Travel & Expense Program Manager

Reporting to the Senior Vice President, Tribal Finance, the Travel and Expense Program Manager leads the travel, expense, and purchase card (P Card) programs. Oversees travel policies, spending controls, and compliance to ensure effective cost management and a positive traveler experience. Monitors program performance, analyzes travel and expense data, and recommends improvements aligned with business needs and industry best practices. Partners with internal stakeholders, leads training, and promotes consistent adherence to Travel and P Card Expense Policies.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Travel & Expense Program Administration
• Leads day-to-day administration of the Travel and Expense (T&E) program, including travel operations, card programs, reimbursements, receivables, and expense reporting processes.
• Ensures program activities align with established organizational policies, financial controls, and regulatory requirements by following defined governance frameworks and escalation paths.
• Supports continuous improvement of T&E processes by identifying operational gaps, inefficiencies, and traveler experience opportunities, and recommending enhancements.

2. Travel & Expense Systems Management
• Serves as the primary administrator and subject matter expert for the enterprise travel and expense management platform.
• Manages system configuration, automated policy controls, compliance monitoring, and user adoption in partnership with IT and Finance.
• Provides guidance, training, and documentation to team members and stakeholders to support consistent, compliant use of T&E systems and processes.

3. Vendor Coordination and Relationship Management
• Manages operational relationships with the Travel Management Company (TMC), corporate card providers, banks, airlines, hotels, rental car agencies, and other travel suppliers.
• Coordinates vendor performance reviews, service issue resolution, and contract compliance in accordance with negotiated agreements and established service level expectations.
• Supports sourcing, contract renewals, and preferred supplier programs by preparing data, tracking performance metrics, and providing operational input to sourcing and procurement partners.

4. Financial and Operational Program Support
• Oversees operational administration of travel-related financial processes, including employee reimbursements, employee receivables, payroll deduction recovery, and travel allowance programs.
• Coordinates with Finance, Payroll, and Accounting to ensure timely, accurate processing and issue resolution within defined procedures.
• Supports travel-related risk management processes, including duty of care coordination and car rental insurance claims administration, in alignment with established policies.

5. Policy Administration and Compliance Support
• Maintains and administers travel and purchase card policies, ensuring documentation remains current and aligned with existing financial controls and regulatory requirements.
• Supports policy compliance through system controls, user education, and monitoring, escalating non-compliance issues as appropriate.
• Assists with policy updates by gathering stakeholder input, documenting proposed changes, and supporting approval workflows.

6. Reporting, Analytics, and Insights
• Produces routine and ad hoc reporting on travel and expense activity to support program monitoring, financial oversight, and operational decision-making.
• Analyzes trends, compliance metrics, and spending patterns, identifying risks and opportunities for cost control and process improvement.
• Presents data-driven insights and recommendations to stakeholders and leadership to support informed program adjustments.

7. Performs other duties as assigned to support the efficient operation of the department.

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE AND QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, Supply Chain Management, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience required.
• Minimum six (6) years of experience required, working with Travel Management Companies (TMCs) and managing vendor relationships, service level agreements, and performance metrics required.
• Minimum three (3) years of experience partnering cross functionally with Finance, Accounting, Payroll, Information Technology (IT), Procurement, and Human Resources (HR) preferred.
• Minimum three (3) years of prior experience supporting or administering policy development, compliance monitoring, and governance processes preferred.
• Minimum three (3) years of experience in regulated environments or large, complex enterprises preferred.
• Related, relevant, and/or direct experience may be considered in lieu of minimum educational requirements indicated above.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES (KSA)

• Must have an established internal network with positive stakeholder feedback strongly preferred
• Strong understanding of corporate travel programs, including hands‑on work with travel management systems, corporate card (P‑Card) programs, or comparable financial operations within a mid to large organization.
• Strong knowledge of enterprise travel and expense best practices, compliance controls, and governance frameworks.
• Working knowledge of corporate card programs, reimbursement processes, and travel-related financial operations.
• Understanding of duty of care principles, travel risk management, and travel insurance practices.
• Familiarity with financial controls, audit requirements, and regulatory considerations related to expense management.
• Strong analytical and reporting skills, with the ability to interpret data, identify trends, and present actionable insights.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to develop training materials and policy documentation.
• Effective vendor management and negotiation skills.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office tools (Excel, PowerPoint, Word) and data analysis within travel and expense platforms.
• Ability to apply policies consistently, objectively, and fairly across diverse teams and locations.
• Ability to influence and collaborate without direct authority.
• Ability to adapt quickly to changing business travel trends, technologies, and organizational needs.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment when addressing compliance issues and escalating appropriately.
• Ability to lead trainings, facilitate meetings, and support change management initiatives.
• Ability to analyze travel and expense data to drive cost control, compliance, and continuous improvement.

LICENSES, CERTIFICATIONS AND REGISTRATIONS

• At the discretion of the San Manuel Tribal Gaming Commission, you may be required to obtain and maintain a gaming license.
• Professional certifications in travel or hospitality such as Certificate in Corporate Travel Execution (CCTE), Global Travel Professional (GTP) and/or Trusted Travel Program (TTP) preferred.
• Certified Travel Manager (CTM) preferred.
• Certified Purchasing Card Professional (CPCP) preferred.
• No Driving Responsibilities: Role does not require a driver’s license or insurance.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS/ WORKING CONDITIONS – ENVIRONMENT

The physical demands and working environment described here are representative of those that an employee encounters and must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.

• Primary work environment is in a climate-controlled office setting.
• Work requires travel to attend meetings, trade shows, and conferences.
• Incumbents may be required to work evening, weekend and holiday shifts.
• Must be able to work in a fast-paced, high-demand environment.
• Strength sufficient to exert up to 10 pounds of force occasionally and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull or otherwise move objects and/or move up to 40 pounds occasionally.
• Sedentary work: involves sitting most of the time. Constantly operates a computer and other office productivity machinery, such as a calculator, copy machine, and computer printer.
• Physical activities that apply to the essential functions of the position are balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching, reaching, pushing, pulling, lifting, grasping, talking, hearing, and repetitive motions.
• Hearing sufficient to hear conversational levels in person, via videoconference and over the telephone.
• Speech sufficient to make oneself heard and understood in person, in front of groups, in meetings, via videoconference and over the telephone.
• Visual acuity that meets the requirements of the position: The worker is required to have close visual acuity to perform an activity such as preparing and analyzing data and figures; transcribing; viewing a computer terminal; expansive reading and visual inspection of employees, visitors or facility.
• Mobility sufficient to safely move in an office environment, walk, stoop, bend and kneel, and enter, exit and operate a motor vehicle in the course of travel to promotional events, meetings, conferences, trade shows and San Manuel properties.
• Endurance sufficient to sit, walk and stand for extended periods, and maintain efficiency throughout the entire work shift and during extended work hours.
• The employee may be exposed to fumes or airborne particles including secondhand smoke.

Reasonable accommodation will be made in compliance with all applicable law.

As one of the largest private employers in the Inland Empire, San Manuel deeply cares about the future, growth and well-being of its employees. Join our team today!