Principal Travel Card and Expense Specialist

Company Overview:

CB&I delivers integrated storage and asset‑management solutions that help customers operate safely, reliably, and efficiently across the lifecycle of their facilities. Through our two global business units - Storage Solutions, the world leader in tanks, terminals, and storage systems, and Asset Solutions, a leading provider of operations, management, wells and decommissioning services - we combine technical excellence with execution capability to extend asset life, optimize performance, and maximize value.

Overview:

The Principal Travel Card and Expense Specialist is responsible for administering SAP Concur on a global scale, handling senior-level travel card support, and providing Travel Card and Expense (T&E) program oversight. This position is an Individual Contributor role. The role directly reports to the Accounting Manager and routinely interacts with employees, accounts payable, supply chain, operations, and external vendors.

Responsibilities:

• Serve as the global subject matter expert and system owner for SAP Concur (Expense, Travel, Invoice), with end‑to‑end accountability for platform governance, configuration, workflows, audit rules, approval hierarchies, and data integrity.
• Lead the strategic optimization of Travel & Expense (T&E) programs, processes, and controls to improve efficiency, compliance, scalability, and employee experience.
• Serve as the program owner for the Global Travel and Corporate Credit Card programs, including issuance, policy adherence, dispute resolution, misuse monitoring, and vendor relationships, operating with minimal management direction.
• Serve as the primary liaison with travel, card providers, and third‑party vendors to manage escalations, implement enhancements, and identify cost‑containment opportunities.
• Resolve complex system, account, and transaction issues across Concur, corporate card platforms, and US IPC Travel Card programs for U.S. and Canada operations.
• Ensure accurate employee vendor setup and maintenance in SAP and JDE, aligned with HR data and Financial Approval Authority limits.
• Develop and deliver standardized and ad‑hoc reporting, dashboards, and analytics using Concur Intelligence, Excel, and Power BI to monitor spend trends, policy adherence, compliance risks, and savings opportunities.
• Support internal and external audits through accurate documentation, historical recordkeeping, vendor reporting, and expense audit support.
• Perform balance sheet reconciliations and contribute to month‑end close activities related to T&E and corporate card programs, ensuring timely and accurate financial reporting.
• Partner with Finance and Accounts Payable to support expense processing, accruals, reconciliations, and posting of Concur activity into JDE.
• Investigate and resolve coding issues, payment discrepancies, and vendor payment inquiries, supporting accurate and timely close cycles.
• Act as the primary escalation point for T&E inquiries, providing expert guidance, policy interpretation, and resolution of complex issues.
• Design and deliver training, documentation, and onboarding resources to improve adoption, accuracy, and compliance.
• Identify opportunities for automation, reporting enhancements, and process improvements, collaborating cross‑functionally to align T&E programs with business objectives.
• Oversee shared expense program mailboxes and provide expert support to employees and stakeholders via email, calls, and meetings.
• Monitor helpdesk tickets and provide timely, professional support to employees and approvers.
• Support adjacent finance operations as needed, including FedEx, P‑Card, and 1099 activities.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in accounting, finance, or a related major or equivalent level of experience.
• Fifteen years (15+) years of work experience in a related field.
• Ten to fifteen (10-15) years of relevant experience preferred.
• Working knowledge of general accounting procedures.
• Proficiency in relevant accounting software (i.e., JDE, TAP, Concur) and MS Office (i.e., Excel, Word, PowerPoint, etc.).

Skills and Behaviors:

• Excellent data entry and data management skills.
• Strong attention to detail and accuracy.
• Able to prioritize, have a sense of urgency, and meet deadlines.
• Good judgment, professional integrity, and ability to maintain confidentiality.
• Strong listening, verbal, and written English language communication skills.
• Maintain clear, concise, and professional language when speaking with individuals and groups.
• Able to interact positively and professionally with all levels of employees throughout the company.
• Provide guidance and support to less experienced team members.
• Strong problem-analysis and problem-solving skills.
• Proactively embraces and promotes the company’s values, culture, and a healthy and safe work environment and ensuring compliance with operational standards.
• Ability to handle high-volume expense processing, ensuring timely payments and accurate GL coding.
• Ability to support global/cross-regional employees by handling multi-currency, and localization requirements; assisted with policy reviews and updates.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.