Director Program Governance & Planning (m/f/d)
Are you ready to help transform Customs Operations at DHL Express-Globally?
We are launching one of the most ambitious Customs Transformation programs in our history, and we're looking for exceptional people who want to make a real, lasting impact. This is a once in a career opportunity to be part of a major, multi-year change program spanning people, processes, and technology-designed to radically elevate our Customs Operations and Quality across DHL Express Globally. We are scaling our Global Operations and IT business teams from fewer than 30 colleagues today to more than 100+ high impact professionals, building new capabilities and strengthening existing ones. This includes establishing a best-in-class Program Management Office (PMO), creating a Global Customs Process team, expanding Business Capability teams (currently CCG), growing our Business IT teams, and significantly increasing investment in IT development and solution capabilities. This is not a short-term initiative. Customs Transformation represents a long-term capability strategy, backed by an investment of over 100 million, to deliver smarter processes, more powerful systems, and a future ready Customs Operations landscape.
It will be complex. It will be demanding. At times, it will be frustrating. But for those who thrive on challenge, impact, scale, and purpose, it will also be deeply rewarding. Your work will directly shape how DHL Express delivers excellence to customers around the world.
If you want to be part of something big and truly transformational-this is your moment.
We are looking for a Director Program Governance & Planning.
Role Location: Whilst this role has been advertised as located in a specific location, we will also be considering locating this role at other GHO locations in Europe, including Bonn, Brussels, Maastricht and Leipzig.
The Director, Program Governance & Planning is accountable for establishing, leading, and continuously improving the Program Management Planning & Governance area to ensure effective transformation governance, delivery excellence, and strategic alignment of the roadmap, across all projects. The role supports the VP, Head of Program Management by defining, owning and operationalizing governance, communication & documentation frameworks and standards, driving portfolio performance, and enabling transparency and efficient decisionmaking across the organization including GMB level.
How will you contribute to the success of DHL?
- Lead, manage, mentor and further develop a direct team of (Senior) Managers in the PMO team
- Indirectly manage, coach and steer the PMO team from parallel teams in Global Programs and Ops, BUIT, IT-S
- Take a active leadership role in the wider Global Programs and Ops community.
- Define and maintain PMO governance frameworks, methodologies, and standards in alignment with enterprise strategy.
- Establish efficient and innovative and aligned program governance processes for planning and reporting, utilizing latest technology.
- Run and ensure portfoliolevel governance routines, reporting cycles, and risk escalations towards GMB Steering Board as well as Program Gate Reviews and Decision Boards.
- Cooperate with Methodology & Tools team to ensure consistent project and program execution through standardized methodology, tools, templates, and processes.
- Oversee portfolio planning, constantly establishing a program roadmap with aligned priorities, and resource allocation.
- Monitor cross-funtional delivery performance, ensuring scope, schedule, budget, and quality targets are met.
- Equip and support program and project managers with bestpractice guidance, coaching, and delivery oversight.
- Establish remediation plans for underperforming projects and facilitate decisionmaking with leadership.
- Own the creation of standardized program portfolio reporting dashboards and executivelevel presentations.
- Implement KPIs and performance metrics to track portfolio health and strategic impact, against defined BCA targets.
- Provide transparent, datadriven insights on transformation delivery to support leadership decisions.
- Build and manage PMO resourcing models, including capacity planning and skills mapping.
- Develop capabilitybuilding upskilling initiatives for project and program managers as well as PMO team across functions.
- Drive continuous improvement through lessonslearned cycles and maturity assessments.
- Serve as a central communication ambassador, for all portfolio activities across functions, convincing senior stakeholders to adopt governance standards.
- Ensure stakeholders receive and provide timely, accurate, and relevant information for planning and roadmap.
- Facilitate and ensure alignment between functions, leadership, and delivery teams.
Do you have what it takes?
- Relevant university degree, MBA/ Master in Business Administration or similar.
- 7-10 years of experience in project, program, or portfolio management.
- Fluency in English; additional languages beneficial.
- Exceptional communication and executivelevel presentation skills.
- Strong leadership and stakeholder management skills.
- Prior leadership experience within a PMO or transformation function.
- Experience in crossfunctional, global, or complex matrixed organizations.
- Experience leading PMOs or large transformation portfolios.
- Deep knowledge of project and program management methodologies (e.g., PMI, PRINCE2, Agile).
- Resilience and a proactive attitude towards overcoming challenges and leading change.
- Willingness to be hands-on and actively engage when necessary.
- Excellent analytical and problemsolving capabilities.
- Ability to translate strategy into actionable frameworks and processes.
- High proficiency in portfolio reporting, metrics, and performance management.
