Director, Data Center Excellence
Employer not yet confirmed · Mississippi, United States
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 Director, Data Center Excellence leads DP World’s data center traveling workforce within the Cloud business. This role is accountable for operational strategy, financial performance, customer delivery and the scalable growth of a department expected to generate substantial revenue. The Director builds a repeatable model for mobilizing teams, launching services, executing contracted work and transitioning operations across multiple customer locations.
The Director leads operational managers and deployment leaders, partnering with Human Resources, Finance, Commercial, Engineering, Quality, Health and Safety, IT and Travel Coordination. The role exercises independent judgement within delegated authority and translates customer growth plans into safe, profitable and reliable operations. Services may include rack and tray preparation, materials handling, inventory control, just in time logistics and deployment support as defined in approved statements of work.
KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES
BUSINESS STRATEGY & GROWTH
- Develop and execute the department’s operating strategy, annual business plan and multiyear growth road map aligned with Cloud business objectives
- Design the organizational structure, leadership capacity, systems and deployment model needed to scale across customer programs and regions
- Partner with Commercial and Solutions teams on bids, pricing assumptions, service design, capacity commitments and expansion opportunities; validate operational feasibility before commitments are made
- Prepare investment and headcount business cases; obtain required approvals and deliver measurable returns within delegated authority
FINANCIAL & COMMERCIAL ACCOUNTABILITY
- Own departmental profit and loss performance, budgets, forecasts and recovery plans in partnership with Finance; manage revenue, margins, labor productivity, travel spending and operating costs
- Validate staffing and travel assumptions against customer demand, training requirements and contractual billing terms; identify un-billable activity, scope changes and margin risks promptly
- Maintain controls over purchasing, expense approvals, assets, time reporting and billing support; work with Finance to resolve invoice issues and revenue leakage
- Report financial results and operational risks to senior leadership with clear actions, accountable owners and completion dates
OPERATIONAL LEADERSHIP & CUSTOMER DELIVERY
- Direct multiple concurrent deployments from readiness assessment and mobilization through execution, demobilization and hand-off to the receiving operation
- Establish launch gates covering signed scope, staffing, training, site access, equipment, safety readiness and customer acceptance; escalate unresolved gaps before deployment
- Build workforce plans with HR and operating leaders that reflect recruiting lead times, skill requirements, training productivity, absence coverage and sustainable workloads
- Deploy and redeploy teams with Travel Coordination and local operations; plan productive assignments between deployments and maintain visibility to workforce availability
- Standardize operating procedures, work instructions, escalation paths, reporting and change control across locations while accommodating approved site requirements
- Serve as a senior customer contact; lead business reviews, manage service performance and resolve escalations while protecting contractual and commercial commitments
- Maintain contingency plans for delayed site access, construction interruptions, travel disruption, staffing shortages and changes in customer demand
- Use dashboards and operational reviews to improve schedule adherence, productivity, inventory accuracy, quality, cost and customer satisfaction
PEOPLE LEADERSHIP & WORKFORCE GOVERNANCE
- Lead, coach and evaluate managers and deployment leaders; establish goals, succession plans and consistent expectations for employee development and accountability
- Select leaders and make or meaningfully recommend hiring, promotion, compensation and corrective action decisions within company policy and delegated authority, in consultation with HR
- Promote respectful conduct, fair employment practices and a workplace free of discrimination, harassment and retaliation; promptly refer concerns to HR and support appropriate investigations
- Partner with HR, Payroll and Legal on multistate assignments, accurate work location reporting, timekeeping, travel time, overtime, meal and rest periods, leave and accommodation requirements, expense reimbursement and applicable labor agreements
- Maintain staffing agency and contractor controls with Procurement, HR and Legal, including defined responsibilities, approved assignments, training and performance oversight
QUALITY & SAFETY REQUIREMENTS
- Establish and enforce quality and safety expectations consistent with applicable OSHA and state plan requirements, customer rules and company management systems, including relevant ISO standards
- Coordinate site readiness, hazard assessments, emergency response and contractor interfaces with Health and Safety, customers and general contractors; verify required orientation, training and task authorizations before work starts
- Ensure only appropriately trained and authorized personnel perform equipment operation, specialized work or activities requiring licenses or certifications; do not assign regulated work outside approved scope
- Empower employees to report hazards and stop unsafe work without retaliation; pause affected activities, escalate material risks and verify corrective actions before restart
- Oversee incident investigations, audits, root cause analysis and corrective action closure; protect asset traceability, inventory integrity and customer information through documented controls
QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS
- Bachelor’s degree in operations, supply chain, logistics, engineering, business or a related discipline, or an equivalent combination of relevant education and professional experience
- At least 10 years of progressively responsible experience in logistics, data center operations, complex deployments or a related field, including significant leadership of managers and multiple operating locations or programs
- Demonstrated success scaling operations and managing substantial budgets, profit and loss performance, workforce capacity and customer commitments
- Experience directing geographically dispersed or traveling teams, launches or time sensitive programs with multiple stakeholders
- Strong knowledge of operational controls, financial analysis, quality systems, risk management and continuous improvement; ability to interpret contracts and translate requirements into execution plans
- Effective executive communication, negotiation, problem solving and people leadership skills; ability to use business systems and performance data to make decisions
Please note: This position does not offer sponsorship for employment visas. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in The United States without sponsorship now or in the future.
ABOUT DP WORLD
Trade is the lifeblood of the global economy, creating opportunities and improving the quality of life for people around the world. DP World exists to make the world’s trade flow better, changing what’s possible for the customers and communities we serve globally.
With a dedicated, diverse and professional team of more than 115,000 employees from 160 nationalities, spanning 78 countries on six continents, DP World is pushing trade further and faster towards a seamless supply chain that’s fit for the futur