Vice President, Technology - Distribution & Warehouse (Penske Logistics)

Penske•Beachwood, OH

6d•Onsite

About The Position

This is a defining opportunity to lead one of the most technically ambitious and capital-intensive transformations in physical logistics — building the automation and AI systems that will define how goods move through a $10B enterprise's distribution network for the next decade. The successful candidate will have the mandate, budget, and executive alignment to deploy Physical AI and robotics at scale across a national DC footprint. The Vice President of Technology – Distribution & Warehouse serves as the senior technology executive responsible for designing, building, and operating the full suite of technology platforms that power the company's distribution, warehousing, and supply chain fulfillment operations. This executive owns the technology roadmap across Distribution Centers (DCs), Warehouse Management, Yard Management, Cross-Dock Operations, and emerging Physical AI applications — directly enabling the speed, accuracy, and throughput of the company's physical logistics network. This role sits at the intersection of technology and physical operations — partnering with DC GMs, operations leadership, and supply chain executives to deploy systems that drive measurable improvements in order accuracy, labor productivity, inventory precision, and dock-to-dock cycle times. VP will be a key voice in enterprise architecture, automation investment decisions, and the company's Physical AI and robotics strategy as it scales across a national network of facilities. This position is based in our Penske Logistics development center in Beachwood, OH. This is an in-office position, at least 4 days a week. Relocation assistance may be available for qualified candidates.

Requirements

Significant scope: full technology ownership across DC, warehouse, yard, cross-dock, and emerging automation platforms
High-visibility executive role with direct line to C-suite and meaningful influence over major capital investment decisions
Rare chance to sit at the frontier of OT/IT convergence — deploying computer vision, autonomous systems, and real-time intelligence in live fulfillment operations
Senior technology executive responsible for designing, building, and operating the full suite of technology platforms that power the company's distribution, warehousing, and supply chain fulfillment operations.
Owns the technology roadmap across Distribution Centers (DCs), Warehouse Management, Yard Management, Cross-Dock Operations, and emerging Physical AI applications
Partnering with DC GMs, operations leadership, and supply chain executives to deploy systems that drive measurable improvements in order accuracy, labor productivity, inventory precision, and dock-to-dock cycle times.
Key voice in enterprise architecture, automation investment decisions, and the company's Physical AI and robotics strategy as it scales across a national network of facilities.
Lead and grow a high-performing organization of 50–150+ engineers, product managers, automation specialists, architects, and technical program managers
Establish engineering excellence standards including systems integration quality, real-time performance SLAs, and robust testing practices for WMS/WCS deployments
Drive agile delivery practices adapted for operational technology (OT) environments — balancing speed of innovation with zero-downtime requirements in live DC operations
Build a culture of operational technology excellence that bridges IT and OT disciplines, attracting talent across both software engineering and industrial automation
Define career paths and capability development programs for a team operating across enterprise software, embedded systems, robotics integration, and data engineering
Partner with DC General Managers, VP of Operations, and Supply Chain leadership to co-own technology-enabled productivity and throughput improvement programs
Translating complex physical operations challenges — labor shortages, peak volume surges, SKU proliferation, returns complexity — into technology-driven solutions with clear ROI
Establish technology investment governance and ROI tracking frameworks across DC automation, WMS modernization, and labor management initiatives
Own the business case development for major capital technology investments, including robotics deployments, WMS platform replacements, and cross-dock automation systems
Represent technology in customer-facing engagements, new business pursuits, and strategic 3PL contract negotiations where technology capabilities are a differentiator
Oversee the evolution and modernization of the company's WMS platform(s) including consolidation across acquired DCs, cloud migration, and real-time inventory accuracy initiatives
Lead the integration architecture between WMS, WCS/MES, YMS, TMS, and ERP systems, ensuring seamless end-to-end data flow across the physical and digital supply chain
Define and execute the robotics and automation integration framework — governing how AMRs, robotic arms, sorters, and conveyor systems are connected to enterprise warehouse control layers
Drive computer vision and Physical AI programs including dock-door monitoring, associate safety AI, automated receiving/put away, and quality audit systems
Establish the digital twin capability for DC network modeling, enabling scenario planning for layout changes, automation additions, and peak readiness simulations
Own the technology budget ($40M–$120M range) including OpEx/CapEx planning, vendor negotiations, and total cost optimization across software, automation hardware, and infrastructure
Establish and enforce technology governance policies, including cybersecurity standards for OT environments, data privacy compliance, and regulatory requirements (OSHA, FDA for food/pharma DCs)
Lead disaster recovery and business continuity planning for mission-critical WMS and automation systems — including failover protocols that protect live DC operations
Drive continuous improvement in system uptime, order accuracy rates, labor productivity benchmarks, and inventory shrink metrics attributable to technology
Govern technology standards across a multi-DC national network, including hardware standardization, software version control, and network/connectivity infrastructure

Nice To Haves

Competitive total compensation including base, annual bonus, and long-term incentive plan

Responsibilities

Define and own the multi-year technology roadmap for DC, warehouse, and yard management platforms, aligned to network growth, throughput targets, and the company's automation ambitions
Lead the enterprise Physical AI strategy — evaluating AMR/AGV vendors, robotic picking systems, computer vision platforms, and AI-driven operational control systems for phased deployment across the DC network
Drive build-vs-buy analysis and govern vendor selection for WMS, YMS, robotics, and automation investments at enterprise scale
Serve as the technology voice in executive discussions on new DC openings, network redesign, and automation capital investment planning
Evaluate and pilot emerging technologies including autonomous forklifts, AI-powered slotting, and predictive maintenance systems for material handling equipment
Lead and grow a high-performing organization of 50–150+ engineers, product managers, automation specialists, architects, and technical program managers
Establish engineering excellence standards including systems integration quality, real-time performance SLAs, and robust testing practices for WMS/WCS deployments
Drive agile delivery practices adapted for operational technology (OT) environments — balancing speed of innovation with zero-downtime requirements in live DC operations
Build a culture of operational technology excellence that bridges IT and OT disciplines, attracting talent across both software engineering and industrial automation
Define career paths and capability development programs for a team operating across enterprise software, embedded systems, robotics integration, and data engineering
Partner with DC General Managers, VP of Operations, and Supply Chain leadership to co-own technology-enabled productivity and throughput improvement programs
Translating complex physical operations challenges — labor shortages, peak volume surges, SKU proliferation, returns complexity — into technology-driven solutions with clear ROI
Establish technology investment governance and ROI tracking frameworks across DC automation, WMS modernization, and labor management initiatives
Own the business case development for major capital technology investments, including robotics deployments, WMS platform replacements, and cross-dock automation systems
Represent technology in customer-facing engagements, new business pursuits, and strategic 3PL contract negotiations where technology capabilities are a differentiator
Oversee the evolution and modernization of the company's WMS platform(s) including consolidation across acquired DCs, cloud migration, and real-time inventory accuracy initiatives
Lead the integration architecture between WMS, WCS/MES, YMS, TMS, and ERP systems, ensuring seamless end-to-end data flow across the physical and digital supply chain
Define and execute the robotics and automation integration framework — governing how AMRs, robotic arms, sorters, and conveyor systems are connected to enterprise warehouse control layers
Drive computer vision and Physical AI programs including dock-door monitoring, associate safety AI, automated receiving/put away, and quality audit systems
Establish the digital twin capability for DC network modeling, enabling scenario planning for layout changes, automation additions, and peak readiness simulations
Own the technology budget ($40M–$120M range) including OpEx/CapEx planning, vendor negotiations, and total cost optimization across software, automation hardware, and infrastructure
Establish and enforce technology governance policies, including cybersecurity standards for OT environments, data privacy compliance, and regulatory requirements (OSHA, FDA for food/pharma DCs)
Lead disaster recovery and business continuity planning for mission-critical WMS and automation systems — including failover protocols that protect live DC operations
Drive continuous improvement in system uptime, order accuracy rates, labor productivity benchmarks, and inventory shrink metrics attributable to technology
Govern technology standards across a multi-DC national network, including hardware standardization, software version control, and network/connectivity infrastructure
Other projects and tasks as assigned.