AVP Head of Digital Engineering & Experience

Norfolk Southern offers a unique opportunity to be part of our proud legacy that spans nearly 200 years. We are a customer-centric, operations-driven team dedicated to advancing safety, serving communities, and driving innovation for tomorrow's rail.  As part of Norfolk Southern, you’ll join a collaborative team where there are opportunities for growth across the organization. We are building a culture where everyone can thrive by owning and driving exceptional results, being humble and leading with trust, serving our customers with excellence, and collaborating and coaching to win.

Job Description

The AVP Head of Digital Engineering and Experience will support the Chief Information Digital Officer (CIDO) by defining, executing, and monitoring the Digital Experience initiatives. This role requires a visionary leader with strong execution skills, responsible for aligning digital and technology strategies with organizational objectives and fostering cross-departmental collaboration. Acting as a key partner to the CIDO, the AVP will manage critical projects, provide insights, and champion the department’s digital engineering across a complex, matrixed organization. This pivotal role will be fortifying Norfolk Southern’s software applications, with a commitment to enhancing operational excellence.  The successful candidate will also drive the company’s overall digital engineering experience and customer journey efforts, optimizing experiences and engagement. The successful candidate with ensure optimal performance and reliability of our IT digital applications, playing a significant role in developing an innovative user experience and improved engagement across all digital platforms. 

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with the CIDO and other business leadership to develop and articulate a roadmap for our digital customer experience that will provide a frictionless experience.
• Translate high-level customer experience initiatives into detailed project plans, including resource allocation, timelines, and measurable performance metrics. 
• Monitor the progress of projects, track key milestones, and ensure deliverables meet business requirements and timelines.

 

Leadership & Cross-Functional Collaboration: 

• Lead efforts to promote transparency and cohesion with customer experience stakeholders and encourage cross-functional initiatives that advance digital transformation goals.
• Support IT leadership in ensuring effective communication of the department’s vision, goals, and priorities. 
• Collaborate and demonstrate communication skills, with the ability to work effectively across functional teams and at an executive level. 

 

Performance Management & Process Improvement: 

• Drive strategic planning, program management, and operational execution within a digital or technology context.
• Develop and maintain metrics to assess IT department performance against user experience standards, identifying areas for improvement.
• In partnership with Marketing, develop and maintain metrics to assess the adoption, ease of use, and value of the customer experience technology solutions. 
• Drive initiatives for process optimization, enhancing efficiency, and sharing best practices across the IT organization. 
• Collaborate with the CIDO on annual budgeting and resource planning to ensure alignment with the strategic roadmap. 
• Apply analytical skills with experience in data-driven decision-making.

 

Executive Advisory & Industry Insight: 

• Serve as a trusted advisor to the CIDO, offering insights into customer experience trends, broader digital user experience trends, and potential technology innovations. 
• Prepare presentations, reports, and strategic communications for senior leadership, ensuring alignment and transparency regarding the customer experience and digital user experience. 
• Apply exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail. 
• Stay informed of industry trends and technological.
   

Skills Required:

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Business Administration, or a related field; Master’s degree (MBA or related) preferred.
• Experience: Executive level experience in IT strategy, technology consulting, or a related field.
• Executive level experience leading software development, digital applications & experiences, or related technical leadership within large enterprise environments.

 

Skills Preferred:

• Led full stack application development teams across multiple time zones. 
• Proven success in bridging customer experience strategy with technical