Finance Specialist (Travel & Expense)
- Company
GIZ India
- Location
New Delhi, Delhi
- Employment Type
Full-Time
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Functional Category
Finance & Operations
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Experience
5 - 8 years
About GIZ India
The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is a federal enterprise with worldwide operations. We support the German Government in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development. The current thematic areas of GIZ in India are – Energy, Environment, Climate Change and Biodiversity, Sustainable Urban Development and Sustainable Economic Development. The Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ), the Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU), as well as the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi), are the main commissioning parties of GIZ in India. Other clients include Indian public sector clients, the European Union and foundations. Currently, GIZ has over 330 staff in India, of whom 85 percent are national personnel. The Government of India has launched numerous important initiatives to address the country’s economic, environmental and social challenges, and GIZ is contributing to some of the most significant ones. For example, it supports key initiatives such as Smart Cities, Clean India, and Skill India. GIZ, in close cooperation with Indian partners, devises tailor-made, jointly-developed solutions to meet local needs and achieve sustainable and inclusive development.
Overview of the Role
The Finance Specialist oversees end-to-end travel and expense management, ensuring accurate processing, compliance with GIZ guidelines, and timely financial reconciliation. The role includes reviewing travel claims, conducting compliance checks, resolving escalations, supporting audits, maintaining trackers and reports, and leading process improvements in SAP Concur. The specialist also collaborates with cross-functional teams, provides guidance to junior staff, and ensures smooth coordination with stakeholders to maintain efficient and compliant travel and expense operations.
Job Description
The Finance Specialist is responsible for:
• Processing Travel Claim as per the GIZ Travel Guidelines within timelines and processes.
• Assisting in monitoring the process and ensuring the KPI’s are met.
• Facilitating learning through exchange sessions with stakeholders.
• Preparation /Updating Reports and Trackers.
Core Scope of Tasks
• The Finance Specialist is responsible for:
• Processing Travel Claim as per the GIZ Travel Guidelines within timelines and processes.
• Assisting in monitoring the process and ensuring the KPI’s are met.
• Facilitating learning through exchange sessions with stakeholders.
• Preparation /Updating Reports and Trackers.
Core Scope of Tasks
• Processing and reviewing employee travel requests, bookings, and expense reports for accuracy and compliance with corporate travel and expense policies.
• Conducting first-level compliance checks such as verifying receipts, approvals, policy compliance, and tax/VAT rules.
• Independently investigate and resolve complex travel and expense processing issues in travel expense processing including • SAP Concur, including policy exceptions, system errors, and reconciliation discrepancies.
• Serve as the key point of contact for escalations providing guidance and training to junior team
members to enhance their capability and performance.
• Review high-risk or escalated travel and expense reports to ensure compliance with corporate
policies and accounting standards.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams including Finance, HR, Travel Desk, and SPOC to improve SAP Concur configurations, workflows, and reporting.
• Monitor transactions, travel advances, and expense accruals, ensuring timely and accurate financial postings and reconciliations.
• Lead process improvement initiatives, automation efforts, and adoption of best practices to optimize the end-to-end travel and expense lifecycle.
• Prepare and present analytics and KPI reports on travel and expense trends, compliance, and financial impact to management.
• Support internal and external audits with required documentation, process explanations, and control assessments.
• Stay updated on SAP Concur enhancements, financial regulations, and travel compliance requirements and share knowledge with the team.
• Coordinating with employees, approvers, travel desk, SU and other stakeholders to resolve discrepancies, missing documentation, and policy violations.
• Leading the research and clearance of open reconciliation items.
Other duties/additional tasks
• Handling documents and treating information confidentially.
• Performs other duties and tasks at the request of management.
Required & Preferred Qualifications
Skill
• Demonstrated ability to independently resolve complex issues under tight deadlines.
• Proven experience mentoring and supporting junior team members in finance or SAP Concur roles.
• Strong understanding of travel and expense policies, compliance standards, GL, cost centers, taxes/VAT/GST concepts and accounting principles.
• Excellent problem-solving, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Proficiency in all MS-Office applications particularly MS-Excel, OneDrive & MS Teams.
• Strong attention to detail, numerical accuracy, and ability to work with volume-driven, deadline-based processes.
• Good communication skills to deal with employees and approvers across levels and geographies.
• Proficiency in Excel and comfort with reporting and data analysis.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with multiple stakeholders and manage priorities.
• Willingness to upgrade skill as required by the tasks to be performed.
• Experience in a multinational, shared services, or centralized finance operations environment.
• Process mindset with interest in automation, standardization, and policy improvement.
Education
Bachelor’s degree in commerce/finance/ accounting and a profession qualification (CA Inter / CMA Inter).
Experience
5-8 years of experience in Finance operations, Accounts Payable, or Shared Services; specific exposure to Travel & Expense processing preferred. Hands on experience with SAP Concur (Travel and/or Expense modules).