Head of Travel & Expense

TL;DR

Head of Travel & Expense (T&E): Lead and modernize a global travel, expense, and corporate spend ecosystem with an accent on AI-enabled, digital-first automation, touchless expense processing, and intelligent policy enforcement. Focus on building scalable global T&E operations and governance with measurable KPIs, while owning the T&E technology ecosystem and driving cross-functional execution across Finance, Procurement, IT, HR, Security, and Operations.

Location: San Francisco, California, United States (candidates in other locations will be considered)

Salary: $167,600–$288,100 USD (base salary range across pay zones)

Company

Databricks provides a data and AI platform used by thousands of organizations worldwide.

What you will do

• Transform the T&E program into a modern, automated, digital-first experience, including AI-enabled workflows, touchless expense processing, automated audit controls, and intelligent policy enforcement.
• Deliver a frictionless employee experience across booking, expense submission, approvals, reimbursements, and support while reducing manual work.
• Build and run a scalable global T&E roadmap with KPIs, dashboards, and change management to drive adoption.
• Oversee global business travel operations (air, hotel, ground transportation, meetings, traveler support) and shape regional travel strategies for a distributed workforce.
• Manage travel partners and suppliers to improve service levels and optimize spend.
• Own the T&E technology ecosystem (e.g., Emburse, Egencia, AppZen, corporate card integrations) and partner on integrations, APIs, and analytics.

Requirements

• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in Travel, Expense, Procurement, Finance Operations, Shared Services, or related functions.
• Proven success leading T&E transformation, automation, or digital modernization in high-growth or fast-paced organizations.
• Experience leading global or multinational T&E programs, including regional operations and cross-border transformation.
• Deep expertise in T&E platforms, workflow automation, corporate card programs, and expense technologies.
• Strong understanding of AI-enabled operations, process redesign, and scalable service delivery models.
• Strong stakeholder management and change leadership skills; ability to lead through ambiguity.

Nice to have

• MBA, CPA, CTP, or related certification.
• Lean Six Sigma, automation, or digital transformation experience.

Culture & Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits and perks, with details provided by region.
• Annual performance bonus, equity, and benefits may be included in the total compensation package.
• Commitment to diversity and inclusion and equal employment opportunity standards.