Chief of Staff

The role

You will be the COO's chief of staff, running the operating rhythm and leading cross-functional projects for a fast-growing operating business. You will build analyses that support major decisions and prepare board and executive communications.

What you will do

• Own the COO's operating system: weekly KPI reviews, monthly business reviews, forecast-to-actual reviews, and seasonal planning cycles
• Lead high-impact cross-functional projects such as new market entry, cost and margin programs, systems rollouts, and turnarounds
• Build models and analyses on unit economics, labor cost and margin drivers, capacity forecasts, and pricing scenarios
• Partner with Finance on annual planning, budgeting, and forecasting for the operations organization
• Help define KPIs and targets, and hold the business accountable to them
• Prepare operations content for board meetings, investor updates, and executive reviews
• Draft the COO's communications, talking points, and decision memos
• Act as connective tissue between Operations and HQ functions and clarify decision rights
• Triage inbound requests and manage the COO's time against the company's biggest priorities
• Step in on the most urgent issues as a trusted sounding board and extension of the COO

Required qualifications

• 8+ years of experience in management consulting, investment banking, private equity, corporate strategy, or FP&A/strategic finance
• Advanced financial modeling and analytical skills, including building a P&L or unit economics model from scratch
• Proven ability to lead complex, cross-functional projects without direct authority
• Strong written and verbal communication, including preparing materials for senior executives and boards
• Sound judgment and discretion with confidential labor, financial, legal, and personnel information
• Self-starter who is comfortable with ambiguity and takes initiative
• Willingness to get close to the field, including visiting yards and meeting operators and district partners
• Experience in operations-heavy, field-based, or asset-intensive industries
• Prior experience as a Chief of Staff, or in a business operations or strategy role supporting an operating executive
• Experience with BI and data tools such as SQL, Looker, Tableau, or similar
• Comfort working with large operational datasets
• Bachelor's degree required

Nice to have

• Top-tier management consulting experience (McKinsey, BCG, Bain, or equivalent)
• Background in a high-growth, venture- or PE-backed company
• Familiarity with public sector contracting, labor and union environments, or education-related markets
• MBA

Benefits

• Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• 401(k)
• Holidays
• Wellness
• Vacation
• And more

Before you apply

• Only candidates already located in the Bay Area will be considered
• Onsite 3 days per week at the Redwood City headquarters

About the company

Zūm makes the Zūm CMX system, which connects people, vehicles, and operations in real time for student transportation. More than 7,500 schools rely on it.