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Role Purpose:
The Director Customs Automation is accountable for Customs Automation Solutions within the Customs Solution Design and Delivery vertical of Network Operations IT. This role provides strategic product and technology leadership across a global portfolio of automation, BI, and AI driven solutions that enable end-to-end customs process automation.
As an advanced leadership role within the Product Management job family, the position owns a complex and enterprise critical product portfolio, leads transformational programs operating at scale, highly regulated customs and regulatory environments. The Director partners closely with Enterprise Architecture and BI Center of Excellence (CoE) to ensure solutions are scalable, resilient, data driven, and aligned with enterprise standards.
The role defines and delivers the global AI, automation, and digital transformation strategy for customs processes, with ownership from strategy through execution and value realization. This includes ensuring customs operations are compliant, efficient, and future ready, while leveraging intelligent automation to reduce manual effort, errors, and clearance cycle times.
Operating at the intersection of customs operations, technology, network operations, and regulatory risk, this role acts as a senior leader and integrator-translating business priorities into a coherent automation roadmap, governing delivery, and driving outcomes at global scale.
How will you contribute to the success of DHL
Strategic Vision and Alignment
- Define and communicate the global Customs Automation vision and strategy, aligned with DHL Express Customs Clearance objectives, competitive analysis, evolving customer expectations and market opportunities.
- Develop long-term data driven roadmaps for AI, Automation, Agentic product roadmaps that balance short-term wins with long-term growth.
- Engage with stakeholders Leverage AI, automation & predictive analysis to enhance business decision making and digital transformation.
Portfolio Management and Implementation
- Own and manage customs automation portfolio approximately 5 - 10 IT products, covering:
- 2 very-high-complexity product
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- 5 high-complexity products
- 5 medium-complexity products
- 5 low-complexity products
- Manage the Customs Automation product portfolio to ensure cohesion across all roadmaps and optimize customer value and business outcomes.
- Oversee IT product (s) lifecycle from concept to launch, continuously improving based on user feedback and market trends, seeking digitalization opportunities to innovate business processes.
- Ensure timely, on-budget delivery of programs and product roadmaps.
- Define and track KPIs and success metrics for products (e.g., customer satisfaction, adoption rates) to ensure focus on measurable outcomes and value.
- Enhance digitalization by leveraging AI driven analytics to refine business processes.
Team Leadership and Development
- Lead a global team comprising of:
- - Direct Reports: 5 FTEs (Senior Product Managers and Product Managers) in Customs Automation
- Indirect Reports: 30 FTEs from ITS
- Recruit, mentor, and lead a high-performing team.
- Provide leadership through coaching and development while assessing team skillset needs.
- Foster a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, and experimentation within the IT team.
Cross Functional Collaboration
- Act as a bridge between GBIT & cross functional Automation AI, BI teams, and departments (e.g architecture security).
- Resolve conflicts and align goals across teams to drive execution of key initiatives.
- Strengthen collaboration with business and IT using the agile and DevOps methodologies.
- Ensure a customer-driven development approach, ensuring IT solutions enhance operational efficiency, reduce costs, mitigate risks, and enable revenue growth.
- Act as a bridge between technical and non-technical stakeholders, ensuring IT initiatives are aligned with network operation needs.
Budgeting
- Hold full accountability for an annual NetOps IT budget of approximately 10m.
- Manage budgets for product build and run efforts, ensuring efficient resource use.
- Allocate resources effectively across teams to maximize productivity.
- Apply a value-based approach to prioritize funding toward high impact initiatives.
Stakeholder Management and Communication
- Serve as the primary IT Business Partner for Network Operations Customs Clearance products and platforms.
- Advocate for the product (s) vision with internal stakeholders, customers, and external partners.
- Regularly report on domain product performance, roadmaps, and key initiatives to senior leadership.
- Lead functional reviews to align business priorities and IT solutions.
- Manage relationships with vendors and solution providers, ensuring business requirements are met.
- Ensure alignment across global, regional and cross divisional stakeholders for cohesive IT strategy execution.
Do you have what it takes
- Bachelor's degree in computer science or related technical field or equivalent practical experience.
- Minimum 10 years of experience in technical or customer facing technical roles.
- Strong expertise in Generative AI and Large Language Models (LLMs), Python, Machine Learning, and Model Evaluations.
- At least 10 years experience in digital transformation or analytics.
- At least 7 years of experience in data-intensive product development.
- Professional certification in Agile (preferred).
Please submit your application along with your CV and a copy of your highest educational degree (e.g., Bachelor's, Master's, or MBA certificate).
DHL is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic.
