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

Why This Role:
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.

• Own the Physical AI and robotics strategy for one of the largest logistics companies in North America
• 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
• Competitive total compensation including base, annual bonus, and long-term incentive plan

Position Summary:
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. 

Major Responsibilities:

Technology Strategy & Roadmap
• 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

Product & Engineering Leadership
• 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

Business Partnership & Value Delivery
• 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