Director, Driver Engagement & Recruiting

What You’ll Do

• Lead & Manage the Team
  • Lead, coach, and develop a team of driver recruiters across multiple locations and remote environments.
  • Establish performance expectations, hiring targets, and accountability standards for recruiting staff.
  • Build a high-performance recruiting culture focused on results, responsiveness, and candidate experience.
  • Develop leadership bench strength within the recruiting organization.
• Fleet Growth & Planning
  • Develop and execute driver recruiting strategies to meet fleet growth and capacity demands.
  • Forecast hiring needs based on operational expansion, turnover trends, and market conditions.
  • Create scalable recruiting pipelines for Local and Linehaul owner operators.
  • Partner with Finance and Operations to model capacity demand and build predictive hiring plans aligned with revenue goals.
  • Own driver acquisition performance against annual fleet growth targets.
• Recruiting Operations
  • Optimize recruiting workflows, processes, and technologies to improve hiring speed and effectiveness.
  • Monitor and manage recruiting KPIs including: Cost per hire, Time to fill, Lead-to-hire conversion, Recruiter productivity, Driver retention metrics, Cost per lead (CPL), cost per acquisition (CPA), and return on advertising spend (ROAS).
  • Implement continuous improvement initiatives to increase recruiting efficiency.
  • Build and manage a full-funnel recruiting analytics dashboard to track sourcing performance, drop-off points, and conversion optimization opportunities.
  • Implement lead scoring and automated candidate engagement strategies to increase recruiter efficiency.
• Marketing Campaigns Contribution
  • Oversee driver lead generation strategies including job boards, digital advertising, referrals, social media, and third-party vendors.
  • Partner with marketing team to develop targeted driver advertising campaigns.
  • Evaluate sourcing channel performance and allocate recruiting spend for maximum ROI.
  • Collaborate on driver value proposition messaging, contractor earnings positioning, and competitive market differentiation.
  • Develop and scale structured driver referral programs to reduce acquisition cost and increase retention.
• Technology & Vendor Management
  • Manage recruiting platforms, applicant tracking systems (ATS), CRM tools, and advertising vendors.
  • Identify and implement new technologies that enhance candidate engagement and recruiter productivity.
  • Maintain strong relationships with recruiting partners and external vendors.
  • Evaluate and optimize third-party lead providers to ensure quality, compliance, and cost efficiency.
• Compliance & Qualification Standards
  • Ensure recruiting processes align with FMCSA regulations, DOT requirements, Clearinghouse compliance, PSP/MVR review standards, and insurance qualification criteria.
  • Partner with Safety and Risk teams to maintain strict adherence to contractor onboarding requirements and documentation standards.
• Cross-functional Collaboration
  • Work closely with Operations and Safety leadership to understand hiring requirements and driver qualifications.
  • Align recruiting initiatives with onboarding, orientation, and retention programs.
  • Provide executive leadership with regular reporting on hiring performance and labor market trends.
  • Serve as a strategic advisor to executive leadership on labor market dynamics, contractor compensation competitiveness, and capacity risk mitigation.

What You Bring

• Bachelor’s degree in human resources, business administration, marketing, or related field preferred.
• 5–8+ years of experience in driver recruiting or transportation talent acquisition, including leadership experience.
• Proven success managing high-volume recruiting operations.
• Strong knowledge of DOT regulations awareness, and transportation industry hiring practices.
• Experience leading remote or multi-site recruiting teams.
• Advanced analytical and performance management skills.
• Demonstrated experience recruiting 1099 owner-operators in both linehaul and local environments.
• Hands-on experience with recruiting analytics, funnel optimization, and digital performance marketing metrics.
• Experience managing recruiting budgets and vendor contracts preferred.
• Proven ability to improve early-stage driver retention through cross-functional alignment.

About Roadrunner

• We’re not just moving freight; we’re reimagining long-haul shipping.
• Our Smart Network™ offers more direct long-haul metro-to-metro routes than any other nationwide LTL carrier in the United States, with service extending into Canada and Mexico and terminals across 40+ metro markets.
• Powered by AI and machine learning, our operations platform ensures real-time tracking, custodial control, and full shipment visibility.
• With driver teams executing over-the-road (OTR) moves — and no freight moving on rail — customers experience industry-leading transit times, minimal rehandling, and dramatically reduced risk of loss or damage.
• Our 900+ owner-operators benefit from scheduled freight, fewer touches by design, consistent long-haul density, and a differentiated metro-to-metro model that creates predictable earning opportunities.
• This precision and performance have earned Roadrunner national recognition by over 3,000 shippers, and was ranked this year #1 in Operations, #1 in Technology, and #1 in Value in the Quest for Quality Awards, as well as honors as a Top 100 Trucking Company by Inbound Logistics and a Top Tier Service Carrier by Mastio.

Compensation & Setup

Pay: $100,000 – $130,000 base salary

Location: Onsite – Downers Grove, IL

Benefits: Full benefits package including medical, dental, vision, 401(k), and paid time off

Physical Demands and Work Environment: Moderate physical activity performing non-strenuous daily activities of an administrative nature. While performing the duties of the job, the employee is regularly required to sit, reach/handle items, work with the fingers, and talk and hear others in conversations via the phone or in person. Work in well-lighted, heated and/or air-conditioned indoor office setting with adequate ventilation. Possible 25% traveling to learn new OpCo’s, train or recruit at truck stops, job fairs, or trade shows.