Travel Manager

The Travel Manager is responsible for the governance, administration, and continuous improvement of John Paul Construction’s Travel and Expense programme in line with the JPC Travel & Expense Management Policy. The role ensures all business travel is booked, paid, and reported in compliance with policy, delivers value for money, and supports employees travelling across multiple active construction regions.

The role is the single point of ownership for the Perk platform, including travel bookings, virtual debit cards, approvals, supplier relationships, reporting, and policy alignment, working closely with Finance and senior management.

Requirements

Travel Platform & Perk Governance

• · Act as the primary point of contact with Perk, managing the relationship and attending bi-weekly governance and performance meetings with the Account Manager.
• · Ensure the Perk platform is configured and maintained in line with the approved Travel & Expense Policy, including:
• o Use of Perk for all air, rail, hotel, and car hire bookings
• o Correct policy rules, approval workflows, and booking restrictions
• · Oversee onboarding and offboarding of Business Travellers and ensure timely updates for people changes.

Travel Policy Ownership & Compliance

· Act as policy owner for the Travel & Expense Management Policy, ensuring:

o The policy is correctly embedded within Perk

o Updates are made as business, regulatory, or operational requirements change

· Maintain alignment between policy wording, platform configuration, and actual booking behaviour.

· Monitor compliance with:

o Mandatory use of Perk

o Approval requirements

o Booking lead times

o Class of travel, accommodation limits, and non-reimbursable items

· Identify policy breaches or anomalies and escalate where required, supported by Finance.

Employee Support & Travel Operations

· Act as the first point of contact for travel-related queries, including bookings, changes, cancellations, and emergency travel.

· Provide hands-on support to employees who require assistance booking travel.

· Manage and coordinate:

o Group bookings

o Extended or short-term stays, liaising directly with hotels where required

o Bookings not supported by the Perk platform

· Ensure last-minute or emergency travel is handled in line with policy notification and approval requirements.

Accommodation Strategy & Supplier Management

· Negotiate and maintain corporate hotel agreements across all active regions.

· Issue hotel RFPs in advance of site mobilisation to ensure availability, cost control, and compliance.

· Maintain and update the Preferred Hotels list and ensure rates align with hotel rate guidelines.

· Manage ongoing relationships with preferred hotels, monitoring service quality, rates, and adherence to agreed terms.

· Ensure preferred hotels are correctly set up and promoted within the Perk platform.

Corporate Rewards & Loyalty Programme Management

· Own and manage the JPC Corporate Rewards Programme, where applicable, ensuring it is maximised for the benefit of the Company.

· Act as the primary administrator for any company-wide travel or accommodation rewards arrangements negotiated or operated by JPC.

· Work with Perk, Finance, and preferred suppliers to track and report any benefits accruing under the JPC corporate rewards programme.

Financial Control, Reporting & Invoice Review

· Review bi-weekly Perk invoices prior to approval, validating:

o Accuracy

o Policy compliance

o Correct allocation

· Work closely with Finance to:

o Produce regular reporting on travel spend, trends, virtual card usage, and compliance

o Identify cost-saving opportunities and areas of risk

o Support audits and internal controls

· Analyse travel data to identify inefficiencies, supplier performance issues, or non-compliant behaviour.

Virtual Debit Card Administration (Perk)

· Own and manage the Perk virtual debit card programme, ensuring appropriate use in line with policy.

· Administer virtual card access, limits, and controls in collaboration with Finance.

· Monitor card usage to ensure spend.

· Investigate declined transactions, discrepancies, or unusual spend patterns and resolve with Perk and Finance.

· Support reconciliation, audit, and reporting requirements relating to virtual card usage.

Key Skills & Experience

· Hands-on experience with travel management, including booking tools, approvals, and reporting.

· Demonstrated experience managing travel policy governance and compliance.

· Strong commercial and negotiation skills, particularly with hotels and accommodation providers.

· High attention to detail with a strong control mindset.

· Excellent stakeholder management skills, comfortable engaging with site teams, Finance, and senior leadership.

Desirable Qualifications & Experience

· Qualification in Travel Management, Business Administration, Finance, or a related discipline preferred but not essential.

· Experience working within Finance-owned travel and expense frameworks.

· Experience supporting audits or internal control reviews.

Benefits

• Competitive salary and benefits package
• Career progression opportunities within a growing business
• Supportive and collaborative working environment

We fully embrace the right of all employees to work in an environment that ensures equal opportunity and treatment with dignity and respect.