Job Overview: This is currently an individual-contributor role with a clear path to building and leading a team of TMS analysts and/or driver technology support staff as the program matures. The ideal candidate brings direct transportation experiences such as dispatch, load planning, or carrier management along with the technical fluency to translate between IT and the business and advocate for business needs within IT.
Duties and responsibilities:Platform Selection & Solution Design- Act as the primary liaison between IT and transportation operations, customers, carriers, and executive stakeholders to define business and functional requirements for a new TMS.
- Lead or co-lead vendor evaluation and selection, including demos, reference checks, fit/gap analysis, and total-cost-of-ownership comparisons.
- Translate operational workflows (load planning/optimization, dispatch and scheduling, carrier/broker sourcing and tendering, rating and quoting, track-and-trace, appointment/dock scheduling, freight audit and payment, driver settlements) into system configuration and design decisions.
Implementation & Customer/Carrier Migration- Own the implementation project plan, budget, and timeline; manage the implementation partner/systems integrator where one is engaged.
- Design and execute the migration strategy for customers, carriers, and drivers - sequencing, cutover planning, data migration/validation, parallel-run testing, and rollback plans - in partnership with operations leadership.
- Coordinate user acceptance testing, training, and documentation for dispatch, operations, and driver-facing teams.
Integrations- Inventory and prioritize every existing integration between the legacy TMS and downstream/upstream systems (WMS, CMS, ERP/accounting, EDI with customers and carriers, telematics/ELD providers, fuel card and IFTA reporting systems, load boards, factoring, customer visibility portals, etc.).
- Define integration requirements and acceptance criteria; work with internal engineers and/or vendor professional services to rebuild each interface on the new platform.
- Establish testing and monitoring standards so integration issues (e.g., missed EDI transactions, rating errors, telematics gaps) are caught before they affect customers or drivers.
Ongoing Product Ownership & Support- Serve as the permanent product owner for the TMS post go-live: maintain the roadmap, prioritize enhancement requests, and manage the relationship with the software vendor.
- Own production support escalations for the TMS, working with IT and the vendor to resolve issues and minimize disruption to dispatch and customer service.
- Continuously evaluate new TMS functionality (e.g., load optimization, dynamic pricing, automated tendering) against business needs and lead rollout of upgrades and new features.
Mobile & In-Cab Technology Management- Own the lifecycle of TMS-connected hardware and driver-facing technology: ELDs, in-cab tablets/mobile computers, telematics/GPS units, and related driver mobile apps.
- Manage procurement, deployment, configuration, maintenance, and vendor relationships for this device and telematics fleet.
- Ensure devices and integrations stay current with regulatory requirements (e.g., ELD mandate, HOS rules).
Team Leadership- Operate as a hands-on individual contributor during selection and early implementation.
- Build the business case for, and eventually hire and lead, a team that may include TMS analysts and driver technology support staff.
- Support and promote the company values, culture, and HR processes
- Establish and track KPIs, metrics, and reporting for team activities
- Recruit, reward, and recognize employees
- Provide the necessary training opportunities, tools, and resources to ensure team success
- Provide clear direction in weekly team checkpoints
- Manage frequent performance feedback
- Establish a training & adoption plan for process changes across IT and business stakeholders.
Qualifications:- 5+ years of experience working directly with a Transportation Management System, including meaningful time in trucking/transportation operations (dispatch, carrier management, or brokerage), not solely IT/systems-side experience.
- Demonstrated experience with at least one full TMS implementation or major platform migration, ideally in a multi-customer 3PL or asset/non-asset trucking environment.
- Working knowledge of the integration landscape around a TMS (WMS, EDI, ERP, telematics/ELD, fuel/IFTA, load boards) and enough technical fluency to scope and validate integration work with engineers.
- Experience managing driver-facing/mobile technology such as ELDs, in-cab tablets, or telematics platforms.
- Strong project management skills - able to run a multi-workstream implementation with hard deadlines and multiple customer and carrier stakeholders.
- Excellent communication skills and the credibility to act as a trusted translator between operations/customers and IT/engineering.
- Willingness and ability to travel to terminals and customer sites as needed (est. 10%).
Preferred / Nice-to-Have- Direct experience with one or more major TMS platforms (e.g., McLeod, TMW/Trimble, MercuryGate, Oracle Transportation Management, Aljex, Revenova, or similar).
- Prior experience in a 3PL or trucking carrier/brokerage specifically, including multi-tenant/multi-customer configuration considerations.
- Experience with telematics/ELD providers (e.g., Samsara, Platform Science, Omnitracs) and their integration into a TMS.
- Familiarity with EDI standards (204, 210, 214, 990) common in transportation and freight audit/pay processes.
- Experience standing up or scaling a team (analysts, engineers, or driver technology support staff).
Physical Demands:- This position may require travel to various company locations on the East and West Coast.
- Extended Sitting: Primarily desk-based with prolonged computer use.
- Computer Use: Frequent operation of computers and office equipment, requiring manual dexterity.
- Eye Strain and Repetitive Motion: Risk from continuous screen use and repetitive tasks like typing.
- Office Navigation: Light walking and standing for meetings and tasks within the office.
- Light Lifting: Occasional handling of objects up to 20 pounds.
