Senior Manager, Travel and Expense

Otsuka Pharmaceutical Co., Ltd.; Princeton (NJ); On-site; USD 150,034 - 224,250; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Comprehensive medical, dental, vision

Tuition reimbursement

401(k) with match

Paid holidays and paid time off

Job summary

Otsuka in the United States seeks a Senior Manager, Travel & Expense to own the SAP Concur platform and lead the T&E program. You will collaborate with Finance, Compliance, Legal, Procurement, HR, and IT to ensure compliant, efficient travel and spending while delivering a positive end-user experience.

You will oversee approximately $30M in travel spend and $95M in corporate card spend, drive governance, supplier management, and continuous improvements to support program objectives and cost

Qualifications

• Experience managing complex programs and stakeholder relationships.
• Must have SAP Concur or similar expense management platforms.
• Strong knowledge of financial controls, compliance requirements, and governance practices.
• Demonstrated problem solving and analytical skills with ability to summarize insights.
• Ability to create and implement business processes and metrics across org boundaries.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day operations of the Travel & Expense program.
• Ensure consistent application of policies, controls, and processes.
• Monitor program performance and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Resolve complex issues related to travel, expense, and payment activities.
• Support the development and execution of program strategies and initiatives.
• Oversee expense audit processes and governance (AppZen).
• Own SAP Concur platform governance, config, and enhancements.
• Manage relationships with travel and expense vendors and contract negotiations.
• Lead cross-functional projects and training initiatives.
• Provide executive travel and expense support and escalation management.

Skills

Strategic sourcing

SAP Concur

Financial controls

Analytical skills

Creative thinking

Process improvement

Education

Bachelor's degree in Finance/Engineering/Business

7+ years in Finance Operations/Procurement

Tools

SAP Concur

Job description

Job Summary

The Senior Manager, Travel & Expense is responsible for the leadership, governance, and operational oversight of Otsuka's Travel & Expense (T&E) program. This role sits in the Otsuka Procurement function within the Corporate Services Strategic Services tower. The Senior Manager serves as the business owner for the Travel & Expense ecosystem, including SAP Concur, corporate card programs, expense compliance, travel operations, supplier management, and traveler support services. The role is responsible for establishing and maintaining effective controls, driving process improvements, supporting business objectives, and delivering a positive end-user experience. This position partners closely with Finance, Compliance, Legal, Procurement, Human Resources, Information Technology, and business stakeholders to ensure the Travel & Expense program operates efficiently, remains compliant, and supports organizational goals. The ideal candidate combines strong program management, financial acumen, system ownership, and leadership skills with a continuous improvement mindset.

Responsibilities

Travel & Expense Program Leadership

• Lead day-to-day operations of the Travel & Expense program.
• Ensure consistent application of policies, controls, and processes.
• Monitor program performance and identify opportunities for improvement.
• Resolve complex issues and escalations related to travel, expense, and payment activities.
• Support the development and execution of program strategies and initiatives.

Financial Oversight & Governance

• Oversee approximately $30M in travel spend and $95M in corporate card spend.
• Maintain financial controls and governance across all Travel & Expense activities.
• Partner with Finance on reporting, forecasting, budgeting, and spend analysis.
• Identify cost-saving opportunities and operational efficiencies.
• Support audit readiness and compliance objectives.

Expense Operations, Audit & Compliance

• Oversee expense audit processes, including AppZen administration and governance.
• Monitor compliance with company policies and regulatory requirements.
• Identify risk trends and partner with stakeholders to implement corrective actions.
• Support internal and external audits as required.
• Manage escalations involving policy violations, audit findings, and compliance concerns.

SAP Concur Ownership & System Governance

• Serve as the business owner of the SAP Concur platform.
• Lead system governance, configuration management, and enhancement activities.
• Partner with IT on integrations, upgrades, testing, and system improvements.
• Evaluate and prioritize enhancement requests.
• Drive automation and user experience improvements.

Supplier Management & Travel Strategy

• Manage relationships with travel and expense-related vendors, including airlines, hotels, car rental suppliers, card providers, travel management companies, expense technology providers, and duty-of-care partners.
• Conduct regular business reviews with vendors.
• Monitor service levels and vendor performance.
• Support contract negotiations and renewal activities.
• Drive supplier initiatives that improve traveler experience and program value.

Training & Program Enablement

• Lead employee and manager training initiatives related to Travel & Expense programs.
• Promote policy awareness, compliance, and adoption of best practices.
• Develop communication strategies supporting program changes and enhancements.
• Reinforce manager accountability within the expense approval process.
• Continuously enhance training materials and user support resources.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Partner with Finance, Compliance, Legal, Procurement, Human Resources, and IT.
• Support governance committees and stakeholder meetings.
• Lead cross-functional projects and process improvement initiatives.
• Drive alignment across stakeholders to support program objectives.
• Act as a key resource and subject matter expert for Travel & Expense matters.

Executive Support

• Provide support for executive travel and expense-related needs.
• Manage high-touch requests and escalations.
• Build strong relationships with executive assistants and leadership teams.
• Ensure timely resolution of executive-related issues.

Continuous Improvement

• Identify and implement process improvements.
• Leverage reporting and analytics to drive decision-making.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and industry trends.
• Support program modernization and operational excellence initiatives.
• Develop scalable processes that support organizational growth.

Qualifications/ Required

Knowledge/ Experience and Skills:

Internal/External Stakeholders

• Experience managing complex programs and stakeholder relationships.
• Manage Outside companies; Travel Programs and Corporate Card,

Knowledge and Skills Requirements

• Strong knowledge of strategic sourcing process flows preferred
• Must have SAP Concur or similar expense management platforms.
• Strong understanding of financial controls, compliance requirements, and governance practices.
• Demonstrated problem solving and analytical skills especially with regards to benchmarking and effectively summarize and present insights
• Excellent creative thinking skills with emphasis on developing innovative solutions to solve complex problems that may not have one clear answer and to quantify financial benefits for identified opportunities and initiatives
• The ability to effectively create and implement business processes and related metrics across organizational boundaries

Preferred

• Experience serving as a business owner for SAP Concur or similar enterprise systems.
• Experience managing corporate card and travel programs.
• Vendor management and contract negotiation experience.
• Experience working with Compliance, Audit, Legal, and Information Technology functions.
• Strong analytical, organizational, and communication skills.
• Proven ability to build scalable processes and operational frameworks.

Educational Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree required. Finance, Engineering or Business discipline preferred.
• 7 + years of Finance Operations, Shared Services, Procurement, or related areas.

Position Impact

This role is responsible for supporting the effectiveness, compliance, and performance of the Travel & Expense program while ensuring a strong balance between employee experience, operational efficiency, financial stewardship, and policy compliance. The Senior Manager plays a critical role in driving program success through leadership, governance, stakeholder engagement, and continuous improvement initiatives.

Competencies

Accountability for Results - Stay focused on key strategic objectives, be accountable for high standards of performance, and take an active role in leading change.

Strategic Thinking & Problem Solving - Make decisions considering the long-term impact to customers, patients, employees, and the business.

Patient & Customer Centricity - Maintain an ongoing focus on the needs of our customers and/or key stakeholders.

Impactful Communication - Communicate with logic, clarity, and respect. Influence at all levels to achieve the best results for Otsuka.

Respectful Collaboration - Seek and value others' perspectives and strive for diverse partnerships to enhance work toward common goals.

Empowered Development - Play an active role in professional development as a business imperative.

Minimum $150,034.00 - Maximum $224,250.00, plus incentive opportunity: The range shown represents a typical pay range or starting pay for individuals who are hired in the role to perform in the United States. Other elements may be used to determine actual pay such as the candidate's job experience, specific skills, and comparison to internal incumbents currently in role. Typically, actual pay will be positioned within the established range, rather than at its minimum or maximum. This information is provided to applicants in accordance with states and local laws.

Application Deadline: This will be posted for a minimum of 5 business days.

Company benefits: Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, prescription drug coverage, company provided basic life, accidental death & dismemberment, short-term and long-term disability insurance, tuition reimbursement, student loan assistance, a generous 401(k) match, flexible time off, paid holidays, and paid leave programs as well as other company provided benefits.

Otsuka is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will be given consideration for employment without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity or gender expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, national origin, veteran status, marital status, or any other legally protected characteristic.

If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, you may request a reasonable accommodation, if you are unable or limited in your ability to apply to this job opening as a result of your disability. You can request reasonable accommodations by contacting Accommodation Request.