Director, Corporate Travel

At FINRA, we’re not just looking for someone to run our travel program — we’re looking for someone to transform it, and lead it into the future.
As the Corporate Travel Director, you’ll be the go-to expert to shape, modernize, and optimize how FINRA’s employees travel. This role will be responsible for developing and managing FINRA’s travel program. This role bridges internal business requirements with external travel service providers, with a strong focus on policy adherence, duty of care, cost control, and traveler satisfaction.
This role will define and lead the future of FINRA’s corporate travel program, shaping the supplier base, setting preferred partners across air, hotel, and ground transport, and ensuring effective travel operations.
If you thrive in matrixed organizations, are a confident negotiator, and have a the ability to turn ideas into action, this role will give you the autonomy to make a lasting impact.

Essential Job Functions:

• Develop FINRA travel policy and procedures to include authorship, benchmarking against best practices, and on-going modifications based on industry changes, changes to compliance standards, and FINRA internal business practices.
• Act as liaison for FINRA to Travel Management Company (TMC), Technology, and all suppliers.
• Negotiate preferred rates and terms with airlines and hotels. Manage UATP (Universal Air Travel Program), car rental companies, and other travel vendors to maximize value.  This includes rate loading oversight, communications plan, cost/benefit of FINRA preferred vendor program to agency program.
• Manage the overall travel budget, analyze spending patterns, and identify opportunities for cost savings.
• Develop and implement automated first level program support processes; responsible for FINRA Help Desk escalations, process exceptions. Field complaints and interact with FINRA travelers daily. Liaise with TMC to support travelers. Support board members travelling to FINRA meetings.
• Ensure all business travel adheres to company policies and regulatory requirements, working closely with the TMC.
• Collaborate with the meeting planning department to coordinate group travel arrangements for company events and meetings.
• Implement and manage travel booking systems, expense reporting tools, and other travel-related technologies. Develop SLA monitoring, KPI’s, and reporting for all aspects of the program. Monitor and provide reports on program performance to identify trends and areas for improvement.
• Oversee the development and distribution of critical communications, including travel alerts, system availability notifications, and industry engagement initiatives.
• Train employees on travel policies, booking tools, and expense reporting processes.
• Stay current on industry trends, travel regulations, and best practices to continuously improve the travel program. Attend industry training programs.
• Lead vendor and technology assessments for enterprise travel solutions by conducting comprehensive due diligence on travel-related technology platforms, including booking engines, Global Distribution System (GDS) strategies, mid-office quality control solutions, reporting and analytics tools, event management systems (Cvent), crisis management platforms, automated expense management solutions, and meetings management software.
• Manage end-to-end travel management Request for Proposal (RFP) process including requirements definition, vendor assessment and strategic sourcing decisions and implementation. For a regulatory organization like FINRA, a travel management RFP would include compliance requirements, audit capabilities, and specific reporting needs to support regulatory oversight functions.
• Serve as the primary owner for the TMCs management daily.
• Demonstrate FINRA’s values.
• Collaborate, both in-person and virtually, in furtherance of FINRA’s mission of investor protection and market integrity.

Education/Experience Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree in business administration, tourism or travel management, hospitality, or a related field.

• 10+ years of experience in travel agency or corporate travel management, preferably at a fortune 500 company, financial services organization or in a regulated industry.

• Certification in Corporate Travel CCTE, required.

• Proven track record of developing and implementing successful travel programs.

• Excellent negotiation, communication, problem-solving, multitasking, analytical skills and customer service skills.

• Proficiency in travel booking systems (GDS) expense management software, and data analysis tools.

• Familiarity with East Coast travel market share (NYC/DC) and Amtrak.

• Ability to work collaboratively with cr