Vice President, Operations East

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.

ABOUT THE ROLE

Zum provides safe, reliable, technology-enabled student transportation for school districts. We are growing quickly: new districts, new yards, and new markets launch while existing ones are still being built out. The VP of Operations runs a multi-market in the east region P&L, leads general managers and their teams, and owns the operating rhythm that keeps buses running safely and on time. This is a hands-on, start-up-mode role for someone who can build, manage the process, and still step into a yard and roll up their sleeves when needed.

OPERATING RHYTHM

Daily: Route coverage, dispatch, on-time performance, driver safety messages, same-day escalations

Weekly: KPI release and action plans, labor review, customer launch calls, payroll dashboard review, AR collections

Monthly: Safety themes, union dues and benefits compliance, forecast-to-actual review, liquidated damages reconciliation

Seasonal: Back-to-school readiness, budget planning, renewals, 45-day scaling forecast

As needed: Involvement in bargaining, grievances, discipline, incident investigations, service-disruption planning

START-UP MODE

Launch new districts and yards while running existing ones, moving people and fleet across markets as needed

Write and standardize SOPs, RACIs, and protocols where none exist

Be decisive, often with incomplete information

Step in directly when a manager leaves or a launch stalls

NEW CONTRACT IMPLEMENTATION

Own the handoff from Sales through Day One and stabilization:

Handoff: Review contracts, pricing, and commitments with Sales, Legal, and Finance

Plan: Name an owner and build backward from first day of service

Staffing and training: Size teams including spares; lead recruiting, CDL training, and background checks

Labor and compliance: Determine CBA coverage and set up payroll and benefits

Customer readiness: Launch meetings, dry runs, and written scope changes

Stabilize: Provide go-live support, move to steady-state KPIs, and hold a post-launch review

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Regional operations: Own on-time performance, coverage, and service quality

Financials: Own the regional P&L, budget, forecast accuracy, and expense control

Renewals and collections: Lead renewals and AR, including disputed invoices and liquidated damages

Escalations: Be the escalation point for district and union contract disputes, working with Legal and HR

HQ liaison: Connect field operations with Sales, Customer Success, Finance, HR, Legal, Safety, and Technology

People leadership: Lead and coach GMs and field managers, handle performance issues, and run promotion panels

Safety and compliance: Lead incident reviews, make documented discipline decisions, and oversee training and records

Labor relations: Support bargaining, grievances, arbitration, and CBA implementation

Customer relationships: Serve as senior operational contact for district leaders

Driver pipeline: Oversee hiring, spare ratios, CDL training, retention, and recognition

Fleet and technology: Evaluate routing vendors and support yard and equipment readiness

REQUIREMENTS

10+ years in operations, including 5+ leading multi-site or multi-region teams in student transportation, logistics, or similar safety-critical field operations

Experience in high-growth or turnaround settings, launching sites and building process from scratch

Strong financial skills: budgeting, forecasting, expense control, and AR management

Direct union experience (CBA administration, grievances, discipline, bargaining) and skill in renewals and escalations with districts and unions

Command of DOT/FMCSA, CDL, and state pupil-transportation requirements

Public-sector contract experience, including SLAs and liquidated damages

Fluency with operational and workforce data, turned into weekly action

Strong multitasking and proactive planning; exceptional written and verbal communication

Willingness to travel

Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience