Senior Director, Ports & Terminals Technology Business Partner - Americas

DP World • Charlotte, NC

107d

About The Position

We are the leading provider of worldwide smart end-to-end supply chain & logistics, enabling the flow of trade across the globe. Our comprehensive range of products and services covers every link of the integrated supply chain – from maritime and inland terminals to marine services and industrial parks as well as technology-driven customer solutions. The Senior Director, P&T Technology Business Partner - Americas acts as the strategic leader and interface between Technology and the Ports & Terminals businesses across the region. This role drives operational excellence, standardization, and innovation by aligning regional priorities with Group Technology platforms such as Cargoes and Zodiac. The Senior Director is accountable for shaping and executing the regional terminal technology roadmap, ensuring DP World remains competitive by leveraging the latest trends in P&T technology. A critical part of this role is leading the deployment of new Terminal Operating System (TOS), including the successful rollout and optimization of Zodiac (DP World’s proprietary TOS) across the Americas, while driving further efficiency through automation, data-driven insights, and emerging technologies such as AI/ML. The goal is to deliver measurable improvements in efficiency, safety, cost, and customer experience across all terminals. This position plays a critical role in a region encompassing 13 terminals across 8 countries, influencing operations with more than $800m in revenue, 4.8m TEU throughput, and direct impact on more than $500m in gross expenses. As a senior leader, this position requires strong domain expertise in ports and terminals, solution-oriented thinking, and the ability to lead large-scale, multi-country initiatives while mentoring and developing high-performing teams. The role also requires deep technology leadership, including shaping architecture, driving integration across platforms, and ensuring that innovation in automation and AI translates into scalable operational solutions.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, Logistics, Supply Chain, or related field. Master’s degree preferred
• 10+ years of hands-on experience in container terminal operations, with in-depth knowledge of vessel/yard planning, resource planning, procedures, and business processes
• Proven expertise in Terminal Operating Systems (Navis preferred) and automation technologies, with a strong track record of deploying TOS, automation, and AI-enabled solutions in ports or logistics environments
• Experience in marine terminal automation (gate, vessel, and rail) strongly preferred
• Proven ability to lead enterprise technology initiatives, including integration of terminal systems with global platforms (Cargoes, ERP, logistics solutions)
• Demonstrated success leading large-scale, multi-country transformation programs and strategic initiatives, including new system deployments and optimization projects
• Extensive program and project management experience, encompassing continuous process improvement, stakeholder engagement, and collaboration across distributed multicultural teams
• Strong governance and financial management capabilities, including budget oversight, risk assessment and mitigation, and implementation of quality assurance processes
• Data-driven decision-making skills, using performance metrics and analytics to drive optimization and business value
• Deep knowledge of P&T industry trends, with a focus on automation, AI, and optimization
• Solution-oriented mindset, able to turn challenges into executable solutions
• Strong leadership skills, including mentoring, conflict resolution, and culture building
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English; proficiency in Spanish strongly preferred; Portuguese an advantage
• High degree of ownership, agility, and flexibility; thrives in dynamic, matrixed environments

Responsibilities

• Define and execute the regional technology strategy for Ports & Terminals, aligned with Group Technology standards and global initiatives
• Own the Americas rollout of Zodiac (DP World’s proprietary TOS), ensuring successful deployment, adoption, and optimization across all terminals
• Provide technology leadership for the region, ensuring system architectures, integrations, and standards enable long-term scalability and resilience
• Establish and enforce standards for the evaluation and use of third-party applications and automation solutions across the region
• Benchmark systems against competitors and integrate emerging automation and AI trends into regional roadmaps
• Ensure Americas terminals adopt advanced platforms to enhance efficiency, resilience, and service quality
• Lead major deployments, with primary accountability for Zodiac (DP World’s proprietary TOS), and terminal automation programs (gate, vessel, rail, yard), ensuring integration with enterprise and logistics platforms
• Leverage AI/ML for planning, scheduling, and resource optimization across terminals
• Assist with the overall design and business planning for new terminals (Greenfield and Brownfield), while leading the design and implementation of the supporting technology solutions to ensure they are integrated, standardized, and future-ready
• Oversee program and project management across multiple countries, ensuring initiatives are delivered on time, within scope and budget
• Promote a culture of continuous improvement by using technology to achieve cost optimization, throughput gains, and service quality enhancements
• Champion the use of data analytics, automation, and AI/ML models to continuously optimize yard, vessel, and landside operations
• Build strong cross-departmental bridges, ensuring technology enables business outcomes rather than creating silos
• Lead, mentor, and coach a diverse regional technology team (~10 direct reports plus indirect IT leaders across terminals)
• Build a high-performance culture that emphasizes collaboration, ownership, agility, and accountability
• Serve as a cultural ambassador, fostering trust, inclusion, and resilience across a multi-country region
• Act as primary liaison with terminal GMs, BU operations leaders, and Group Technology teams
• Ensure Americas’ technology practices align with global standards and corporate governance requirements, working closely with DP World Global IT Managers
• Represent the region in global forums, ensuring Americas’ requirements influence Group strategy
• Engage with external stakeholders including TOS and automation vendors, port authorities, rail providers, and shipping lines to ensure effective collaboration and solution adoption
• Provide oversight for regional technology budgets and investment cases
• Ensure disciplined financial and risk management across technology programs
• Drive ROI by linking automation, AI, and Zodiac-driven initiatives to clear business value

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: Bachelor's degree
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees