Travel and Expense Manager

Zendesk

Travel and Expense Manager overseeing global T&E program at Zendesk. Leading strategy and operational excellence while managing vendor relationships and compliance.

Posted 6/1/2026full-timeRemote • California, Illinois, Texas • 🇺🇸 United StatesMid-LevelSenior💰 $116,000 - $174,000 per yearWebsite

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

ERP

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Manage the global Travel and Expense program, ensuring alignment with company objectives and financial discipline
Act as the primary lead for key T&E systems and vendors, specifically Egencia and Brex
Take action on audit remediation, specifically leading the improvements required from audits
Lead the Travel RFP process from inception to implementation, managing vendor selection, negotiation, and global rollout
Architect and implement scalable process improvements to streamline the T&E experience for employees
Oversee the administration of T&E systems, ensuring tools are optimized for global scale
Drive the communication strategy for T&E updates
Partner with Finance, IT, and Legal leadership to ensure the T&E program supports broader business goals
Provide excellent customer support to our employees as they interact with T&E tools and programs

Requirements

What you’ll need

Proven ability to take full accountability for a functional area and drive measurable results
Experience managing (and preferably also negotiating) with travel and expense vendors (e.g., Egencia, Brex, United Airlines, Marriott)
Strong ability to analyze spend patterns, recognize inefficiencies, and implement data-driven solutions
Deep expertise in T&E systems and how they integrate within a broader ERP and Procurement ecosystem
Exceptional verbal and written communication skills with the ability to influence stakeholders at all levels
Demonstrated success in leading complex, global cross-functional projects, such as RFPs or system implementations
A self-starter who identifies risks before they become issues and proactively seeks to enhance the T&E experience
Strong commitment to organizational rigor and process discipline
Extensive experience in Change Management and helping global organizations navigate system transitions
Previous leadership experience in Procurement Operations or T&E Management within a high-growth SaaS environment.

Benefits

Comp & perks

Bonuses
Benefits or related incentives

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills & Tools

T&E systemsaudit remediationvendor negotiationdata analysisprocess improvementRFP managementERP integrationProcurement ecosystemChange Managementcustomer support

Soft Skills

accountabilitycommunicationinfluencingproject leadershipself-starterorganizational rigorprocess disciplinerisk identificationstakeholder managementcross-functional collaboration