Travel Manager

About the Role

ADES - Advanced Energy Systems is seeking a Travel Manager to lead and manage its travel program across all operating countries. This full-time role, based in Saudi Arabia, focuses on ensuring safe, efficient, cost-effective, and compliant travel services for corporate business travel, offshore crew mobilization, and operational requirements. The Travel Manager will develop travel strategies, govern travel policies, and manage strategic relationships with Travel Management Companies (TMCs) and suppliers, driving standardization and continuous improvement in travel operations. The position requires over 10 years of experience.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and implement ADES travel strategy aligned with business objectives and sourcing strategies.
• Establish and maintain standardized travel policies, procedures, and service standards across all operating countries.
• Lead the end-to-end management of corporate business travel, offshore crew rotations, executive travel, and international/domestic travel services.
• Oversee airline bookings, hotel accommodation, ground transportation, visa coordination, emergency travel, and charter flight requirements.
• Partner with Operations, Rig Management, and HR to ensure timely crew mobilization and demobilization, optimizing travel routing.
• Develop sourcing strategies for travel-related services and lead supplier sourcing, tendering, and selection of TMCs and travel service providers.
• Manage contracts and strategic relationships with airlines, hotel chains, and other travel suppliers, monitoring performance against SLAs and KPIs.
• Develop, monitor, and control the annual travel budget, analyzing expenditure to identify cost-saving opportunities.
• Ensure compliance with immigration requirements, travel regulations, visa requirements, and company travel policies.
• Monitor geopolitical developments and emerging risks, coordinating travel risk mitigation measures and emergency support.
• Develop and maintain travel performance dashboards and KPIs to measure operational efficiency, supplier performance, and traveller satisfaction.
• Lead initiatives to automate travel processes, enhance digital travel management capabilities, and standardize workflows.
• Partner with internal stakeholders including Operations, HR, Supply Chain, Finance, HSE, and Security to ensure travel services support operational requirements.

Safety and Compliance

The Travel Manager is responsible for maintaining the highest standards of corporate governance, ensuring all activities comply with the Company’s QHSSE policies, Management System, relevant laws, regulations, standards, and industry practices. This role requires exemplary leadership and commitment to safety initiatives, promoting a safety culture across all operational levels and never compromising employee safety or company processes.

Supplier and Financial Management

This role involves developing sourcing strategies for travel services in collaboration with the Global Sourcing Manager. Key activities include leading supplier sourcing, tendering, technical evaluations, and selection of Travel Management Companies (TMCs) and other travel service providers. The Travel Manager will manage contracts and strategic relationships with various suppliers, monitoring their performance against agreed Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and KPIs. Additionally, the role includes developing, monitoring, and controlling the annual travel budget, analyzing expenditure for cost-saving opportunities, and preparing periodic travel expenditure reports and forecasts.

Travel Risk and Business Continuity

The Travel Manager ensures compliance with immigration requirements, travel regulations, visa requirements, and company travel policies. This includes monitoring geopolitical developments, travel advisories, and emerging risks that may impact business travel. The role coordinates travel risk mitigation measures and emergency travel support during crises or business disruptions, partnering with Security, HSE, and Risk Management teams to safeguard employee travel and support business continuity planning. Promoting traveller safety and duty of care across all travel activities is a core responsibility.

Qualifications and Experience

• A minimum of 10 years of experience in travel management.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and implement travel strategies and policies.
• Experience in managing relationships with Travel Management Companies (TMCs) and travel suppliers.
• Proficiency in financial and budget management related to travel expenditure.
• Strong understanding of travel risk management, compliance, and business continuity planning.
• Experience with digitalization and process improvement initiatives in travel operations.