Director Of Enterprise Applications, Ground Transportation

Director of Enterprise Applications, Ground Transportation

The Director of Ground Applications is responsible for the end-to-end strategy, delivery, and operational excellence of the application portfolio that powers our ground transportation business in North America (and globally, as applicable). This leader owns our Transportation Management Systems (TMS) and influences adjacent solutions (rating, tendering, carrier portals, visibility/track & trace, dispatch, mobile driver apps, freight audit & pay, billing/settlement), ensuring these platforms are scalable, secure, reliable, and continuously improved to enable our customers, carriers, and operations teams. You will partner closely with Operations, Carrier Management, Finance, Sales, and Data & Analytics to drive business outcomes—on-time tender acceptance, lower cost per-load, improved dwell and OTD, and frictionless integrations. This position requires exceptional communication and technical design skills to drive innovation.

Essential Job Functions

• Own the multi-year product/application strategy for ground transportation, aligning to company growth targets, margin expansion, and customer experience goals.
• Define and prioritize an outcome-based roadmap (OKRs) across TMS, visibility, pricing/rating, capacity tools, mobile apps, and settlement.
• Lead build vs. buy decisions and manage vendor selection, contracts, and relationships for key platforms (e.g., TMS, visibility, EDI/API brokers, mobile, audit & pay).
• Manage and oversee a team of application specialists to drive system performance and process improvements.
• Partner with operations, IT, and supply chain teams to understand business requirements and translate them into system functionalities.
• Drive innovation and automation within logistics applications to enhance efficiency, accuracy, and scalability.
• Establish and enforce best practices for system maintenance, data integrity, security, and compliance.
• Lead vendor management and coordination for software upgrades, troubleshooting, and support.
• Monitor system performance, identify areas for optimization, and implement solutions to enhance operational productivity.
• Stay up to date with industry trends and emerging technologies to drive continuous improvement.
• Ensures team is structured to effectively deliver value via high quality solutions. Continuously evaluate staff and create a go forward organizational strategy.
• Partner with the organizational stake holders to align and prioritize current and future IT initiatives in support of the global business objectives.
• Manage user expectations with respect to the finished product; provide oversight and manage project tasks.
• Accountable for managing team and project budgets.
• Evaluate installed software solutions and identify areas to improve standards, simplify, enhance functionality and/or transition to solutions to improve supportability.
• Create roadmap and timing of implementation of the roadmap based on business requirements and strategy and budgetary allowances.
• Motivate, lead, and develop a team of diverse individuals with a variety of experience levels and skill sets.
• Participate on the organization's Senior Leadership Team. Perform other tasks as requested by the executive team.
• Other duties as assigned

Physical Requirements

• Vision abilities required by this job include close vision and the ability to adjust focus
• Must be able to sit or stand for extended periods of time, some light lifting may be required in some instances.
• Talking, hearing and using hands to operate computer equipment

Education & Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Information Technology, Supply Chain Management, or a related field
• Minimum of 10+ years of experience in logistics technology, with a focus on WMS and supply chain applications.
• Hands-on experience with one or more enterprise TMS platforms (e.g., MercuryGate, Blue Yonder, Oracle, SAP TM, CargoWise, Mastery) and visibility tools (e.g., Project44, FourKites).
• Proven track record delivering complex, multi-stakeholder programs (ops, finance, sales, carrier mgmt.) with measurable business outcomes.
• Familiarity with mobile driver applications, telematics/ELD integrations, and GPS/IoT visibility.
• Strong leadership experience, with the ability to manage and mentor technical and functional teams.
• Excellent problem-solving, analytical, and project management skills.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management abilities.
• Ability to drive innovation and adopt emerging technologies to improve logistics operations.

Other Skills and Abilities

• Successful track record of building and developing a high-performing team while simultaneously building a new part of our business.
• Ability to function and flex in ambiguity
• High learning agility to help drive a business in transformation and significant growth
• Strong communication skills with demonstrated ability to communicate and collaborate effectively with both technical and non-technical team members
• Experience working in an Agile/Scrum environment
• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Demonstrates effective negotiation and closing techniques
• Excellent organization and problem-solving skills

Certifications and Licenses

• Professional certification may be required in some areas.

Why Should You Work for Crane?

At Crane, we believe in providing our employees with excellent benefits at a Great Place to Work.

We offer:

• Quarterly Incentive Plan
• 136 hours of Paid Time Off which equals 17 days for the year, that can be used for Sick Time or for Personal Use
• Excellent Medical, Dental and Vision benefits
• Tuition Reimbursement for education related to your job
• Employee Referral Bonuses
• Employee Recognition and Rewards Program
• Paid Volunteer Time to support a cause that is close to your heart and contributes to our communities
• Employee Discounts
• Wellness Incentives that can go up to $100 per year for completing challenges, in addition to a discount on contribution rates

Come join the leader in logistics and take your career in the right direction.

Disclaimer: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by people assigned to this position. They are not to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so classified. All personnel may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time, as needed.

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

We maintain a drug-free workplace and perform pre-employment substance abuse testing.

This position requires the final candidate to successfully pass an E-Verify Check.

Company benefits are contingent upon meeting eligibility requirements and plan conditions.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities This employer is required to notify all applicants of their rights pursuant to federal employment laws. For further information, please review the Know Your Rights notice from the Department of Labor.