Director of Enterprise Applications

AAA Cooper Transportation, founded in 1955, is a privately held asset based multi-regional trucking company providing less-than-truckload, truck load, dedicated contract carriage, brokerage and international services. With directly operated facilities in the Southeast, Southwest, Midwest and Puerto Rico and partner carriers with coverage into Canada, Mexico and across the globe, AAA Cooper Transportation can service nearly all transportation needs.

As a full-time AAA Cooper Transportation employee, you will enjoy benefits such as:

• Health, Dental and Vision Insurance
• Company Health Savings Account contributions
• 401k with company match
• Company paid life insurance
• Long Term Disability
• Dependent Life Insurance
• Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance
• Wellness programs
• Paid Holidays
• Paid vacation
• Weekly direct payroll deposits
• Tuition Reimbursement Program
• Employee Assistance Program

Position Summary

The Director of Enterprise Applications - Operations will lead the strategy, implementation, and maintenance of all core business applications that drive our transportation and logistics operations. This leadership role includes critical systems such as Transportation Management Systems (TMS) and Electronic Data Interface environments. This role will coordinate across a peer Director for Applications ensuring quality customer delivery. This leader will ensure our application landscape is robust, scalable, and optimized to support the high-demand, 24/7 nature of the transportation industry, driving efficiency and competitive advantage.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities (include the following. Other duties may be assigned.)

1. Strategy & Roadmap (20%)

Develop and execute a multi-year strategy for the enterprise application portfolio, aligning with the company's goals for fleet expansion, operational efficiency, and customer experience.

Lead the selection, evaluation, and implementation of new to modernize the applications technology stack.

Manage the application lifecycle, including upgrades, deprecations, and integrations, ensuring minimal disruption to operations.

Establish and manage the annual capital budget for all enterprise applications, including licensing, support, and project costs.

2. Leadership & Team Management (25%)

Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team of application managers, business analysts, and developers to deliver and understand ACT functions.

Foster a culture of technical excellence, service delivery (ITIL or similar), continuous improvement, and strong partnership with business stakeholders (Operations, Finance, Maintenance).

Oversee vendor management and contract negotiation for key software providers.

3. Operational Excellence, Quality Delivery and Support (35%)

Ensure the stability, security, and performance of all mission-critical applications, establishing SLAs and monitoring key metrics.

Oversee the management of core transportation systems, including driver payroll, freight billing, load tracking, and fuel management.

Drive standardization of processes across different business functions through effective application configuration and utilization.

Implement governance processes to manage change requests, prioritize enhancements, and control application configuration.

Support SOX and SOC IT controls and requirements.

4. Business Partnership & Innovation (20%)

Serve as the primary liaison between the IT department and key business leaders, translating complex operational requirements into technical application solutions.

Work collaboratively with Infrastructure and Information Assurance leadership to foster effective and secure applications frameworks.

Identify opportunities to leverage AI, predictive analytics, and emerging technologies to optimize business operations and effectiveness.

Oversee data governance related to enterprise applications, ensuring data accuracy and integrity for reporting and decision-making.

Embrace emerging trends, operations and technologies that are applicable to the company.

Job Requirements

Required Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Business Administration, or a related field.

Minimum of 8 years of progressive experience in Enterprise Applications management, with at least 2-3 years in a Director or similar Senior Leadership role.

Direct working experience with enterprise application environment providing a resilient applications environment. Experience in software development methodologies resulting in high quality service delivery.

Proven experience leading large-scale system implementations.

Strong understanding of transportation business processes.

Excellent communication, negotiation, and presentation skills, with the ability to communicate technical strategies to C-level executives.

Preferred Qualifications

Master's degree in a relevant field.

Experience in LTL TMS, EDI environments in support of transportation operations.

Familiarity with modern integration platforms and API management in a hybrid cloud environment.

Strong customer service skills and demonstrated the ability to build professional relationships.

Strong leadership, teamwork and interpersonal skills.

Capable of dealing effectively with change.

Extremely well organized.

Highly motivated individuals who can work in a fast-paced environment.

Ability to participate in the analysis and/or resolution of IT and business issues.

Physical Demands

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. Some travel is required.

Work Environment

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.