Lead - Workplace Management (Travel & Transport Operations)

About the company Organizations everywhere struggle under the crushing costs and complexities of “solutions” that promise to simplify their lives. To create a better experience for their customers and employees. To help them grow. Software is a choice that can make or break a business. Create better or worse experiences. Propel or throttle growth. Business software has become a blocker instead of ways to get work done. There’s another option. Freshworks. With a fresh vision for how the world works. At Freshworks, we build uncomplicated service software that delivers exceptional customer and employee experiences. Our enterprise-grade solutions are powerful, yet easy to use, and quick to deliver results. Our people-first approach to AI eliminates friction, making employees more effective and organizations more productive. Over 72,000 companies, including Bridgestone, New Balance, Nucor, S&P Global, and Sony Music, trust Freshworks’ customer experience (CX) and employee experience (EX) software to fuel customer loyalty and service efficiency. And, over 4,500 Freshworks employees make this possible, all around the world. Fresh vision. Real impact. Come build it with us. Job description We are seeking an experienced Lead- Travel & Transport to lead end-to-end corporate travel and support our employee transportation program. In this role, you will oversee our travel program, supporting travelers across the globe, manage external vendor performance, drive technology implementations, and ensure seamless daily commute service delivery for employees across offices in Chennai, Hyderabad and Bangalore. Key Responsibilities 1. Corporate Travel • End-to-End Travel Program: Oversee business travel, accommodations, hotel bookings, and corporate rates. • Platform Administration: Oversee daily operations of travel platforms (e.g., Navan), including platform configuration, adoption, user support, feature rollouts, and issue resolution. • Supplier & TMC Oversight: Manage relationships with Navan, corporate hotel partners, and service providers. Lead performance reviews, rate negotiations, and escalations. • Visa & Immigration: Coordinate visa support and immigration assistance with external partners (e.g., CIBT), ensuring policy compliance and timely employee guidance. 2. Employee Transportation & Fleet Operations • Transport Operations: Manage daily employee transit services (cabs/shuttles), including route optimization, roster utilization, driver safety, and service quality. • Business Transport : Manage transit services for oversea employees, client meetings. • Transport Technology: Lead implementation, testing, configuration, user onboarding, and operational management of Transport Management Systems (e.g., SafeTrax / Route Matic / MoveInSync). • Vendor & Contract Management: Oversee vendor onboarding, contract compliance, PR/PO generation, invoice verification, and payment escalations. 3. Operational Excellence, Data & Stakeholder Alignment • Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with HR, HRBPs, Finance, Procurement, IT, and Security to resolve operational requirements and policy alignment. • Analytics & MIS: Track KPIs (costs, utilization, no-show rates, SLA compliance) and present monthly operational reporting to leadership. • Change Management & Support: Drive internal employee communications, system training, and ticket resolution processes to maintain high employee satisfaction. Qualifications • 6 to 8 years of hands-on experience managing corporate travel, employee transportation, and workplace logistics in fast-paced corporate environments. • Proven track record in managing large-scale employee transport networks, shuttle routing, and vendor fleets. • Strong proficiency with modern travel management platforms like Navan (or similar platforms such as Concur, Spotnana). • Direct experience implementing or managing Transport Management Systems like SafeTrax (or similar tools like MoveInSync, Routematic). • Advanced working knowledge of MS Excel / Google Sheets for MIS reporting, pivot analysis, and operational dashboards. • Strong background in vendor onboarding, contract management, PR/PO workflows, and invoice processing. • Solid experience conducting supplier reviews, rate negotiations, and SLA monitoring for TMCs and transport providers. • Excellent written and verbal communication skills for stakeholder alignment and change management in English and Tamil. • Strong issue-resolution skills with the ability to manage real-time escalations calmly and systematically. • Collaborative mindset to work across cross-functional teams including HR, Finance, Procurement, IT, and Security. Additional information At Freshworks, we have fostered an environment that enables everyone to find their true potential, purpose, and passion, welcoming colleagues of all backgrounds, genders, sexual orientations, religions, and ethnicities. We are committed to providing equal opportunity and believe that diversity in the workplace creates a more vibrant, richer environment that boosts the goals of our employees, communities, and business. Fresh vision. Real impact. Come build it with us.