At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead strategic sourcing for travel and card services across EMEA, optimizing spend and supplier relationships.
- Company: Join Cisco, a global leader in technology, committed to powering an inclusive future for all.
- Benefits: Enjoy flexible work options, paid volunteer time, and a culture that supports learning and development.
- Why this job: Be part of a dynamic team driving innovation in travel solutions while making a social impact.
- Qualifications: 7+ years in the travel industry with strong negotiation skills and knowledge of SAP Concur.
- Other info: Collaborate with diverse teams and contribute to a culture of inclusion and community engagement.
The predicted salary is between 48000 - 84000 ÂŁ per year.
EMEA Travel & Card Strategic Sourcing Manager
Travel & Card services provide optimized, best-in-class travel solutions through standard purchasing tools, methods, and terms aligned to Cisco’s Procurement Policies while optimizing spend, cultivating strategic supplier relationships to drive performance, and digitally tightening compliance and controls through data and insights to mitigate risks.
Travel services consist of six sub-commodities: airlines, corporate cards, travel technology, ground transport, hotels, and travel agency.
In this role, you will be required to have a solid understanding of procurement operations and business challenges, and the ability to translate them into solutions.
Who You’ll Work With?
You will work closely with a wide variety of partners and multi-functional teams (e.g. finance, invoicing, tax, risk, and compliance, category and supplier management) to implement Travel Services strategy in the regions, standardize and improve the service, and mitigate risk for Cisco.
You will work closely with the Global Travel & Card Service Leader supporting strategic oversight including crafting, recommending, implementing, administering, updating, and carrying out policies and procedures.
Your role will require you to partner closely with Global Procurement Category and Supplier managers on negotiations and contracts. Solid understanding of sourcing Air, Hotel, and TMC including RFP, bidding process, contract pricing, and renewals.
Regional Relationship Management
- Responsible for establishing and maintaining relationships with regional and global partners and business functions to identify business requirements including legal, tax, finance, HR, etc.
- Partner with SAP Concur Centers of Excellence (Scrum Teams), Business Architecture, and Country Enablement to translate business requirements into functional system design documentation.
- Track and analyze business function feedback to build new business requirements (e.g. surveys results, case management C-SAT, reported escalations or process exceptions).
- Partner with Change Management to update documentation based on business functions/end-user feedback.
- Identify end users/business profiles for targeted training and testing in the region.
- Collaborate across regions and services to keep alignment and standardization.
Regional Service Governance
You will be responsible for managing the processes as part of the service in the region. You will also be responsible for regular reporting as part of Regional Travel Operational Service Review of the critical metrics which includes:
- Current volume drives forecasted volume drivers (new release impact forecast), volume drive risk and concerns.
- Regional quality of service which includes case metrics and plans improvement quality metrics, if applicable.
- Productivity metrics including process cycle times, time to value, and capacity utilization.
- Customer Experience reported from case management scoring and survey results.
- All the metrics should be reported with category and business functions view with an actionable plan to align with global targets and benchmarks.
You will be responsible for leading the resources who support travel and payment solution processes in the region including:
- Current staffing model and future staffing model to align with service roadmap.
- Govern physical & IT security with vendor providing service (access validation, assets, application data access).
- Assessment of training progress and quality scores for new joiners.
Responsible for validation of travel & payment process and controls accuracy in the region including:
- Quality assessment of controls and processes (internal audits).
- Processes specific to the regional requirements created and kept up to date.
- Responsible for driving incremental process improvement to bring efficiency gains and reduce costs; all processes improvement should be planned and documented including benefit/value.
- Implementation of new controls defined in partnership with Risk and Compliance COE.
Regional Operational Readiness
Responsible for preparing the regions for new Travel, Card, and Expense system releases, process changes, and new controls including:
- Capability assessment impact and benefit to the region and countries.
- Identification of stabilization risks and mitigation plans.
- Future staffing model including skills assessment and training plan.
- Involvement in testing for documented business requirements and coordination with end users/business functions and stakeholders.
- Documenting all changes in updated process maps and desktop procedures including audit procedures.
Additional responsibilities and duties:
- Reprioritize work with limited direction and complete additional projects/tasks as assigned.
- Benchmark processes and provide recommendations for improvements and standardization.
Who You Are
You’ve got experience in leading domestic and international travel, SAP Concur T&E products, payments and expense programs, meetings management, and relocations in the travel space to effectively implement, direct and lead spend across the company. You will direct operations, processes, and implementation of Travel and all related services in EMEA. You will indirectly lead a team of travel professionals from our vendor partners.
Minimum Qualifications:
- 7+ years of expertise in the travel industry, with demonstrated track record and technical expertise in all travel-related categories.
- Knowledge of SAP Concur T&E reporting and processing.
- Great communication (oral and written) and negotiation skills.
- Knowledge of international travel regulations, process, systems, customs, and currencies.
- Solid understanding of Travel and Expense important metrics.
- Strong knowledge of end-to-end Global Travel management.
Preferred Qualifications:
- European / Global experience considered a big plus.
- Ability to work with an Agile approach.
- An analytical mind with strong business insight.
- Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience at a minimum.
Desired Qualifications:
- Knowledge of MS Office and TMC/GDS/OBT solutions.
- Travel or Meetings and Events industry qualifications (e.g. CIPS, GLP, CCTE, CMP).
- Customer-focused approach.
- Ability to run P+L and track record leading global programs.
- Consistent record of success as a Travel/Meetings & Events Category Manager.
- Presentation skills – Ability to craft and handle documents as well as present to leadership at all levels.
#WeAreCisco
#WeAreCisco where every individual brings their unique skills and perspectives together to pursue our purpose of powering an inclusive future for all.
Our passion is connection—we celebrate our employees’ diverse set of backgrounds and focus on unlocking potential. Cisconians often experience one company, many careers where learning and development are encouraged and supported at every stage. Our technology, tools, and culture pioneered hybrid work trends, allowing all to not only give their best but be their best.
We understand our outstanding opportunity to bring communities together and at the heart of that is our people. One-third of Cisconians collaborate in our 30 employee resource organizations, called Inclusive Communities, to connect, foster belonging, learn to be informed allies, and make a difference. Dedicated paid time off to volunteer—80 hours each year—allows us to give back to causes we are passionate about, and nearly 86% do!
Our purpose, driven by our people, is what makes us the worldwide leader in technology that powers the internet. Helping our customers reimagine their applications, secure their enterprise, transform their infrastructure, and meet their sustainability goals is what we do best. We ensure that every step we take is a step towards a more inclusive future for all. Take your next step and be you, with us!
#LI-TK1
#J-18808-Ljbffr
EMEA Travel & Card Strategic Sourcing Manager employer: Cisco
Contact Detail:
Cisco Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land EMEA Travel & Card Strategic Sourcing Manager
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarize yourself with SAP Concur and its functionalities, as this role heavily relies on it. Understanding how to leverage this tool for travel and expense management will give you a significant edge.
✨Tip Number 2
Network with professionals in the travel and procurement sectors. Engaging with industry peers can provide insights into best practices and may even lead to referrals or recommendations.
✨Tip Number 3
Stay updated on international travel regulations and trends. This knowledge will not only help you in interviews but also demonstrate your commitment to the role and the industry.
✨Tip Number 4
Prepare to discuss your experience with process improvements and cost reductions in travel management. Be ready to share specific examples that showcase your analytical skills and ability to drive efficiency.
We think you need these skills to ace EMEA Travel & Card Strategic Sourcing Manager
Some tips for your application 🫡
Understand the Role: Before you start writing your application, make sure you fully understand the responsibilities and requirements of the EMEA Travel & Card Strategic Sourcing Manager position. Tailor your application to highlight how your experience aligns with the specific needs outlined in the job description.
Highlight Relevant Experience: Emphasize your 7+ years of expertise in the travel industry, particularly focusing on your experience with SAP Concur T&E products and your knowledge of international travel regulations. Use specific examples to demonstrate your track record in managing travel-related categories.
Showcase Communication Skills: Since great communication skills are essential for this role, ensure that your application reflects your ability to communicate effectively. Use clear and concise language, and consider including examples of successful negotiations or presentations you've conducted.
Demonstrate Analytical Mindset: The job requires an analytical mind with strong business insight. In your application, provide examples of how you've used data and insights to drive performance improvements or mitigate risks in previous roles. This will show that you can translate business challenges into effective solutions.
How to prepare for a job interview at Cisco
✨Understand the Travel & Card Landscape
Make sure you have a solid grasp of the travel industry, especially in relation to procurement operations. Familiarize yourself with the six sub-commodities mentioned in the job description and be ready to discuss how you can optimize spend and cultivate supplier relationships.
✨Showcase Your Negotiation Skills
Prepare examples from your past experiences where you've successfully negotiated contracts or managed supplier relationships. Highlight your ability to translate business challenges into effective solutions during discussions.
✨Demonstrate Analytical Thinking
Be ready to discuss how you track and analyze metrics related to travel services. Prepare to explain how you would use data insights to mitigate risks and improve service quality in the region.
✨Highlight Your Collaborative Approach
Since this role involves working closely with various teams, emphasize your experience in cross-functional collaboration. Share specific instances where you partnered with finance, compliance, or other departments to achieve common goals.