel & Expense matters.

• Provide support for executive travel and expense-related needs.
• Manage high-touch requests and escalations.
• Build strong relationships with executive assistants and leadership teams.
• Ensure timely resolution of executive-related issues.

• Identify and implement process improvements.
• Leverage reporting and analytics to drive decision-making.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and industry trends.
• Support program modernization and operational excellence initiatives.
• Develop scalable processes that support organizational growth.

Knowledge/

Experience and Skills:

• Experience managing complex programs and stakeholder relationships.
• Manage Outside companies;
  Travel Programs and Corporate Card,

• Strong knowledge of strategic sourcing process flows preferred
• Must have SAP Concur or similar expense management platforms.
• Strong understanding of financial controls, compliance requirements, and governance practices.
• Demonstrated problem solving and analytical skills especially with regards to benchmarking and…