Director, Global Customs, Design & Implementation

DSV - Global Transport and Logistics; Kent (WA); On-site; USD 176,200 - 264,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health benefits package

401(k) plan with company matching

Paid time off & holidays

Job summary

DSV - Global transport and logistics seeks a senior Director to lead the Global Customs, Design & Implementation function from our Kent, USA location. You will own the end-to-end solution design, governance, and delivery across global customer implementations, ensuring RFI/RFQ through go-live is translated into scalable, executable plans.

The role requires 10+ years in customs/logistics, strong leadership of multinational teams, and proven success delivering large-scale implementations.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in customs, logistics, or similar operational environments.
• Strong leadership experience managing high-performing teams in multinational settings.
• Experience delivering large-scale, complex customer implementations.
• Strong understanding of data, reporting, system integrations, and control tower concepts.
• Experience driving governance, project controls, and scalable methodologies.
• Strong senior stakeholder management and customer-facing capabilities.
• Ability to navigate ambiguity and bring structure to evolving environments.

Responsibilities

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of E2E Implementation Managers.
• Define global Design & Implementation methodology, standards, and best practices.
• Establish governance structure for delivery, controls, and stakeholder management.
• Drive quality assurance for global consistency across projects.
• Lead high-complexity, global customer implementations.
• Manage executive-level customer communication and escalations.
• Drive continuous improvement of global delivery capability.

Skills

Leadership experience

Stakeholder management

Project governance

Global delivery

Strategic planning

Change management

Job description

DSV - Global transport and logistics
In 1976, ten independent hauliers joined forces and founded DSV in Denmark. Since then, DSV has evolved to become the world’s 3rd largest supplier of global solutions within transport and logistics. Today, we add value to our customers’ entire supply chain by transporting, storing, packaging, re‑packaging, processing and clearing all types of goods. We work every day from our many offices in more than 80 countries to ensure a steady supply of goods to production lines, outlets, stores and consumers worldwide.

Location: USA - Kent, 228th St South
Division: Group
Job Title: Director, Global Customs, Design & Implementation
Time Type: Full Time

Role Purpose

We are looking for a senior, highly experienced leader to build and lead the Global Customs Design & Implementation function. This role owns the global methodology, governance framework, and execution quality for all customer implementations across Global Customs. The Director acts as the strategic owner of end‑to‑end solution design and implementation delivery, ensuring that customer requirements from RFI/RFQ through go‑live are translated into clear, executable, and scalable solutions. The Director also directly leads implementations for high‑visibility, high‑complexity global customers and serves as the senior point of accountability. In addition to handling strategic implementations, the Director will lead a team of E2E Implementation Managers, provide senior stakeholder alignment, and drive continuous improvement of the global implementation approach. The ideal candidate combines strong leadership, deep operational/technical understanding, and the ability to influence at senior levels across the organization.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership & Governance

• Lead, mentor, and develop a team of E2E Implementation Managers.
• Build and own the global Design & Implementation methodology, standards, and best practices.
• Define governance structure for implementation delivery, project controls, documentation, and stakeholder management.
• Establish quality assurance mechanisms across all projects to ensure global consistency.
• Drive alignment between Global Customs, regions, IT, product, BI, legal, and commercial teams.
• Manage workload distribution, prioritization, and capacity planning for the team.
• Represent the function in senior management forums and provide strategic guidance.

Strategic Solution Design

• Lead solution design for high‑complexity, global customers and strategic pursuits.
• Review and approve solution blueprints created by team members.
• Ensure solution consistency, technical feasibility, cost alignment, and operational viability.
• Support commercial teams with solution strategy, scope definition, and customer presentations.
• Validate that all proposed solutions reflect global standards and realistic delivery capability.
• Identify structural service gaps and feed them into the global gap management process.

Execution of High‑Complexity Implementations

• Personally lead high‑visibility and large‑scale customer implementations.
• Act as senior single point of contact for strategic customers.
• Manage executive‑level customer communication, steering committees, and escalations.
• Oversee cross‑regional mobilization, ensuring smooth execution across multiple countries and functions.
• Drive resolution of complex technical, operational, or compliance challenges.
• Ensure delivery is aligned with customer commitments and contract scope.

Go‑Live & Hypercare Performance

• Provide leadership support during go‑live for high‑complexity implementations.
• Ensure that all customer‑facing activities during early life are coordinated and professionally managed.
• Drive rapid issue resolution, escalating cross‑functional support where needed.
• Validate that all contracted performance, reporting, and service requirements are functional and stable.
• Ensure a clean, documented, and verified transition into steady‑state operations.

Internal Collaboration & Continuous Improvement

• Act as the senior link between Global Customs Commercial, Global IT, Regional Ops, and Product teams.
• Identify patterns, root causes, and systemic issues across implementations.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to strengthen global delivery capability.
• Maintain and enhance standard templates (project plans, SOPs, reporting structures, UAT scripts, etc.).
• Provide feedback into solution design guidelines and tender processes.
• Support capability development and training for internal teams.

Profile

We are looking for a senior leader with deep operational and technical understanding, strong implementation experience, and the ability to influence and manage complex global stakeholders. The right candidate is decisive, structured, customer‑centric, and comfortable leading end‑to‑end delivery in a global and fast‑changing environment.

Preferred Experience

• 10+ years of experience in customs, logistics, supply chain, or similar operational environments.
• Proven leadership experience managing high‑performing teams in multinational settings.
• Demonstrated success delivering large‑scale, complex customer implementations.
• Strong understanding of data, reporting, system integrations, and control tower concepts.
• Experience driving governance, project controls, and scalable methodologies.
• Strong senior stakeholder management and customer‑facing capabilities.
• Ability to navigate ambiguity and bring structure to evolving or undefined environments.
• Familiarity with commercial processes (RFI/RFQ solutioning) is a plus.

What Success Looks Like

• High‑complexity customers experience a professional, senior‑level implementation with clear accountability.
• Implementation quality improves globally through standardized methodology and governance.
• Team members are well‑coordinated, supported, and performing at high levels.
• Project risks are identified early and resolved proactively.
• Go‑lives are stable, predictable, and aligned with contracted performance.
• Customer satisfaction and trust increase across key accounts.
• Internal stakeholders experience fewer handovers, clearer ownership, and improved delivery confidence.
• A repeatable, scalable implementation framework becomes the global standard.

Other

Global scope across all regions. Travel expected based on strategic customer engagements and project needs. Role requires strong cross‑functional leadership and the ability to drive alignment at senior levels.

At Will Employment

DSV Air & Sea Inc. employees are hired for an undefined period of time as “at will” employees. This means that an employee may be terminated for any reason, or no reason at all, at any time, provided the discharge does not violate any law. Additionally, each employee has the right to terminate his/her employment at any time. (Except if employed in Montana, where termination requires just cause.)

Compensation & Benefits

Expected base pay: $176,200 - $264,000 per year. Compensation will be determined based on job‑related knowledge, skills, experience, location, and other objective factors.

DSV provides a comprehensive health benefits package including medical, prescription, dental, vision, and life insurance, flexible and health spending accounts, short‑term and long‑term disability coverage, and wellness resources. A 401(k) plan offers company‑matching contributions up to 5%. Paid time off, paid holidays, and floating holidays are also provided.

Equal Employment Opportunity

DSV is an equal employment opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, creed, color, national origin, age, sex, religion, ancestry, disability, veteran status, marital status, gender identity, sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. If special assistance or accommodation is required, please contact HR at [e-mail]. DSV reserves the right to defer or close a vacancy at any time.