Travel Program Lead at Earlywarning in Scottsdale, AZ

Travel Program Lead Location: Scottsdale At Early Warning, we’ve powered and protected the U.S. financial system for over thirty years with cutting-edge solutions like Zelle®, Paze℠, and so much more. As a trusted name in payments, we partner with thousands of institutions to increase access to financial services and protect transactions for hundreds of millions of consumers and small businesses. Positions located in Scottsdale, San Francisco, Chicago, or New York follow a hybrid work model to allow for a more collaborative working environment. Candidates responding to this posting must independently possess the eligibility to work in the United States, for any employer, at the date of hire. This position is ineligible for employment Visa sponsorship. Overall Purpose The Travel Program Lead is responsible for executing strategy and day-to-day administration of the company’s corporate travel & expense program. This role maintains flow between travel and expense processes, ensures travel policies are consistently applied, travel spend is optimized, and employee safety, compliance, and traveler experience are balanced effectively. The Travel Program Lead will manage supplier relationships across air, lodging, ground transportation and catering service providers, oversee the Travel Management Company (TMC), and collaborate with Finance and business user stakeholders to deliver analytics-driven insights to support cost control, risk mitigation, and operational efficiency. Key Responsibilities Develop, maintain, and enforce corporate compliance with travel policies. Develop regular T&E reporting for presentation to management on compliance and spend. Partner with Legal, HR, Security and Risk on duty-of-care initiatives. Establish and manage supplier relationships with airlines, hotels, car rental, ground transportation, and catering service providers. Lead sourcing events, negotiations, and contract management activities. Manage and Oversee the Travel Management Company (TMC). Monitor travel spend and identify cost-savings opportunities. Collaborate with leadership on preferred supplier programs to maximize value and compliance. Track contract performance, rebates, and savings. Support travel budgeting and forecasting activities. Collaborate with internal security teams on traveler safety and emergency response. Ensure suppliers meet safety and insurance requirements. Collaborate on reporting for spend, compliance, and supplier performance. Serve as the primary escalation point for travel-related issues. Deliver training and communication on travel policies and tools. Required Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in Business, Supply Chain, Hospitality, Finance, or related field (or equivalent experience). Typically a minimum of 5 years of progressive corporate travel or travel industry experience with a minimum of three (3) years in a Travel Manager/Lead or Travel Program Manager/Lead role. Experience managing enterprise travel programs. Effective negotiation, contract management and communication skills. Experience working with Travel Management Companies (TMCs). Familiarity with online booking tools (e.g., Concur, Egencia, Navan). Knowledge of traveler duty of care and corporate risk management. Background and drug screen. Preferred Qualifications Experience supporting mid-size to large enterprise travel programs. Familiarity with procurement frameworks. Experience using travel analytics and reporting tools. GBTA or CTIE certification preferred. Physical Requirements Working conditions consist of a normal office environment. Work is primarily sedentary and requires extensive use of a computer and involves sitting for periods of approximately four hours. Work may require occasional standing, walking, kneeling, and reaching. Must be able to lift 10 pounds occasionally and/or negligible amount of force frequently. Requires visual acuity and dexterity to view, prepare, and manipulate documents and office equipment including personal computers. Requires the ability to communicate with internal and/or external customers. Employee must be able to perform essential functions and physical requirements of position with or without reasonable accommodation. Candidates responding to this posting must independently possess the eligibility to work in the United States at the date of hire. The above job description is not intended to be an all-inclusive list of duties and standards of the position. Incumbents will follow instructions and perform other related duties as assigned by their supervisor. The base pay scale for this position in: Phoenix, AZ/ Chicago, IL / Washington, DC in USD per year is: $84,000 - $105,000. Additionally, candidates are eligible for a discretionary incentive plan and benefits. This pay scale is subject to change and is not necessarily reflective of actual compensation that may be earned, nor a promise of any specific pay for any specific candidate, which is always dependent on legitimate factors considered at the time of job offer. Early Warning Services takes into consideration a variety of factors when determining a competitive salary offer, including, but not limited to, the job scope, market rates and geographic location of a position, candidate’s education, experience, training, and specialized skills or certification(s) in relation to the job requirements and compared with internal equity (peers). The business actively supports and reviews wage equity to ensure that pay decisions are not based on gender, race, national origin, or any other protected classes. Some of the Ways We Prioritize Your Health and Happiness Healthcare Coverage – Competitive medical (PPO/HDHP), dental, and vision plans as well as company contributions to your Health Savings Account (HSA) or pre-tax savings through flexible spending accounts (FSA) for commuting, health & dependent care expenses. 401(k) Retirement Plan – Featuring a 100% Company Safe Harbor Match on your first 6% deferral immediately upon eligibility. Paid Time Off – Flexible Time Off for Exempt (salaried) employees, as well as generous PTO for Non-Exempt (hourly) employees, plus 11 paid company holidays and a paid volunteer day. 12 weeks of Paid Parental Leave Maven Family Planning – provides support through your Parenting journey including egg freezing, fertility, adoption, surrogacy, pregnancy, postpartum, early pediatrics, and returning to work. And SO much more! We continue to enhance our program, so be sure to check our Benefits page herefor the latest. Our team can share more during the interview process! Early Warning Services, LLC (“Early Warning”) considers for employment, hires, retains and promotes qualified candidates on the basis of ability, potential, and valid qualifications without regard to race, religious creed, religion, color, sex, sexual orientation, genetic information, gender, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, protected veteran or disability status or any factor prohibited by law, and as such affirms in policy and practice to support and promote equal employment opportunity and affirmative action, in accordance with all applicable federal, state, and municipal laws. The company also prohibits discrimination on other bases such as medical condition, marital status or any other factor that is irrelevant to the performance of our employees. Early Warning Services LLC is a proud participant in E-Verify, a federal program to help ensure a legal and authorized workforce. As part of our hiring process, we electronically verify the employment eligibility of all new hires through E-Verify. For more information on your rights and responsibilities under E-Verify please visit Home | E-Verify.