Manager, Travel Accounting

FINANCIAL SVC SUPV 2 (004631)

UCPath Position ID: 40037454

Position Description History/Status

For Reference ONLY - PeopleAdmin JA Number:

703599

Approved Date:

2/6/2026 4:38:31 PM

Date Last Edited:

2/6/2026 4:38:28 PM

Last Action Effective Date:

7/19/2017

Organization Details

Business Unit (Location):

LACMP

Organization Code:

6400O

Organization:

VICE CHANCELLOR/CHIEF FINANCIAL OFFICER

Division Code:

6440D

Division:

BUSINESS & FINANCE SOLUTIONS

Department:

353200 - TRAVEL ACCOUNTING

Position Details

UCPath Position Number:

40037454

Position Description ID

169924

UC Payroll Title:

FINANCIAL SVC SUPV 2 (004631)

Personnel Program

Professional and Support Staff (PSS)

Salary Grade:

Grade 23

Job Code FLSA:

Exempt

Union Code (Collective Bargaining Unit):

99: Non-Represented (PPSM)

Employee Relations Code:

C: Supervisor - Not Confidential

Employee Class (Appt Type):

2 - Staff: Career

Full-Time Equivalent (FTE)

1

SUPERVISION

UCPath Reports to Position Number:

41207411

Reports to Payroll Title:

ORGANIZATIONAL DEV MGR 2

UCPath Department Head Position Number:

40048872

Department Head Payroll Title:

ADMIN MGR 4

DIRECTION - Indicates that the incumbent establishes procedures for attaining specific goals and objectives in a broad area of work. Only the final results of work done are typically reviewed. Incumbent typically develops procedures within the limits of established policy guidelines.

4754

FINANCIAL SVC ANL 2 CX

4

4630

FINANCIAL SVC SUPV 1

1

0

POSITION SUMMARY

Under the direction of the Senior Director, Procurement Operations and Payment Services, Corporate Financial Services, act as Senior Policy Generalist for travel and entertainment conducted by executive management. Review executive management travel and entertainment expenditures and resolve all issues prior to forwarding to the Senior Director for approval. Consult with Senior Director for non-routine situations regarding executive travel reimbursements while ensuring that all requests for exception for Senior Management Group members are reviewed in a timely manner. Serve as the Express System (Concur) Administrator for Travel Accounting.  In addition, serve as Manager, Travel Accounting; oversee accounting processes related to the Express Reimbursement System (Concur),the Direct Billing system for the UC Travel Center, and travel and entertainment requisitions submitted by University departments via the BruinBuy Plus procure-to-pay system.

Manage Daily Operations of Travel Accounting

1. Manage the Travel Accounting unit for the processing of reimbursements and other travel and entertainment related transactions to ensure that all customer service standards are met or exceeded and that all transactions are processed in accordance with University policies and IRS and other external regulations. Work closely with Accounts Payable and Payroll Services departments to determine all travel reimbursements and payments are processed through the appropriate CFS unit and financial system (e.g., PAC or EDB).

2. Manage tracking, monitoring, and reporting of UCLA Travel's performance measures, including percentage of transactions processed in accordance with UCLA Travel Accounting service standards, hours of training provided to UCLA Travel Accounting staff, and other organization wide and operational measures. Continually analyze measures and implement processes and practices to achieve continuous improvement.

3. Manage the administrative systems to ensure timely, accurate and consistent handling and tracking of incoming communications. Coordinate all intra-office communications to ensure staff is kept abreast of new directives, industry updates, and campus information.

6. Manage the Travel Accounting budget. Prepare annual budgets for review by the Senior Director, and prepare quarterly variance analyses. Reconcile Travel Accounting ledgers on a monthly basis. Resolve discrepancies and errors. Communicate errors to the CFS Budget Office timely.

7. Manage all accounting aspects of the Direct Billing System to ensure that statements paid through PAC are timely and accurate. Serve as back up Direct Bill coordinator as necessary.

8. Manage the CTS card for the Direct Billing System and act as liaison with card vendor for all CTS cards.

9. In coordination with the management and peers, make decisions to solve issues regarding University Travel & Entertainment policies.

10. Manage the processing of travel advances, including monthly reconciliation. Manage resolution of aged travel advances by following up as appropriate. Charge unresolved advances to departmental accounts at 120 days. Record transactions so that they are considered as taxable income to the employee. Follow up with Tax Services and Payroll Services as necessary. Prepare semi-annual accounts receivable reconciliation reports for General Accounting.

11. Recruit, interview, and hire qualified staff using strategies designed to attract highly qualified candidates.

12. Meet with staff, individually and collectively, to disseminate operational and policy information and to encourage open communication, creativity, and joint problem solving.

13. Serve as Travel & Entertainment liaison to Accounts Payable, reviewing and approving requests for Senior Management.

14. Continually work with Travel Programs management team to assure that all members of the team are consistent in their interpretation of University policies that pertain to Travel & Entertainment.

50%

Serve as Manager for Travel and Entertainment

1. Review and approve senior management (e.g., Chancellor, Deans, Vice Chancellors, etc.) travel and entertainment expenditures prior to submission to the Senior Director for final approval. Resolve issues with executive travelers using diplomacy and tact.

2. Develop effective communication strategies to assist executive travelers in complying with relevant policies and to keep them apprised of policy and regulatory changes.

3. Work with executive level travelers and their staff to identify ways of streamlining payment processes for their travel and entertainment expenditures.

4. Respond to questions regarding travel activity, conducting research and providing additional detail as necessary. Using judgment, identify any negative trends in individuals' travel or entertainment reimbursement requests. Communicate these to the Senior Director.

5. Respond to confidential and often sensitive audit findings regarding travel and entertainment expenditures as they relate to executives.

6. Serve as initial contact for all requests for advance approval of travel and entertainment transactions for Senior Management Group members. Resolve all questions and compliance issues prior to forwarding them to the Senior Director.

7. Assist Tax Services and Payroll Services in identifying reportable travel and entertainment benefits for Senior Management Group employees. Serve as a resource to Deans and Vice Chancellors to ensure proper reporting.

8. Prepare trend analyses to identify opportunities for additional staff training to ensure timely payment of executive travelers' expenses. Arrange and conduct customized training as needed or requested for executive travelers and/or their preparers.

9. Meet periodically with Assistant and Associate Deans and other Chief Administrative Officers to maintain positive relationships; review service issues regarding traveler payments and other travel services provided by UCLA Travel.

25%

Serve as Travel's Express Manager

1. Manage Express system (Concur) content and access.

a. Advise departmental DSAs and administrators regarding the optimal workflow set-up in Express to meet unit needs.

b. Establish department administrative groups in the Express system through use of the Systems Administration tool (SAT).

c. Assign department DSAs access to their respective department administrative groups.

d. Manage cross-departmental access for processing expense reports for users outside of the departmental administrative groups.

e. Ensure system business rules are current; update the system as required by changing policies, procedures, and contract rates.

f. Conduct regular Travel Accounting Express Workgroup meetings; transmit user feedback to workgroup.

2. Serve as the Project Manager as customizations, enhancements and upgrades are released.

a. Review system functionalities to identify potential issues.

b. Evaluate system issues and develop solutions.

c. Manage testing of solutions and new functionalities in development, training and production sites.

3. Notify all Express Users of system downtime due to regular maintenance, software updates, or policy changes, etc. via Express System Administration email tool. (E) 

4. Manage reporting tools to ensure departments are provided with accurate management information regarding travel and entertainment. (E) a. Oversee the conduct of focus groups and determine reporting needs. b. Compare Business Objects software functionality to user needs. c. Oversee the testing of Business Objects functionality in development and production sites. d. Oversee preparation of standard and ad hoc reports for user departments.

25%

•

Performs other duties as assigned.

•

Complies with all policies and standards.

•

Complies with the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Principles of Community.

•

This position description is not intended to be a complete list of all responsibilities, duties or skills required for the job and is subject to review and change at any time, with or without notice, in accordance with the needs of the organization.

QUALIFICATIONS

Prior management / supervisory experience

Preferred

Detailed working knowledge of IRS requirements as they pertain to travel and entertainment.

Required

Working knowledge of one or more travel and entertainment expense management systems and their infrastructure.

Required

Excellent interpersonal skills to interact with all levels of staff, faculty, and administrators as well as suppliers and external regulatory agencies, using diplomacy and tact. Ability to defuse situations with dissatisfied customers

Required

Ability to translate customer requirements into system functionalities that meet user needs. Strong analytical ability to identify issues and develop solutions and to streamline processes.

Required

Excellent ability to communicate complex technical and policy information in easily understood language.

Required

Skill in setting priorities that accurately reflect relative importance of job position responsibilities. Ability to work under conflicting priorities and a widely fluctuation workload.

Required

Skill in identifying and solving problems associated with non-routine travel and entertainment transactions, using judgment in situations that require initiative and tact.

Required

Ability to maintain confidentiality in dealing with sensitive issues.

Required

Detailed knowledge of ethical standards as applicable to manage staff.

Required

Excellent writing skills to write correspondence, performance evaluations, reports, and procedures.

Preferred

Knowledge of University and University of California policies and federal agency regulations governing travel. Working knowledge of UC policies regarding allowability of expenditures

Preferred

Financial reporting skills sufficient to reconcile accounts and prepare budget documents.

Required

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS AND/OR CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

Background Check: Continued employment is contingent upon the completion of a satisfactory background investigation.

Live Scan Background Check: A Live Scan background check must be completed prior to the start of employment.

LOCATION AND PHYSICAL, ENVIRONMENTAL, MENTAL (PEM) REQUIREMENTS

Environment and Work Location Information

Environment Type:

Non-Clinical Setting

Location Setting:

Campus

Location:

Murphy Hall

Standing/Walking

X

Sitting

X

X

Bending/Stooping

X

Squatting/Kneeling

X

Climbing

X

Lifting/Carrying/Push/Pull 0-25 lbs

X

X

Lifting/Carrying/Push/Pull 26-50 lbs

X

Lifting/Carrying/Push/Pull over 50 lbs

X

Physical requirements other

X

Chemicals, dust, gases, or fumes

X

Loud noise levels

X

Marked changes in humidity or temperature

X

Microwave/Radiation

X

Operating motor vehicles and/or equipment

X

Exposures other

X

Sustained attention and concentration

X

X

Complex problem solving/reasoning

X

X

Ability to organize & prioritize

X

X

Communication skills

X

X

Numerical skills

X

X

Mental demands other

X

X

Classification 3:  Position in which exposure to blood, body fluids or tissues is not part of the position description. The normal routine task involves no exposure to blood, body fluids or tissues and the employee can decline to perform tasks which involve a perceived risk without retribution.