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 6,500 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.
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 bonus, 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 is: $70,000 - $85,000
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.
Who You Are:
Zūm is scaling its go-to-market team and looking for a Senior BDR who can do more than book a demo — we need someone who can get in front of the district and state decision-makers who matter and turn a cold name on a list into a warm, qualified conversation for our SVP of Sales, Student Transportation. You'll own top-of-funnel pipeline for a defined territory of school districts and municipal transit agencies, running sharp, informed outreach to Transportation Directors, Superintendents, and other decision-makers — and you'll be the one who knows how to get a SVP a real meeting, not just a slot on a calendar. This is a senior individual contributor role with a clear growth path as we continue to scale.
Candidates considered for this role should live in the New York or Illinois area.
What You'll Do:
Build and manage a target account list of school districts, charter authorities, and transit agencies, prioritizing by budget cycle, contract expiration, and strategic fit
Run high-volume, well-researched outreach to Transportation Directors, Superintendents, CFOs, and Business Officials, and Chief Operating Officers — positioning Zūm CMX and securing meaningful first meetings, not just demo slots
Qualify inbound and outbound leads against Zūm's ideal customer profile before handing off, so every meeting booked for the SVP or Account Executive team is a real opportunity
Represent Zūm at state and regional transportation conferences (e.g., NAPT, STN Expo, state pupil transportation association events), building relationships and generating warm introductions
Activity logging, lead scoring, GTM research, and next steps — so pipeline reporting is accurate and forecastable
Partner closely with Marketing on account-based campaigns and with Sales leadership to continuously refine targeting, messaging, and outreach cadence
Provide field intelligence back to Product and Marketing on what districts are asking for, budgeting for, and struggling with
What You Bring To Zūm:
5+ years of outbound business development or sales experience, ideally in K-12 EdTech, transportation, govtech, or another market selling into school districts or government/municipal buyers
Demonstrated track record of booking meetings with senior decision-makers (Superintendents, Transportation Directors, C-suite)
Comfort and credibility engaging with public-sector buyers, including familiarity with district budget cycles, procurement basics, and board approval processes
Excellent verbal and written communication skills; able to build a compelling, tailored case for a meeting rather than working from a single script
Willingness to travel to industry conferences and, periodically, into territory for in-person relationship building
Self-directed and resilient — thrives on ownership of a territory with limited day-to-day oversight
Nice To Haves:
Existing relationships or name recognition with K-12 School District Leaders, including but not limited to Superintendents, Chief Financial Officers (CFOs), Chief Operating Officers (COOs), Business Officials, and Transportation Directors in (IL and the Midwest and NY and the Northeast)
Experience selling into or alongside long, multi-stakeholder public-sector sales cycles, and RFP processes
Familiarity with a state pupil transportation association (e.g., TAPT, NYAPT) or attendance at NAPT/STN Expo, desired
Experience partnering directly with VP/C-level sales leadership on strategic account planning
