Director, Global Demand Modelling & Aviation Costing

DHL Express; Diegem; On-site; EUR 140,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

DHL Express in Belgium seeks a Director Network Planning in Demand Modelling & Aviation Costing to lead global network demand modelling and aviation cost modelling initiatives. You will translate commercial inputs into reliable forecasts, drive cost-effective network design, and enable strategic decisions across the DHL network.

The role requires senior leadership, strong governance, and extensive experience in forecasting, modelling, and logistics economics.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Data Science, Engineering, Economics, Logistics, Supply Chain Management, Applied Mathematics, or related discipline preferred.
• Typically 10+ years of senior-level experience in demand modelling, network planning, aviation costing, supply chain design, or related field.
• Proven leadership applying demand, flow, aviation costing and network models to complex decisions and major transformation initiatives.
• Strong executive influence, global matrix leadership, and experience establishing modelling governance, data standards, and tool roadmaps.
• Deep understanding of express, air cargo, airline, or time-definite logistics networks.
• Advanced knowledge of forecasting, statistical modelling, aviation economics and cost modelling, optimisation, simulation, scenario analysis, and performance analytics.
• Ability to connect quantitative outputs with commercial, operational, and financial implications.
• Excellent communication skills in both written and spoken English

Responsibilities

• Drive global demand-modelling strategy, standards, roadmap, and governance.
• Develop scenario-based models that integrate historical performance, commercial and market intelligence, seasonality, economic drivers, and network constraints to convert forecasts into origin-destination flows, shipment profiles & routing demand.
• Establish validation, back-testing, sensitivity analysis, confidence ranges, and continuous recalibration to improve decision quality.
• Define modelling architecture, data requirements, controls, quality standards, and the tool roadmap for global demand and network planning.
• Sponsor fit-for-purpose use of statistical modelling, optimization, simulation, and visualisation.
• Build organisational capability through common methodologies, documentation, training, and knowledge sharing.
• Act as the senior demand-modelling partner for the Aviation, Commercial, Network Planning, Network Control, Hubs & Gateways and Finance teams around the world.
• Align with global and regional stakeholders on assumptions, priorities, constraints, and network implications.
• Develop and maintain comprehensive aviation cost models and methodologies covering the principal drivers of air network economics.
• Assess fixed and variable operating costs across aircraft types and operating models.
• Establish transparent cost-per-flight, block-hour, weight and volume capacity metrics to support comparable decision-making.
• Ensure that aviation cost drivers are embedded into network design and optimisation models.
• Lead development of DHL Aviation Costing Module (ACM) in alignment with planning needs.
• Direct network design studies covering routings, schedules, rotations, hubs, gateways, capacity deployment, ULD flows.
• Translate demand scenarios into optimised options balancing service, cost, capacity, resilience, sustainability, and feasibility.
• Lead structural network changes from concept through stakeholder alignment and implementation oversight.
• Recommend preferred network solutions and opportunities to improve connectivity and cost efficiency.
• Collaborate with global stakeholders and align assumptions

Skills

Leadership

Modelling governance

Forecasting

Statistical modelling

Aviation costing

Network design

Executive communication

Education

Master’s degree in relevant field

Job description

DHL Express in Belgium seeks a Director Network Planning in Demand Modelling & Aviation Costing to lead global network demand modelling and aviation cost modelling initiatives. You will translate commercial inputs into reliable forecasts, drive cost-effective network design, and enable strategic decisions across the DHL network.

The role requires senior leadership, strong governance, and extensive experience in forecasting, modelling, and logistics economics.