Director, High-Velocity Launch Operations

DSV•Columbus, OH

2d•$160,783 - $200,979•Remote

About The Position

The Director of High-Velocity Launch Operations will lead the strategy, execution, and continuous evolution of DSV’s North American Contract Logistics (HT2), high velocity launch offering. This role is responsible for delivering rapidly deployable, scalable launch solutions, supporting new customer implementations, startup facilities, expansions, and major operational transformations across the network. This leader will oversee both centralized project management functions and field-based launch execution teams, ensuring launches are operationally successful, financially sustainable, and aligned with customer expectations. Success in this role requires the ability to drive results across a highly matrixed environment involving operations, engineering, finance, IT, commercial teams, customers, and external partners.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Supply Chain, Logistics, Business, or related field (preferred)
10–15+ years in supply chain, logistics, or operations analytics (3PL experience strongly preferred)
5+ years leading large-scale customer implementations, facility startups, or launch operations within a 3PL or distribution environment
Exceptional stakeholder management and executive communication skills
Ability to lead through ambiguity and high-pressure launch environments
Strong change management and organizational influence capability
Strategic thinker with operational execution discipline
Experience in customer-facing roles
Experience with project management platforms (Smartsheet, MS Project, Jira, etc.)
Advanced Excel (modeling, large dataset manipulation) skills
Working experience in Business Intelligence tools (Power BI, Tableau, Looker, etc.)
Strong familiarity with WMS platforms
Experience with SQL, data modeling, and data visualization best practices
Strong understanding of: Contract logistics operations, Distribution startup processes, Customer onboarding and implementation lifecycle management

Responsibilities

Lead a team of regionally dispersed Launch Leads as well as Away Team resources.
Build organizational capability in rapid launch execution, project governance, and startup stabilization. Specializing in short lead-time launches.
Influence operational stakeholders and external partners without direct authority
Partner closely with: Operations Leadership, Global solutions, implementations, and engineering teams, IT/WMS implementation teams, Finance, Commercial and customer-facing teams, Customers
Design, implement, and continuously improve DSV’s high-velocity launch operating model for new customer implementations and facility startups
Develop scalable launch frameworks, playbooks, governance models, and standardized deployment methodologies in support of rapid deployments
Establish repeatable launch processes that balance: Speed-to-operational readiness, Financial forecasting & performance, Operational stability, Customer experience
Partner with commercial and solutions engineering teams during pre-sale and implementation phases to ensure operational readiness, financial planning, and execution alignment
Own launch-related financial performance and sustainability metrics, including: EBIT performance, ROIC achievement, Startup expense forecasting & management, Labor ramp efficiency, Launch budget adherence
Establish financial governance and tracking mechanisms for pre- and post-launch activities
Identify and mitigate risks related to startup costs, implementation overruns, and operational instability
Partner with finance and operations leadership to ensure launches transition successfully into steady-state operations
Lead both: Virtual launch support functions (project/program management), Physical launch execution teams supporting onsite startup activities
Oversee end-to-end launch execution across: Facility startups, Customer transitions, Expansions and retrofits
Ensure launches are delivered on-time, within budget, and aligned to operational KPIs and customer SLAs
Drive escalation management and executive-level issue resolution during critical launch phases
Design and maintain structured change management methodologies supporting: Customer scope changes, Operational requirement changes, Implementation modifications
Establish governance processes for: Change requests, Financial impact assessments, Timeline adjustments, Resource allocation
Ensure cross-functional alignment and communication throughout implementation lifecycle changes
Partner closely with customer stakeholders to manage expectations and execution risk
Drive continuous improvement initiatives focused on: Launch velocity, Startup quality, Cost control, Customer onboarding experience
Develop KPI scorecards and post-launch review processes to capture lessons learned and improve future implementations
Establish launch readiness and stabilization metrics across the network