Senior Manager, Travel & Expense Management - Travel Planning

VERSANT (Nasdaq: VSNT) is an industry-changing media and entertainment business and home to trusted brands that shape culture, inform audiences, and build lasting connections. It operates across four core markets: political news and opinion, business news and personal finance, golf, and sports and genre entertainment. These markets are served through a powerful portfolio of iconic and innovative brands, including CNBC, MS NOW, USA Network, Golf Channel, Oxygen, E!, SYFY, and Versant's sports division USA Sports, along with complementary digital assets including Fandango, Rotten Tomatoes, GolfNow and GolfPass. We are seeking a Senior Manager, Global Travel & Expense Management - Travel Planning to lead the operational delivery of Versant's corporate and production travel program. This role owns the day-to-day relationship with Versant's Travel Management Company (TMC), sets a high standard for traveler service and policy compliance, and drives program performance across air, hotel, and ground transportation. The Senior Manager partners across the organization to strengthen the travel experience, manage supplier and operational risk, and deliver measurable value through data, technology, and continuous improvement. This role is designed for a leader who can manage travel operational and industry complexity, partner directly with key stakeholders, hold 3rd party travel service providers accountable to service commitments, and help guide the organization through continued centralization, system transformation, and ongoing scalability. Key Responsibilities Service Delivery Lead the travel service-delivery model and serve as the senior escalation point for complex travel needs, policy guidance, traveler support, and preferred supplier utilization. Oversee the operating relationship with Versant's TMC, including service delivery, issue resolution, service-level performance, governance, and continuous improvement. Establish standards for traveler profile onboarding and maintenance, ensuring accurate traveler data, travel preferences, and compliance requirements are configured within the booking platform. Lead planning and execution for high-priority travel requirements, including executive leadership, production-related events, and other critical business needs. Partner with Human Resources, Finance, Procurement, Security, Technology, and business leaders to align travel services with evolving business requirements and operational priorities. Manage the development of traveler-facing resources, including travel policies, SOPs, FAQs, communications, and training materials. Partner with Communications to enhance and expand travel-related content on Versant's internal portal, “The Verse.” Lead traveler safety and duty-of-care processes, coordinating internal and external partners during travel disruptions, emergencies, and risk events. Lead the hotel RFP process, including spend and demand analysis, supplier strategy, negotiations, rate loading, and performance monitoring. Standards and Controls Manage the governance framework for compliance with company travel policies, negotiated supplier programs, and approval requirements. Oversee audits of negotiated supplier rates in the online booking tool to ensure rate availability, accuracy, and compliance with contracted agreements. Review out-of-policy booking trends, set corrective actions, and manage exception escalation with business leaders and key stakeholders. Establish controls for unused ticket inventories and travel credits, ensuring timely utilization, accountability, and reporting of savings opportunities. Partner with the TMC and internal stakeholders to maintain data integrity across booking systems, traveler profiles, and reporting platforms. Lead audit requests, policy reviews, documentation retention, and internal control activities related to business travel spend. Design, evaluate, and strengthen travel program governance, controls, and compliance processes in support of organizational objectives. Performance Define and monitor key travel program metrics, including advance purchase behavior, supplier adoption, policy compliance, online booking utilization, missed savings, and traveler satisfaction. Lead analysis of travel spend and trends to identify savings opportunities, inform executive decision-making, and optimize program performance. Develop executive-ready reporting, dashboards, and business reviews for Finance, Leadership, Procurement, and other stakeholders. Prioritize and lead initiatives that improve operational efficiency, reduce travel costs, and enhance the end-to-end traveler experience. Lead supplier performance reviews, using service levels, traveler feedback, utilization trends, and contract compliance to drive accountability and improvement. Benchmark travel program performance, identify leading practices, and translate insights into a strategic improvement roadmap. People Oversee training and onboarding for employees, executives, and administrative assistants on travel tools, policies, and booking processes. Champion the traveler experience by resolving systemic issues, representing traveler needs, and balancing service excellence with responsible spend management. Act as the senior liaison among employees, travel suppliers, and the TMC to manage escalations and ensure timely resolution of complex issues. Lead change-management initiatives related to policy updates, technology enhancements, supplier transitions, and travel program communications. Build trusted relationships with senior stakeholders to ensure travel services support business objectives and broader enterprise priorities. Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a related field; MBA preferred 5+ years of progressive experience in Finance, Accounting, Corporate and Production Travel Planning, travel management, or related areas, including experience leading cross-functional programs a