Americas Regional Travel Manager

Visa Global Sourcing 

Global Sourcing is part of the Finance organization and manages Visa’s end-to-end sourcing and sourcing of goods and services. Travel services is part of Global Sourcing.Sourcing is responsible for partnering with business owners relevant to assigned categories such as Travel and Meetings & Events (M&E) plus others to lead all strategic sourcing activities globally to ensure optimal selection of suppliers that deliver best value in price and quality, while minimizing risk to Visa. Overview:This role will lead our Travel operations for Americas’ travel for Visa employees, candidate and customers, relocation etc. The ideal candidate is someone that has a deep domain expertise in travel and who is strong in developing strong internal cross functional relationships and vendor relationships externally. This person will lead projects with Americas regional focus for our travel services. In addition, this person will need to be able to work in a fast-paced environment and embrace the culture and how it applies to Travel services. This role will report into the Director of Global Travel Operations.Essential Functions:This mid-level role within Visa’s Global Sourcing organization  involves building relationships with  key regional internal stakeholders across all levels of the organization  -  including executives, executive admins, and internal organizations such as Visa Mobility, Controllership, HR and Security. The Americas Regional Travel Manager will be responsible for working with the Visa-designated travel agency and on-line booking tool providers. Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following: Strategic PartnershipsTrusted advisor to all travelers by providing informed and insightful recommendations which provide the absolute best traveler experience in each situation while adhering to Visa’s travel policies.Provide support to travelers and regional stakeholders to demonstrate improved savings and traveler experience by increased adoption of online booking and other policiesPartner and nurture the relationship with our designated travel agency vendor. This includes devising workflows and seeking operational excellence to suit the travel needs of stakeholders.Partner with global sourcing partner for global air, hotel and ground transportation providers and add local and regional nuances and input in order to better support the region.Apply subject matter expertise to suggest regional and global ideas for policy and process improvements with stakeholders like security, controllership etc.Socialize travel updates and announcements on internal platforms and promote program benefits to various groups such as EAsPartner closely with EU/CEMEA & APAC travel managers to ensure alignment on global process with regional and local nuances to the programsWork closely with the regional and country stakeholders to ensure consistency in the travel experience, while considering the need for local requirementsProjects And OperationalPerform root cause analysis when problems arise to develop permanent corrective actions.Administer & respond in a timely manner to inquiries via travel services mailbox, AskTravel etcManage the unused ticket report, supplier credits and another supplier incentives to maximize value and minimize expirations.Develop a deep understanding and become a subject matter expert for our travel tools and have an understanding of expense tooling in relation to travel to support the travel programStay informed about industry trends and benchmarked best practices to drive innovation and improvement in travel management.Monitor and ensure compliance with travel policy and proceduresEnsure timely and accurate travel booking and travel agency communicationsAssist with office openings and or M&A onboarding - develop a workflow that can quickly and effectively support the new travelers (profiles, forms of payments, etc.) as well as the new travel pattern it creates.Support travel requirements of the Visa Aviation (corporate jet) teamQualities We’re Looking ForExcellent written and verbal communication - including ability to communicate across all stakeholders effectivelyStrong organizational and problem-solving abilities.Outstanding interpersonal skills.Ability to analyze data and generate actionable insights.Ability to work both independently but as part of a larger global team to set objectives and drive resultsProficiency in multi-tasking and prioritizing with excellent time managementCollaborate effectively as a part of a global teamHigh level of self-motivation and initiative, and ability to operate as a team player.Ability to be committed, resourceful and proactive in identifying problems, opportunities and solution.This is a hybrid position. Expectation of days in the office will be confirmed by your Hiring Manager.