Travel Specialist

Ball State University; Muncie (IN); On-site; USD 47,279,000 - 51,119,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid vacation

Sick days

Holiday time

Parental leave

Health insurance

Retirement benefits

Job summary

Ball State University is seeking a Travel Specialist to support Accounts Payable – Travel, guiding university travelers through pre-approval, booking, reimbursement, and reconciliation. You will enforce travel regulations and resolve complex issues, while ensuring compliance with university policies within a dynamic team.

The role emphasizes accurate travel booking, timely approvals, and routine card audits, with opportunities to contribute to training materials and policy updates.

Qualifications

• Associate’s degree or equivalent in accounting or other business-related field.
• Over three through five years of accounting, accounts payable, auditing, or other detailed administrative experience.
• Excellent Microsoft Office and organization skills.

Responsibilities

• Communicate with travelers, departments, travel agencies, and other outside entities.
• Review travel bookings for compliance, accuracy, and price thresholds.
• Approve pre-approvals and cash advances; discuss with supervisor as needed.
• Audit travel cards monthly.
• Resolve travel issues and software problems.
• Maintain travel email account and provide guidance.
• Complete monthly audits of departmental travel cards and receipts.

Skills

Accounting experience

Microsoft Office

Organization skills

Education

Associate degree or equivalent in accounting or business-related field

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

About This Opportunity

Join our Accounts Payable – Travel team in a dynamic role that combines customer service, financial review, technology, policy administration, and problem-solving. As a Travel Specialist, you’ll serve as a key resource for University employees, helping travelers and departments navigate the University’s travel processes from pre-approval and booking through reimbursement and reconciliation.

Position Title

Travel Specialist

Salary Grade

Staff 10

Compensation

$16.50 - 17.84

Department

Accounts Payable_A (Samantha Rowe

Start Date

11/16/2026

Candidates for searches must have current authorization to be employed in the United States without employer sponsorship.

What You’ll Do And What You’ll Bring

Position Function: Serve as a resource to the university on all travel questions and issues; administer and enforce university travel regulations and policies; approve or deny all pre-approvals and expense reports; resolve travel issues and technical issues; respond to high-pressure and time-sensitive situations; approve or deny all travel bookings through the university’s travel software. Audit travel cards monthly.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Serve as a resource for all university travel; communicate with travelers, departments, travel agencies, and other outside entities through various mediums; resolve complex travel issues while complying with university travel policies.


• Review all travel bookings through the university’s dedicated travel booking tool for compliance, accuracy, and price thresholds; approve bookings in a timely manner to ensure best rate and reservations; update booking software with user information; grant and track access to university travel card(s) for select bookings, and make other updates as needed.


• Review pre-approvals and cash advance requests submitted for accuracy and to ensure travel-related expenditures are in compliance with travel policies; approve/deny/return for correction and discuss with supervisor as needed.


• Pay conference registrations, airfare, hotel, etc., using the travel purchasing card. Book various forms of travel in situations where departmental purchasing cards cannot be used for conference registrations or situations where the university’s dedicated booking tool cannot be used and ensure all bookings comply with university travel policies.


• Review/audit expense reports and cash advance reconciliations submitted for accuracy and to ensure travel-related expenditures are in compliance with travel policies; review all details and resolve discrepancies and complex issues; verify mileage and calculate per diems; approve/deny/return for correction and discuss with supervisor as needed.


• Perform the following duties pertaining to cash advances: retrieve report of weekly outstanding cash advances; send weekly emails to travelers with overdue cash advances and follow up until advance has cleared.


• Coordinate review of the University Travel Policy quarterly by both Travel Specialists and update as needed. Assist in the creation of training materials/videos related to travel. Communicate any changes to the University Travel Policy to the campus community.


• Maintain travel email account; respond to questions and provide guidance for all travel-related questions.


• Assist with troubleshooting and resolving travel software issues, including communicating with software vendors, departments, and external customers. Participate in software testing as needed. Review daily feeds/reports and resolve issues as needed for travel systems.


• Review and approve/deny travel access requests and update appropriate access in various university travel systems.


• Complete monthly audits of departmental credit cards for assigned cards and all travel card usage; verify all receipts are received in a timely fashion; audit receipts to determine appropriate university expenditures; communicate with cardholders/proxies as required.


• Perform other related duties as assigned.


• Maintain regular and predictable attendance.

Minimum Qualifications

• Associate’s degree or equivalent in accounting or other business-related field.


• Over three through five years of accounting, accounts payable, auditing, or other detailed administrative experience.


• Excellent Microsoft Office and organization skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Over three years of accounting experience.


• Experience processing travel reimbursements/payments.

What We Offer

At Ball State University, we understand the importance of balancing professional responsibilities with personal well-being. That's why we offer paid 10 to 24 vacation days, 12 sick days, and 10 holidays a year. Plus, our paid parental leave (6 weeks) is there for life's most significant moments. We offer affordable health and dental insurance, robust long-term disability and life insurance plans, as well a range of retirement benefits to provide financial security to you and your family. These benefits ensure that you can focus on your work and personal growth without worrying about the unexpected.

When you work for us, you are family. And to show our support of your family, we will cover 90 percent of your child's (or children's) undergraduate college tuition at Ball State. We do the same for you. In fact, we'll cover 100 percent of the tuition costs for you to earn your undergraduate degree and 80 percent of your graduate tuition. This offer is good from the very first day you start. It's just one way we do our part to uplift you.

Let's fly together toward a secure and prosperous tomorrow.

Curious about our excellent benefits package? We have developed a calculator that show you the value of our core benefits. Select the Total Compensation Calculator - Staff (Exempt) and download our calculator spreadsheet.