Travel Manager

Strategic And Operational Manager, Travel & Expense

Saronic Technologies is a leader in revolutionizing autonomy at sea, dedicated to developing state-of-the-art solutions that enhance maritime operations through autonomous and intelligent platforms.

Job Summary:

We are seeking a strategic and operational Manager, Travel & Expense to own and continuously improve our global corporate travel program. This is a program ownership role not a coordination role. You will be accountable for the full lifecycle of our T&E function: setting policy, managing vendor relationships and contracts, owning the travel technology stack, and delivering measurable cost and experience outcomes for the business.

You will serve as the internal expert and owner of all things travel and expense, partnering closely with Finance, People, Legal, and business leaders to ensure the program scales with the company. The ideal candidate brings a track record of building or significantly transforming corporate travel programs, strong commercial instincts, and the judgment to balance employee experience with cost discipline.

Key Responsibilities:

• Own the corporate travel and expense program end-to-end, including policy design, governance, and ongoing optimization.
• Define and track program KPIs including cost per trip, policy compliance rates, traveler satisfaction, and savings and report results to various stakeholders on a regular cadence.
• Review, update and maintain the company's T&E policy, ensuring it reflects current business needs, market norms, and risk considerations; lead change management when policy is updated.
• Proactively identify cost-reduction opportunities through data analysis, benchmarking, and industry best practices.
• Own all travel vendor relationships, including TMC (travel management company), airlines, hotel programs, ground transportation, and expense platform providers.
• Lead negotiations for preferred vendor agreements, group rates, and volume-based pricing; accountable for delivering against annual savings targets.
• Conduct regular vendor reviews, evaluating performance against SLAs and contract terms; make recommendations for renewals, renegotiations, or transitions.
• Stay current on market trends, new entrants, and pricing dynamics to ensure the company's vendor portfolio remains competitive.
• Serve as the business owner for the company's travel booking and expense management platforms, including configuration, policy enforcement, and integration with ERP.
• Lead any platform evaluation, selection, or implementation initiatives; manage the relationship with the platform provider.
• Identify and implement platform enhancements that improve adoption, compliance, or efficiency; drive employee enablement and training.
• Ensure the travel program complies with applicable regulations, including international travel requirements, duty of care obligations, and government travel restrictions.
• Partner with Legal and People teams on traveler safety protocols and emergency response procedures; serve as an escalation point for complex or high-risk travel situations.
• Provide a high-quality traveler support experience, including support for urgent changes or emergencies outside normal business hours.
• Maintain documentation and audit trails to support internal controls and expense reporting accuracy.

Qualifications:

• 12+ years of experience working in a corporate travel program, ideally in a company with 1,000+ employees and significant international travel volume.
• 5+ years owning or leading a corporate travel program.
• Demonstrated success negotiating vendor contracts and managing preferred supplier programs, with measurable savings outcomes.
• Hands-on experience managing or implementing travel booking platforms and/or expense management systems (e.g., Concur, Navan, TripActions, Egencia, Coupa).
• Strong analytical skills; comfortable building reports, interpreting travel data, and presenting program performance to stakeholders and leadership.
• Deep knowledge of international travel requirements, duty of care frameworks, and visa/documentation processes.
• Excellent cross-functional communication and stakeholder management skills; able to influence without authority at multiple levels of the organization.
• A calm, solutions-oriented presence under pressure travelers will count on you when things go sideways.

Benefits:

• Medical Insurance: Comprehensive health insurance plans covering a range of services
• Saronic pays 100% of the premium for employees and 80% for dependents
• Dental and Vision Insurance: Coverage for routine dental check-ups, orthodontics, and vision care
• Saronic pays 99% of the premium for employees and 80% for dependents
• Time Off: Generous PTO and Holidays
• Parental Leave: Paid maternity and paternity leave to support new parents
• Competitive Salary: Industry-standard salaries with opportunities for performance-based bonuses
• Retirement Plan: 401(k) plan
• Stock Options: Equity options to give employees a stake in the company's success
• Life and Disability Insurance: Basic life insurance and short- and long-term disability coverage
• Additional Perks: Free lunch benefit and unlimited free drinks and snacks