Director, Engineering & Data - Military veterans preferred

Director, Engineering & Data

US-VA-Richmond

Job ID: 2025-6354
Type: Regular Full-Time
# of Openings: 1
Category: IT
EFW

Overview

Estes Forwarding Worldwide (EFW) is a leading domestic and international freight forwarder in the United States, providing customized logistics and warehousing solutions for clients around the world and across all industries via air, ground, and ocean freight. A subsidiary of Estes Express lines with corporate located in Richmond, Virginia, EFW is uniquely backed by Estes Express Lines’ extensive line haul network providing EFW clients with a hybrid transportation network. The company has received industry awards, including Specialty Carrier of the Year and E-Commerce Delivery Carrier of the Year, and has been recognized by Global Trade Americas as a leading 3PL to watch.

We are proud to offer highly competitive pay and a comprehensive benefits package, including:

• Paid vacation, sick time, and holidays
• 401(k) plan with company match
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance
• Short- and long-term disability plans
• Life and accidental death & dismemberment insurance
• Job referral bonus program

We are seeking a seasoned, strategic, and technically-grounded Director, Engineering & Data to lead multiple cross-functional technology teams during a critical period of modernization and growth. This individual will oversee engineering and support functions across Data Engineering, Software Development, B2B Integrations, Enterprise Systems, and their corresponding support operations, requiring a blend of hands-on technical understanding, strong leadership capabilities, and the ability to partner across departments to deliver scalable, secure, and impactful technology solutions.

This position requires a blend of hands-on technical understanding, strong leadership capabilities, and the ability to partner across departments to deliver scalable, secure, and impactful technology solutions. As a key member of the technology leadership team, this person will work in close partnership with the Project and Program management teams, ensuring strong alignment between technical execution and business delivery. This role is instrumental in shaping our technology foundation, improving service delivery, and enabling our long-term innovation strategy and will play a meaningful part in shaping the next generation of our technology ecosystem, leading high-performing teams across critical functions, and partner directly with senior leaders on initiatives that drive growth and innovation.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead and mentor managers responsible for B2B integrations, data engineering, web development, enterprise systems, and IT support engineering.
• Directly oversee engineering and support teams operating across the following areas:
  • Web Application Development: ASP.NET, .NET Core, C#, JavaScript, HTML, Blazor, SQL Server; hosted in Azure.
  • API & Microservices: TypeScript, Go, Python, JavaScript; AWS, Kubernetes, Lambda, SQS, SNS, NATS, Jenkins, Terraform, PostgreSQL, SQL Server; API gateway management with Kong.
  • B2B Integrations: SQL Server, GoAnywhere MFT, data formats including ANSI X12, EDIFACT, XML, CSV, Excel.
  • Enterprise Systems: Internal and external applications, core IT infrastructure and support tools.
  • Data Engineering & Strategy: Governance, data architecture, reporting infrastructure, and machine learning readiness.
  • Emerging Technologies: Strategic implementation of Artificial Intelligence.
• Serve as a technical escalation point and strategic thought partner across engineering and IT support functions.
• Ensure delivery of secure, scalable, and maintainable software and infrastructure solutions aligned with organizational goals.
• Establish and manage engineering best practices methodologies (e.g. Agile, DevOps) to optimize engineering and support processes.
• Oversee project planning, resource allocation, and delivery management to ensure on-time and on-budget outcomes.
• Champion a high-performance, collaborative culture across all technical teams.
• Monitor system performance and stability across platforms and implement continuous improvements.
• Partner closely with business stakeholders to translate strategic needs into technical solutions.
• Own the IT engineering and support budgets; ensure cost-effective procurement of tools and services.
• Evaluate and recommend emerging technologies to improve business capabilities and efficiency.
• Communicate program and project progress, challenges, and opportunities clearly to executive leadership.
• Ensure operational support and ongoing performance of all enterprise technologies, including applications, integrations, data platforms, infrastructure, and internal tools; establish processes to provide reliable, scalable, and responsive support across all technical domains.
• Comply with company C-TPAT and TSA security procedures.
• Perform other duties as assigned.
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QUALIFICATIONS 

• Must possess strong leadership and team management abilities.
• Excellent problem-solving and decision-making skills.
• Proven ability to lead across infrastructure, application development, integrations, and support environments.
• Experience managing teams with diverse technology stacks across both cloud (AWS, Azure) and on-premises systems.
• Demonstrated success delivering complex IT projects in a high-growth or evolving environment.
• Strong understanding of data architecture and data governance in enterprise settings.
• Solid grasp of Agile, DevOps, CI/CD, and service delivery best practices.
• In-depth knowledge of Agile, DevOps, and other engineering methodologies.
• Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills.
• Strategic thinking and ability to align IT initiatives with business goals.
• Strong technical acumen with hands-on experience in relevant technologies.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver results in a fast-paced environment.
• Collaborative mindset with a focus on building strong relationships across teams and departments.
• This role is critical to driving innovation and operational excellence within the IT engineering and support functions, ensuring the organization remains competitive and responsive to evolving business needs.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving and communication skills.
• Ability to work with executives and communicate abstract concepts.
• Ability to present to a high level of the organization and groups outside of the organization.
• Ability to solve problems with complex variables through non-standardized solutions that require independent judgment and analysis.
• Ability to draw inferences and use deductive reasoning with no prescribed procedures to solve complex problems.
• Experience with AWS and Azure cloud services.
• Expertise with Agile methodologies.
• Experience with Enterprise web development, B2B integrations and API technologies.
• Familiarity with ERP system administration.
• Must be eligible to work in the United States.
• At this time, EFW will not sponsor a new applicant for employment authorization for this position.
• EFW prides itself on the quality of its employees and as such, candidates who receive a job offer will be required to successfully pass a drug screen and a background check.
• EFW offers an opportunity to grow and develop your career in an environment that provides a fulfilling workplace for employees, creates an environment for continuous learning, and embraces the ideas and diversity of others. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, pregnancy, race, ethnicity, color, creed, religion, national origin, age, disability status, protected veteran status, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other legally protected status.

SUPERVISION

The position functions semi-autonomously and directly supervises 5-8 employees.  Carry out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with the organization's policies and applicable laws.  Responsibilities may include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.

EDUCATION/EXPERIENCE

Minimum of a Bachelor's or Master’s degree in Information Technology, Computer Science, or related field (or equivalent) and 10+ years of experience in IT engineering, with at least 5 years in a leadership role managing multiple teams and serving as a technical escalation point for complex issues.  Proven technical expertise in API development, data engineering, web development, EDI, and enterprise applications. However, a combination of experience and/or education will be taken into consideration. 

LICENSES/CERTIFICATIONS

Relevant certifications in project management (e.g., PMP), cloud technologies (e.g., AWS, Azure), or software development preferred.

TRAVEL

None required.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential duties of this job.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential duties.

Typically sitting at a desk or table.  Intermittently sitting, standing, walking or stooping.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential duties of this job.  Reasonable accommodations will be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential duties.

Normal office situation.

EFW is an Equal Opportunity Employer, Minorities/Female/Disabled/Veteran.

PI270932200