Global Travel Category Manager

Global Travel Category Manager

At Alcon, we're passionate about enhancing sight and helping people see brilliantly. With more than 25,000 associates, we innovate fearlessly, champion progress, and act swiftly to impact global eye health. We foster an inclusive culture, recognizing your contributions and offering opportunities to grow your career like never before. Together, we make a difference in the lives of our patients and customers. Are you ready to join us?

The Global Travel manager will lead the strategy, sourcing, governance, and performance of the company’s global travel program.

Sitting within the Procurement organization, this role is responsible for designing and managing a best‑in‑class travel ecosystem to ensure safety, cost optimization, policy compliance, supplier performance, and an excellent traveler experience.

This position partners closely with HR, Finance, Security, Legal, regional leaders, and external travel suppliers to build a cohesive, modern, and sustainable travel program aligned with the company’s global objectives.

In this role, a typical day will include:

1. Global Strategy & Program Leadership

• Develop and own the global travel strategy, aligned with Procurement’s objectives and overall business priorities.

• Ensure consistent global standards, while enabling regional flexibility where required.

• Lead continuous improvement initiatives to modernize the travel program and enhance user experience.

2. Category Management & Sourcing

• Own global sourcing for all travel‑related categories including airlines, hotels, ground transportation, TMC management, booking tools, and payment solutions.

• Lead RFPs, negotiations, and contract management to ensure optimal value, service performance, and supplier innovation.

• Manage supplier relationships with a focus on strategic partnership, performance metrics, sustainability, and duty of care.

3. Governance, Compliance & Risk Management

• Own global travel policy: definition, updates, communication, and enforcement.

• Collaborate with HR, Security, and Legal to ensure compliance with duty-of-care standards and local regulations.

• Oversee travel risk management processes and coordinate with internal stakeholders to support safe travel.

4. Financial Management & Reporting

• Define annual travel budgets in partnership with Finance; monitor performance and identify cost‑saving opportunities.

• Develop dashboards, KPIs, and reporting mechanisms on spend, compliance, supplier performance, and traveler behaviors.

• Provide regular insights and recommendations to senior leadership.

5. Traveler Experience & Stakeholder Engagement

• Drive initiatives that improve ease of booking, traveler satisfaction, and productivity while ensuring adherence to policy.

• Serve as the primary point of contact for senior internal stakeholders and employee groups.

• Communicate program changes, policies, and performance across the global organization.

6. Digital Tools & Process Optimization

• Lead the optimization of travel technology platforms (online booking tools, TMC systems, payment solutions).

• Partner with IT to ensure seamless integration and user adoption of digital travel tools.

• Stay current on market innovations, sustainability trends, and industry benchmarks.

WHAT YOU’LL BRING TO ALCON:

• 10+ years of experience managing global travel, strategic sourcing, or category management roles.

• Strong expertise in travel procurement, supplier management, and contract negotiation.

• Proven track record leading global programs and implementing organizational change.

• Deep knowledge of the corporate travel ecosystem: TMCs, GDS, OBTs, airline and hotel programs, payment solutions.

• Excellent analytical, financial, and project management skills.

• Strong stakeholder management abilities at executive level.

• Ability to navigate complex, matrixed, multinational environments.

Preferred:

• Experience in multinational corporations with dispersed employee populations.

• Familiarity with sustainability practices in corporate travel.

• Experience with travel risk management frameworks.

HOW YOU CAN THRIVE AT ALCON:

• Very best working environment for our employees – Alcon Polska has been recognized as a Top Employer for the two years in a row

• Truly international environment and daily interactions with colleagues and stakeholders from all over the world

• Attractive benefits package (private medical care, group insurance, lunch card, transportation allowance, pension plan, Multisport/cultural card, Alcon products for you and your significant other)

• Attractive compensation package (including bonus scheme)

• Hybrid work model (3/2/weekly)

• Modern office with a lot of facilities inside located at NewCity building, 15 Marynarska Street, Warsaw

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Alcon is an Equal Opportunity Employer and takes pride in maintaining a diverse environment. We do not discriminate in recruitment, hiring, training, promotion or other employment practices for reasons of race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, disability, or any other reason.

Experience Level

Mid Level