Global Travel and Expense Lead

About the Company

The OpenAI Deployment Company (“DeployCo”) helps enterprises turn advances in AI into practical business transformation. We partner with leading companies to identify opportunities, build solutions using OpenAI’s technology, and bring those solutions into everyday operations.

We are building a global company at the intersection of AI and professional services. Our work calls for people who enjoy solving complex problems, take ownership, and move quickly while exercising sound judgment.

DeployCo is an OpenAI subsidiary being built with support from outside investors.

About the Role

We are seeking a Global Travel and Expense Lead to build and own DeployCo’s travel and expense program for a geographically distributed, client-facing workforce. Travel is central to how we serve customers: our teams travel frequently, plans change quickly, and a significant portion of travel originates in EMEA.

You will establish the policies, supplier relationships, systems, and support model that make this travel dependable. Your scope will span travel operations, expenses, corporate cards, and reporting, combining high-touch traveler support with responsibility for building a program that grows with the business.

This is a hands-on role with broad ownership. You should be as comfortable resolving an urgent travel disruption as deciding how to improve provider coverage, strengthen expense workflows, or address recurring service problems. You will partner closely with DeployCo Finance and business leaders, drawing on OpenAI’s T&E expertise while taking responsibility for DeployCo’s execution and employee experience.

Success will mean that employees can focus on client delivery, leaders have visibility into travel costs, and the program provides responsive service with clear financial controls.

In this role, you will:

• Build and run DeployCo’s global travel and expense program, establishing the operating model, processes, and provider support needed as the company grows. Remain hands-on initially and build the team over time as business needs expand.

• Deliver responsive support for frequent client travel, including complex itineraries, last-minute changes, cancellations, and on-trip disruptions. Establish dependable provider coverage and escalation paths across regions and time zones.

• Improve international booking and payment workflows, particularly for EMEA-origin travel. Work with providers and Finance partners to address pricing, availability, currency, and local-market constraints.

• Own expense and corporate card operations, including onboarding, access, limits, employee guidance, and exception handling. Partner with Accounting on coding, documentation, reconciliation, and close.

• Create practical travel policies, approval processes, and controls that balance traveler needs, client commitments, cost, and accountability.

• - Manage travel suppliers, service expectations, performance reviews, and sourcing opportunities. Partner with OpenAI’s T&E team on shared supplier arrangements, with direct access to providers and responsibility for DeployCo’s service needs and escalations. Coordinate group travel and room blocks, partnering with event owners where needed.

• Establish reliable visibility into travel costs by client or project, supporting customer reimbursement or rebilling where contracts permit.

• Use data, automation, and AI to improve service, reduce manual work, and identify recurring problems, while retaining appropriate review and controls.

You may thrive in this role if you:

• Have personally managed travel in a professional-services or consulting environment, supporting frequent client trips, changing schedules, and time-sensitive delivery commitments.

• Bring substantial experience with EMEA-origin travel and understand how booking location, payment arrangements, and local-market conditions affect the traveler experience.

• Have owned both travel and expense workflows, with practical experience across suppliers, policy, corporate cards, and Accounting handoffs.

• Can build and manage a program independently: assess what is needed, prioritize improvements, establish dependable processes, and remain accountable for results.

• Combine a strong service mindset with sound judgment, resolving urgent problems while balancing safety, confidentiality, cost, and business needs.

• Enjoy hands-on execution and know how to turn recurring issues into better processes, provider arrangements, or systems.

• Build effective relationships with travelers, business leaders, Finance, and external providers, with clear responsibilities and follow-through.

• Use data and technology thoughtfully to simplify work. Experience with Navan or comparable platforms, multi-currency programs, supplier sourcing, group travel, or client-cost allocation would be valuable; deep expertise in every area is not required.