Director, Business Continuity Planning

About Us: 

Americold is a global provider of temperature-controlled infrastructure. We partner with farmers and food producers to ensure their perishable and frozen product reaches foods suppliers, restaurants, and your local grocery store without spoilage. Our customers, which include some of the most respected brands in the food industry, rely on our expertise and commitment to safety in order to deliver on their commitments.

What you’ll Do: 

The Director, Business Continuity Planning is responsible for management of the Americold global business continuity program in accordance with best practices, industry standards and regulatory requirements. This person will be part of a team dedicated to the development, maintenance and testing of the business continuity plans and procedures designed to protect Americold’s business assets, and help ensure continuity of service to our customers in adverse situations. 
 
The ideal candidate should possess a deep understanding of business continuity framework, regulatory compliance responsibilities, use of technology to automate planning activities, and strategies for continuous monitoring and program improvement. This individual must be experienced representing the program across the organization at the executive level and serving as a point of contact for internal and external audit as well as regulatory examinations, and client due diligence requests. 

• This person will be an integral part of a high performing team that advises Americold’s various business units on the overall management and performance of their BCP, with a focus in regulatory compliance, business continuity best practices and continuous improvement, risk and governance, management reporting and audit compliance. 

• Provide tactical and strategic planning and direction for the Business Continuity team; continually govern through the Business Continuity Program policy, scope, goals, and objectives; develop detailed work plans and status reports; conduct team meetings, review team deliverables, manage execution of team plans; ensure compliance with industry standards and regulatory requirements. 

• Provide business & technical guidance to senior leadership, business unit leadership, global business resiliency coordinators, and associates. Become trusted advisor and contribute to raising operational risk and business continuity awareness throughout the organization. 

• Provide direct support to all business units on all aspects of business continuity planning, including but not limited to business impact analysis, recovery plan development/enhancements, compliance standards, definition of critical functions, plan testing, recovery strategies and options. 

• Ensure all Business Continuity liaisons are adequately trained to fulfill their responsibilities and are familiar with the relevant provisions of the Business Continuity plans. Provide access/training to client standard business Continuity tools (BIA, planning, and emergency notification systems). 

• Work with operations regarding disaster recovery/business continuity needs and ensure integration of concepts/design for existing/new hardware, software, applications, and processes critical to services. Verify services align with Business expectations. 

• Assist in the development of disaster recovery/business continuity validation criteria, methods, and procedures. Assists with the scheduling, coordinating, and reviewing all data recovery/business process simulations to assure that the existing plan will achieve the defined recovery time objectives and minimize disruptions to business. Recommends appropriate changes as needed. 

• Provide 24x7 support for any emergency which may require activation of all or part of Business Continuity/Crisis Management and Communication/Cyber Security Incident Response Team plans. In the event activation is required, assist recovery/business resumption teams in the implementation of response and alternate operating strategies. If required, function as a business continuity coordinator during the crisis. Maintain contact with outside business continuity professional organizations and local/regional emergency response groups that participate in business continuity, disaster recovery, and emergency management. 

What Experience and Education You Need: 

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Business Administration, or a related field; relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.  

• At least 5-8 years of experience in Business Continuity Planning, preferably for a logistics service provider. 

• Familiarity with the recommendations from leading Business Continuity Planning organizations, including DRI(I), BCI, and relevant ISO