Director, AI Operations

Echo Global Logistics•Chicago, IL

1d•Onsite

About The Position

Echo is seeking a highly experienced and operations-savvy Director, AI Operations to lead the development and execution of our agentic AI strategy. This role is accountable for delivering measurable productivity gains, service improvements, and margin expansion through the deployment of AI across core brokerage and managed transportation workflows. This is a highly cross-functional role that requires deep logistics expertise, strong strategic and analytical skills, and the ability to lead through influence. The Director of AI Operations will serve as the subject matter expert and execution lead for agentic AI across the company, working alongside product, engineering, operations, customer experience, and vendor partners.

Requirements

Minimum 7+ years of experience in logistics or freight brokerage operations, ideally within a high-volume 3PL environment.
Demonstrated experience leading technology-driven process improvements with measurable impact on operational efficiency.
Strong working knowledge of AI/ML applications in real-world logistics workflows.
Experience managing cross-functional initiatives and influencing without authority.
Deep understanding of transportation systems, load lifecycle management, and carrier/customer interaction models.

Nice To Haves

Experience working with and using third-party AI or agentic automation tools.
Background in Sales, Operations, or Sourcing within a 3rd Party Logistics Provider
Strong analytical and reporting skills; ability to convert data into actionable insight.

Responsibilities

Own the company’s agentic AI strategy, aligning tools, use cases, and execution plans to core business priorities.
Redesign core operational workflows to fully leverage agentic AI, eliminating low-value manual tasks and redefining roles and handoffs where appropriate
Drive adoption across Sales, Carrier Operations, and Customer Operations by influencing behavior change and embedding AI into daily workflows
Serve as the internal SME on AI-driven process automation in logistics operations, including: Load tracking and ETA updates Rate and load negotiation Document collection and management Outbound carrier sourcing LTL visibility and tracking
Partner cross-functionally to scope, pilot, implement, and scale AI solutions that impact productivity KPIs (e.g., loads per day per FTE).
Own relationships with AI solution providers; evaluate, coordinate, and oversee deployments across teams.
Define success metrics, build business cases, and own realization of ROI for all AI deployments
Implement test-and-learn frameworks to optimize performance
Focus on agentic AI systems capable of executing multi-step workflows autonomously across systems, distinct from traditional RPA / Automation programs
Champion a culture of continuous improvement and digital innovation within the operational organization.