Director, Services

Vanderlande Industries B.V.; Marietta (GA); On-site; USD 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

Vanderlande is seeking a Director of Services to lead regional operations across North America with a strong focus on safety, reliability, and customer satisfaction. This executive role oversees the end-to-end service delivery, maintenance and digital services, aiming to maximize system availability and life-cycle value of airport baggage handling systems.

The position emphasizes strategic planning, cross-functional collaboration, and growth initiatives across Mexico and the Caribbean, including

Qualifications

• Must be fluent in English and Spanish.
• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering/Business/Operations or related field.
• Minimum 10 years in maintenance/operations leadership or equivalent.

Responsibilities

• Champion a safety-first culture across regional operations.
• Lead regional services performance for Mexico and the Caribbean, including safety, service delivery, and financials.
• Develop and execute regional strategies to grow service portfolio and customer partnerships.
• Collaborate with Sales, Projects, Engineering, and Global Service teams to drive growth and smooth transitions from project to service.

Skills

Bilingual Spanish/English

Leadership

Travel readiness

Strategic thinking

Education

Bachelor's degree in Engineering/Business/Operations

Job description

Director, Services

Job Description

About Vanderlande Vanderlande is a global leader in automated material handling and logistics solutions, designing, building, and supporting integrated systems that help customers move people, goods, and products efficiently. Our solutions serve three primary markets: Airports, Parcel, and Warehousing. Within the Airports business, Vanderlande partners with some of the world’s leading airports and airlines to deliver automated baggage handling and logistics solutions. These systems are critical to airport operations, helping customers efficiently process, sort, screen, transport, and deliver passenger baggage while supporting the overall passenger experience. At Vanderlande Services North America, we deliver end-to-end operational, maintenance, technical, and digital services that maximize the performance and lifecycle value of airport baggage handling systems. Guided by an unwavering commitment to safety, reliability, and customer success, we continuously improve operations, leverage technology and data-driven insights, and help airports meet today's challenges while preparing for tomorrow's opportunities. The Services Organization is at the forefront of delivering value to our customers and driving Vanderlande's long-term success. The team is responsible for ensuring the safe, reliable, and high-performing operation of customer systems while continuously improving efficiency, productivity, and service outcomes. Through strong leadership, technical excellence, and a relentless focus on operational performance, the organization maximizes system availability and delivers tangible results for our customers. Equally important, the Services Organization builds and strengthens strategic customer partnerships, identifies opportunities to expand and enhance our services, and positions Vanderlande as a trusted advisor for the future. Its ability to deliver exceptional service while creating new opportunities for growth is essential to both customer success and Vanderlande's continued leadership in the airport market.

Key Responsibilities

Regional Business, Operational & Financial Leadership

• Champion a safety-first culture where the protection of people, compliance with HSE standards, risk identification, and operational accountability are the highest priorities.
• Ensure safety is embedded in every decision, action, and customer interaction across Mexico and the Caribbean.
• Serve as the executive leader for Vanderlande's Services business in Mexico, providing strategic leadership and accountability for the region's safety, operational, customer, people, and financial performance.
• Lead the safe and reliable operation and maintenance of airport baggage handling systems across Mexico and the Caribbean, ensuring exceptional service delivery, system performance, and contractual compliance.
• Own regional performance across HSE, customer satisfaction, SLAs, KPIs, employee engagement, operational excellence, revenue growth, profitability, and cash performance.
• Develop and execute regional business strategies that drive sustainable growth, strengthen customer partnerships, improve operational performance, and expand Vanderlande's market position throughout Mexico and the Caribbean.
• Act as Vanderlande's senior representative in Mexico, building and maintaining strong relationships with airport operators, airlines, government agencies, strategic partners, and executive customer stakeholders.
• Serve as a trusted advisor to customers by identifying opportunities to improve system reliability, operational efficiency, asset lifecycle performance, and future investment planning.
• Partner closely with Sales, Projects, Engineering, and Global Service teams to support business development, service growth, contract renewals, and successful project-to-service transitions.
• Drive a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, operational excellence, and customer focus while ensuring alignment with Vanderlande's global standards and strategic objectives.
• Identify and pursue opportunities to grow the Mexico and Caribbean service portfolio through service expansions, modernization projects, digital services, and long-term customer partnerships.

Strategic Resource Planning & Team Development

• Lead, mentor, and develop regional leadership teams across Mexico and the Caribbean.
• Build organizational capability through talent development, succession planning, workforce planning, and leadership coaching.
• Foster a high-performing, inclusive culture that reflects Vanderlande's values and commitment to safety, customer success, integrity, and collaboration.
• Ensure the organization is structured and resourced to support both current operations and future business growth.

Build a High-Performing & Continuous Improvement Culture

• Nurture a culture grounded in Vanderlande’s values and focused on customer success, accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Promote data-driven performance management and decision-making.
• Use operational and financial data to identify trends, opportunities, and areas for improvement.
• Leverage global Vanderlande resources and expertise effectively while encouraging collaboration and peer-to-peer learning across regions.
• Establish and execute a regional roadmap aligned with Vanderlande’s strategic priorities for the North American Airports business.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on safety, reliability, productivity, customer experience, and cost effectiveness.

Customer & Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Develop trusted relationships with customers at multiple levels, including airport leadership and executive stakeholders.
• Promote strong collaboration between Service, Sales, Project Execution, Operations, Engineering, IT, Procurement, HR, and other support functions.
• Partner closely with Sales and Project Execution teams to support customer growth opportunities and ensure a smooth transition from project implementation into long-term service.
• Collaborate with Procurement to manage subcontractor relationships in accordance with defined SLAs, governance structures, and performance expectations.
• Ensure clear communication and alignment across internal and external stakeholders.
• Represent Vanderlande professionally with customers, partners, and other key stakeholders.

Basic Qualifications

• Must be fluent in both Spanish and English, with excellent verbal and written communication skills in both languages.
• Must reside in Guadalajara, Mexico, and maintain a strong presence with customers, employees, and stakeholders throughout the region.
• Bachelor's degree in Engineering, Business, Operations, or a related technical field; equivalent technical training or experience in maintenance management may be considered.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in maintenance management, service operations, facilities management, industrial operations, or a related environment.
• Experience leading operations across multiple sites and managing site-level leadership teams.
• Demonstrated experience managing financial performance, budgets, and operational costs.
• Experience managing customer relationships and service delivery within a complex, technical environment.
• Experience leading, developing, and managing geographically dispersed teams.
• Willingness and ability to travel approximately 50%, including travel to customer sites across North America.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Engineering, Business Administration, Operations, or a related field.
• Experience within the airport, aviation, logistics, automation, material handling, or transportation industries.
• Experience supporting large-scale automated systems or complex technical infrastructure.
• Experience working with international organizations and geographically diverse teams.
• Exposure to both European and North American business cultures and operating environments.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Strong leadership, coaching, facilitation, and conflict-resolution skills.
• Strong financial, analytical, and business acumen, with the ability to use data to drive operational and strategic decisions.
• Strong customer relationship management skills, particularly with executive-level stakeholders.
• Excellent interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills.
• Ability to lead and influence across a complex, matrixed, international organization.
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and geographic locations.
• Ability to anticipate customer, business, and team needs and proactively address them.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making capabilities.
• Proactive, motivated, and highly professional approach.
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, technical, entrepreneurial, and international environment.
• Demonstrated commitment to safety, operational excellence, customer satisfaction, and continuous improvement.
• Ability to build trust and establish strong relationships with customers, employees, and internal stakeholders.