Head of Travel & Expense
Anthropic · San Francisco, CA
- On site
- Full-time
- $360,000 / year
- San Francisco, CA
Job highlights
- Lead and build a best-in-class T&E program.
- Own T&E strategy, policy, and governance globally.
- Drive savings through vendor negotiations and platform optimization.
- Champion AI-powered automation in T&E processes.
- Requires 12+ years of T&E experience and leadership.
About the role
About Anthropic
Anthropic’s mission is to create reliable, interpretable, and steerable AI systems. We want AI to be safe and beneficial for our users and for society as a whole. Our team is a quickly growing group of committed researchers, engineers, policy experts, and business leaders working together to build beneficial AI systems.
About The Role
As Head of Travel & Expense, you will be the single owner of everything T&E at Anthropic: employee, guest and executive travel policy, private charter strategy, our Navan and Brex platforms, preferred hotel and airfare programs, duty-of-care (in partnership with Security), and Board-level reporting on executive expenses. You will report to the Head of Finance Operations and lead an initial team of two, with a mandate to build a best-in-class program.
This is a rare opportunity to come in as a true builder—inheriting solid operational foundations and a Claude-first culture pioneering AI-powered automation across Finance—and architect a T&E program worthy of a company shaping the future of AI.
Responsibilities
Strategy, Policy & Governance
- Design and own Anthropic's multi-year T&E strategy, evolving the function from operationally sound to best-in-class across policy, cost management, employee experience, and compliance
- Build and maintain a comprehensive global T&E policy framework—employee, executive, and international—embedding controls directly in systems to drive compliance at the point of booking
- Lead a cross-functional T&E governance structure with Finance, Security, Legal, HR, and Executive Assistants
- Design and enforce jurisdiction-specific T&E policy frameworks for international entities (EMEA, APAC), incorporating local per diem regulations, VAT reclaim eligibility, and country-level receipt/documentation requirements
Vendor Negotiations & Savings
- Own the corporate travel supplier program, driving material savings through hotel RFPs, airline corporate agreements, and preferred rate programs
- Manage strategic relationships with our T&E travel and expense systems, serving as the primary business contact for contract negotiations, product roadmap discussions, and AI feature development
- Track and report savings performance to Finance leadership and executives
Executive Travel & Compliance
- Serve as the subject matter expert for all executive travel needs, vendor selection, and utilization governance
- Partner with Legal and Finance on executive travel tax implications, business purpose documentation, and audit-ready recordkeeping
Platform & AI Automation (Claudification)
- Own and optimize Anthropic's T&E-related systems and platforms: configuration, policy rules, approval workflows, virtual cards, and ERP integrations
- Champion AI-powered automation across T&E—deploying Claude to audit transactions, flag policy exceptions, and automate reporting—consistent with Anthropic's Claude-first culture
You May Be a Good Fit If You Have
- 12+ years of T&E / corporate travel experience at a high-growth technology company, including 7+ years in a leadership or program ownership role with direct reports
- Demonstrated track record of cost savings: material, quantified outcomes from hotel RFPs, airline corporate agreements, and travel supplier negotiations
- Deep platform expertise in Navan and/or comparable TMC platforms, plus Brex or equivalent expense management tools
- Executive travel program ownership
- Strong cross-functional instincts: proven ability to partner across Security, Legal, HR, Finance, and C-suite executive teams and their supporting staff
- Duty-of-care and international compliance: background in travel risk management frameworks and T&E compliance across global entities (EMEA, APAC, LATAM)
- AI-curious builder mindset: experience deploying AI tools to automate T&E processes, or genuine enthusiasm for doing so—and comfort creating structure where none exists
Compensation & Logistics
The annual compensation range for this role is listed below.
For sales roles, the range provided is the role’s On Target Earnings (\
Skills & topics
- Head of Travel & Expense
- Travel Management
- Expense Management
- Corporate Travel
- Finance Operations
- Policy Development
- Vendor Negotiation
- AI Automation
- T&E Strategy
- Leadership
- Navan
- Brex
- Technology
- Finance
- Operations
- Program Management
How to get hired
- Tailor your resume: Highlight your 12+ years of T&E experience, leadership roles, and quantified cost savings. Emphasize platform expertise (Navan, Brex) and AI automation interest.
- Showcase strategic thinking: In your application and interviews, detail your experience designing multi-year T&E strategies and global policy frameworks.
- Demonstrate cross-functional collaboration: Provide examples of partnering with Security, Legal, HR, and C-suite teams to manage complex T&E programs.
- Express AI curiosity: Clearly articulate your enthusiasm for AI-driven automation in T&E and any relevant experience.
- Research Anthropic: Understand their Claude-first culture and mission to build beneficial AI.
Technical preparation
Master Navan and Brex functionalities thoroughly.,Understand ERP integration for T&E platforms.,Familiarize with AI audit and automation tools.,Practice crafting global T&E policy frameworks.
Behavioral questions
Describe a time you built a T&E program.,How have you driven significant cost savings?,Share an experience managing executive travel needs.,How do you partner with cross-functional teams?
Frequently asked questions
- What is the compensation for the Head of Travel & Expense role at Anthropic?
- The annual compensation range for the Head of Travel & Expense position at Anthropic is $300,000 to $360,000 USD. This range is for base salary and may include On-Target Earnings for sales-related components if applicable, though this role is primarily finance operations focused.
- What are the key responsibilities of the Head of Travel & Expense at Anthropic?
- The Head of Travel & Expense at Anthropic will own the end-to-end T&E program, including policy design and governance, vendor negotiations, platform optimization (Navan, Brex), executive travel management, and driving AI-powered automation. They will also lead a team and report to the Head of Finance Operations.
- What experience is required for the Head of Travel & Expense role at Anthropic?
- Candidates should have 12+ years of T&E or corporate travel experience, with at least 7 years in a leadership or program ownership role. Key requirements include demonstrated cost savings, expertise in platforms like Navan and Brex, executive travel program management, strong cross-functional collaboration skills, international compliance knowledge, and an AI-curious mindset.
- Is this a remote or hybrid role at Anthropic?
- Anthropic has a location-based hybrid policy, expecting staff to be in one of their offices at least 25% of the time. Some roles may require more in-office presence, but it is not a fully remote position.
- Does Anthropic sponsor visas for the Head of Travel & Expense position?
- Yes, Anthropic does sponsor visas. While they cannot guarantee sponsorship for every role or candidate, they will make every reasonable effort to secure a visa if an offer is made, with the assistance of an immigration lawyer.
- What is Anthropic's approach to AI in the application process?
- Anthropic encourages candidates to learn about their policy for using AI in the application process. They value AI-curious builders and are pioneers in AI-powered automation, suggesting that understanding and potentially utilizing AI tools in your application could be beneficial.
- How does Anthropic encourage diversity and inclusion for this role?
- Anthropic emphasizes the importance of diverse perspectives in AI development and encourages applications from candidates who may not meet every qualification. They aim to create an inclusive environment and urge individuals, especially those from underrepresented groups, not to self-exclude.