Zum is a student transportation company headquartered in the United States that provides technology-driven school bus and ride services for K-12 students. The company partners with school districts to modernize student transportation through a platform that connects drivers, schools, parents, and students in real time, offering improved safety, visibility, and efficiency compared to traditional school bus operations. Zum emphasizes the use of data and technology to optimize routes and improve the overall transportation experience for families and school administrators.
A core part of Zum's mission is accelerating the transition to clean transportation by deploying electric vehicles for student transit. The company has committed to electrifying its fleet and has partnered with school districts and utilities to introduce electric school buses, reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving air quality for children and communities. Zum positions itself as a leader in sustainable student mobility, aligning fleet electrification with broader climate goals.
What makes Zum unique is its integrated approach combining a managed services model with proprietary technology and a growing electric vehicle fleet. Rather than simply selling software, Zum takes on the full operational responsibility of running transportation programs for school districts, making it easier for districts to transition to greener, more efficient systems without the burden of fleet ownership or logistics management.
About Zūm:
Zūm is revolutionizing mass mobility with its Connected Mobility Experience (Zūm CMX™) system that connects and coordinates people, vehicles, and operations in real time. In the $50 billion student mobility market – the largest segment of the mass mobility industry – Zūm CMX is transforming a daily source of anxiety and disruption into a reliable, transparent, and efficient mobility experience for students and families. Today, more than 7,500 schools rely on Zūm CMX. Recognized globally for its innovative approach and operational execution, Zūm has been named to Fast Company’s World’s Most Innovative Companies, CNBC Disruptor 50 and Changemakers, the World Economic Forum, and the Financial Times’ Fastest Growing Companies lists. Zūm is backed by leading investors including Sequoia Capital, GIC, TPG, and Softbank.
We’re looking for a Chief of Staff to be a force multiplier for our COO. You’ll sit at the center of a fast-growing operating business, where new districts, yards, and markets launch while existing ones are still being built out. Your job is to help the COO see around corners: run the operating rhythm, drive the company’s highest-priority cross-functional initiatives, and turn messy operational data into decisions.
You’ll work across Operations, Finance, Sales, HR, Legal, Safety, and Technology, and you’ll have regular exposure across the executive team and Board. You’ll take on the problems that don’t have an owner yet, build the structure around them, and hand them off once they run on their own.
This is a fast-paced environment where the scope changes week to week. If you need a clearly defined lane this one isn’t for you. But if you want to be close to the decisions, enjoy getting into the details of an operating business, and like building things from scratch, keep reading.
This is a hybrid position based out of our headquarters in Redwood City, CA. You will be required to be onsite 3 days per week (Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday). We will only consider candidates already located in the Bay Area.
The targeted base salary range for this role is listed in the compensation section below. Actual salary may be above or below this range based on factors such as location, skills, and relevant experience. In addition, this position may include additional compensation in the form of equity or commissions. If you are a full-time salaried or hourly worker, we offer the following benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision, 401(k), Holidays, Wellness, Vacation, and more. The targeted pay range for this role in US CA is: $210,000 - $260,000
Zūm Services, Inc. and all its subsidiaries provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
What You'll Do:
Operating Rhythm & Executive Cadence: Own the COO’s operating system: weekly KPI reviews, monthly business reviews, forecast-to-actual reviews, and seasonal planning cycles (back-to-school readiness, budgeting, renewals). Make sure the right data is in the room, decisions get made, and follow-ups actually close.
Strategic Initiatives & Special Projects: Lead high-impact, cross-functional projects on the COO’s behalf, such as new market entry, cost and margin improvement programs, process and systems rollouts, and operational turnarounds. Scope the problem, build the plan, drive execution across teams, and report progress.
Analysis & Decision Support: Build models and analyses that inform major decisions: unit economics by contract and market, labor cost and margin drivers, capacity and scaling forecasts, pricing and renewal scenarios. Translate complex analysis into clear recommendations.
Planning, Budgeting & Performance Management: Partner with Finance on annual planning, budget, and forecasting for the operations organization. Help define KPIs and targets, establish baselines, and hold the business accountable to them.
Board & Executive Communications: Prepare operations content for board meetings, investor updates, and executive team reviews. Draft the COO’s communications, talking points, and decision memos, and ensure what goes up the chain is accurate, concise, and defensible.
Cross-Functional Alignment: Be the connective tissue between Operations and HQ functions. Anticipate friction, clarify decision rights, and keep leaders aligned on priorities, resources, and timing.
Special Requests: Act as a trusted sounding board and extension of the COO. Triage inbound requests, manage the COO’s time and priorities against the company’s biggest bets, and step in on whatever is most urgent.
Who You Are:
8+ years of experience in management consulting, investment banking, private equity, corporate strategy, or FP&A/strategic finance. Top-tier management consulting experience (McKinsey, BCG, Bain, or equivalent) is a strong plus
Advanced financial modeling and analytical skills, comfortable building a P&L or unit economics model from scratch
Proven ability to lead complex, cross-functional projects and drive results without direct authority
Strong written and verbal communication, including experience preparing materials for senior executives and boards
Sound judgment and discretion with confidential information (labor, financial, legal, and personnel matters)
Self-starter mentality: you’re comfortable with ambiguity, take initiative, and don’t wait to be told what to do
Willingness to get close to the field, including visiting yards and meeting with operators and district partners
Experience in operations-heavy, field-based, or asset-intensive industries (transportation, logistics, infrastructure, energy, or similar)
Prior experience as a Chief of Staff, or in a business operations or strategy role supporting an operating executive
Background in a high-growth, venture- or PE-backed company
Familiarity with public sector contracting, labor and union environments, or education-related markets
Experience with BI and data tools (SQL, Looker, Tableau, or similar) and comfort working with large operational datasets
Bachelor’s degree required; MBA a plus
