Travel Desk Manager

Travel Desk & Expense Manager (India)

Location: Hyderabad, India(preferred in office), but Remote employee applications are also accepted

Reporting To: HR Manager, or Finance Controller
Shift Timing: 2:00 PM IST to 11:00 PM IST (Required to overlap with US business hours)

Position Summary

The Travel Desk & Expense Manager will be responsible for the end-to-end management of corporate travel bookings and the post-travel expense review and approval cycle. This role requires a meticulous, policy-driven professional who can ensure compliance, manage vendor relations (specifically Navan), and provide efficient support to our global employee base. The required shift timing (2:00 PM – 11:00 PM IST) is essential for synchronizing with US business operations.

Key Responsibilities
I. Corporate Travel Management (Travel Desk)

• Booking Execution: Manage and execute all approved business travel bookings (flights, accommodation, ground transport) using the designated platform, Navan.
  

• Approval Verification: Strictly verify that all travel requests have received the necessary approvals on the pre-booking platform (e.g., Zoho People, internal request tool) before booking is finalized.
  

• Policy Compliance: Ensure all bookings adhere strictly to the company's approved Travel Policy, securing the most cost-effective options without compromising safety or employee needs.
  

• Support & Issue Resolution: Serve as the primary point of contact for employee travel inquiries, amendments, cancellations, and urgent issue resolution during the late IST shift.
  

II. Expense Management & Compliance

• Expense Approval Workflow: Manage the expense approval pipeline, reviewing submitted expense reports against organizational policies.
  

• Receipt Verification: Conduct meticulous verification of all submitted receipts and supporting documentation to confirm legitimacy, detail, and alignment with the approved trip/expense purpose.
  

• Policy Enforcement: Approve only those expenses that conform strictly to the company's approved Travel and Expense (T&E) Policies, escalating non-compliant submissions to HR or Finance.
  

• User Training: Assist in educating employees on T&E policies, receipt submission guidelines, and best practices to reduce submission errors.
  

III. System Administration & Reporting

• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of the travel booking system and the internal approval platform.
  

• Generate monthly and quarterly reports on travel expenditure, expense compliance rates, and vendor spend to identify cost-saving opportunities.
  

Qualifications and Requirements
Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or a related field.
  

• 5 years of experience in a similar role managing corporate travel (Travel Desk) and employee expense management.
  

• Proven experience working with a modern travel and expense management platform (Experience with Navan is highly preferred).
  

• Prior experience in a global or multinational environment, managing compliance across different regional policies.
  

Skills and Competencies

• Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy in verifying financial documentation.
  

• Strong understanding of T&E policy best practices and internal controls.
  

• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, for interacting with employees and external vendors.
  

• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel for data analysis and reporting.
  

• Ability to work the required shift: 2:00 PM IST to 11:00 PM IST.
  

Requirements Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or a related field.
  

• 5 years of experience in a similar role managing corporate travel (Travel Desk) and employee expense management.
  

• Proven experience working with a modern travel and expense management platform (Experience with Navan is highly preferred).
  

• Prior experience in a global or multinational environment, managing compliance across different regional policies.
  

Skills and Competencies

• Exceptional attention to detail and accuracy in verifying financial documentation.
  

• Strong understanding of T&E policy best practices and internal controls.
  

• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, for interacting with employees and external vendors.
  

• Proficiency in Microsoft Excel for data analysis and reporting.
  

• Ability to work the required shift: 2:00 PM IST to 11:00 PM IST.
  

Benefits Health & Life Insurance, Training benefits as per company policies

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