Associate Director, Cross Border (Global)

noon; Abu Dhabi; On-site; AED 850,000 - 1,350,000; Full time

Job summary

noon is seeking an Associate Director, Cross Border (Global) to lead the strategic roadmap for its international cross-border logistics network. You will oversee origin-to-destination operations across multiple lanes, drive KPI performance, and partner with 3PLs and carriers to ensure seamless, compliant execution.

This role requires deep domain expertise in cross-border freight, customs, and vendor ecosystems, with a track record of leadership, data-driven decision making, and strategic

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in operations management, supply chain logistics, or engineering.
• A master’s degree or MBA is highly preferred.

Responsibilities

• Formulate and execute the long-term strategic roadmap for noon's global cross-border logistics network.
• Oversee end-to-end cross-border operations from origin to UAE and KSA with global lanes.
• Define and monitor KPIs like TAT, FIFO, and connection times; improve global SLAs.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Cross-border logistics

Stakeholder management

P&L management

Data analysis

Financial modeling

Vendor negotiations

SQL basics

AI in supply chain

Problem solving

Education

Bachelor's in operations management or engineering

MBA preferred

Tools

BI tools

ERP systems

3PL systems

Job description

We’re building an ecosystem of digital products and services that power everyday life across the Middle East—fast, scalable, and deeply customer-centric. Our mission is to deliver to every door every day. We want to redefine what technology can do in this region, and we’re looking for an Associate Director, Cross Border (Global) who can help us move even faster.

noon’s mission: Every door, every day.

What you'll do:

• Formulate and execute the long-term strategic roadmap for noon's global cross-border logistics network, driving growth, operational efficiency, and market expansion.
• Oversee end-to-end cross-border operations at origin across multiple international lanes from China, India, Turkey, and the rest of the world to the UAE and KSA, ensuring seamless integration with destination processing centers.
• Define, monitor, and elevate macro-level KPIs (TAT, process adherence, FIFO, and connection times) while improving global SLAs and ensuring adherence across internal and external networks.
• Lead strategic partnerships and high-value commercial negotiations with 3PL providers, international line-haul carriers, airlines, and charter operators; origin-country first-mile fleets; and customs brokerage firms and customs authorities at origin.
• Optimize origin asset utilization, route-planning frameworks, and dedicated fleet capacity to support rapid scaling and volume predictability.
• Champion organizational leadership by supervising, mentoring, and scaling high-performing operations teams, ensuring robust workforce planning aligned with forecast volumes.
• Sponsor the development and implementation of new technology-driven processes, specialized SOPs, and cross-functional product rollouts in collaboration with central product teams.
• Take full ownership of lane-level and network-level financial performance, optimizing P&L metrics, validating comprehensive vendor billing frameworks, and leading cost-control initiatives.
• Institutionalize rigorous compliance frameworks, ensuring full adherence to multi-country regulatory, customs, and international documentation requirements.
• Collaborate with cross-functional executive leaders to drive alignment, resolve complex operational roadblocks, and enable frictionless end-to-end execution.

What you'll need:

• Education: A bachelor's degree in operations management, supply chain logistics, or engineering. A master's degree or MBA from a premier business school is highly preferred.
• Experience: At least 12 years of professional experience, including at least five years in senior leadership roles managing large-scale e-commerce, cross-border, or international supply chain logistics operations.
• Domain Expertise: Deep understanding of global cross-border freight forwarding, customs clearance, international line-haul networks, and 3PL vendor ecosystems.
• Analytical Capability: Advanced capabilities in data analysis, financial modeling, and strategic reporting. Expertise in data-driven decision-support systems is essential.
• Technical Acumen: Proficiency in leveraging technology, such as AI, to optimize supply chains and improve transparency, along with foundational SQL knowledge or experience collaborating with business intelligence teams.
• Problem Solving: Structured problem-solving capabilities, exceptional analytical precision, and deep commercial acumen, with the ability to transform data insights into executive-level strategic initiatives.
• Stakeholder Management: Exceptional interpersonal and multi-stakeholder management skills, with a proven ability to present to, negotiate with, and influence senior executive leadership.
• Leadership Philosophy: A proven track record as a passionate, people-centric leader capable of driving exceptional results, structural accountability, and a high-performance culture in fast-growing environments.

Who will excel?

• We are looking for individuals with uncompromisingly high standards who truly understand that hard work matters.
• You need to be relentlessly resourceful, possess high emotional intelligence, and operate with a deep, instinctive bias for action.
• We need visionary leaders with the courage to be fiercely original and disrupt conventional paradigms.
• Noon is not for everyone; an absolute readiness to adapt, pivot, and continuously learn is vital for success.