Travel and Expense Manager

Groundworks•Virginia Beach, VA

11d•Onsite

About The Position

Ready to build your future? We're Groundworks, North America's leading foundation repair and water management specialist. We're more than a company - we're a team driven by purpose. As a Top Workplace, we're looking for top talent to fuel our mission: to protect, repair, and improve our customers’ greatest asset – their home. But what makes us a great place to work? Here, you'll find real career growth, comprehensive and affordable benefits, a culture that values hard work and innovation, and company ownership equity. Whether you’re starting your career or looking for your next big move, we offer hands-on training, advancement opportunities, and the chance to make a real impact every day. Join us and lay the foundation for your success. Apply today! Groundworks is seeking a talented Travel & Expense Manager to join our tribe in Virginia Beach, VA! The Travel & Expense Manager oversees the organization's end-to-end travel and expense (T&E) program. This role ensures efficient, compliant, cost-effective, and employee-friendly management of business travel bookings, expense reporting, reimbursements, corporate card usage, and related vendor relationships. The position combines policy governance, system administration, data analytics, team leadership (when managing processors/analysts), and strategic initiatives to optimize spending, enhance user experience, mitigate risk, and support company growth. The T&E Manager reports directly to the Sr. Manager of Accounts Payable.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or a related field (or equivalent experience).
5–8+ years of progressive experience in travel management, expense administration, corporate finance, or related fields.
Deep knowledge of corporate travel policies, IRS/accounting regulations, VAT/GST recovery, and global compliance requirements.
Excellent project management, negotiation, and vendor management abilities.
Proactive problem-solver with change management experience (especially during system implementations or policy rollouts).
Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills - able to train diverse audiences and influence stakeholders across departments.
Detail-oriented with high accuracy; comfortable handling confidential financial data.

Nice To Haves

3+ years in a managerial or supervisory role overseeing T&E programs (preferred).

Responsibilities

Develop, implement, communicate, and regularly update T&E policies and procedures in alignment with company objectives, tax regulations, industry standards, and evolving travel trends.
Administer and optimize the T&E technology platform (Concur) - including configuration, user training, troubleshooting, upgrades, and integration with finance/HR/payroll systems.
Oversee the full expense reporting lifecycle: auditing/approving reports for policy compliance and accuracy, processing reimbursements, managing corporate card programs, and ensuring timely month-end close and ledger reconciliation.
Manage relationships with key vendors and partners (travel management companies/TMCs, airlines, hotels, car rental agencies, booking platforms)—negotiate contracts, monitor performance, and drive preferred supplier utilization to maximize savings and service quality.
Analyze T&E spend data and trends; prepare regular reports and dashboards on travel patterns, savings achieved, compliance rates, policy violations, and cost-reduction opportunities for leadership and stakeholders.
Lead compliance and audit efforts: monitor adherence to policy, identify fraud/risk issues, respond to internal/external audits, and implement controls.
Provide employee and manager support: deliver training sessions, create resources/guides, handle escalations, and promote adoption of self-service tools and policy adherence.
Drive continuous improvement initiatives: identify process efficiencies, evaluate emerging T&E technologies, incorporate sustainability practices (e.g., low-carbon travel options), and align the program with broader finance and ESG goals.
Ensure duty of care for business travelers (e.g., tracking traveler safety, emergency support coordination, insurance compliance).