Operations Supervisor
ZūmZūm is the leader and go-to provider for safe and reliable school transportation. Our powerful ridesharing technology connects schools, districts and families by providing the largest and most-trusted platform for student transportation. We’ve already driven more than 3.5 million miles, safely transporting over 500,000 students for 2,000+ public and private schools. Zūm is now helping schools and districts across the country rethink their student transportation, helping to better serve the needs of educators, drivers, parents and students. Backed by top VC firms including Sequoia Capital and Spark Capital, we’re continuing to expand our B2B operations and looking for motivated and qualified teammates to help grow our business and transform the market.
About the Role
We're seeking an experienced Operations Supervisor to support daily transportation operations at our Rockford, IL location. Reporting directly to the Location Manager, you'll oversee front-line supervisory teams, ensure operational excellence, and drive performance across all key operational areas. This role is critical to maintaining service quality, team development, and customer satisfaction while supporting the location's strategic goals and growth initiatives.
What Makes You Successful in This Role
You're a hands-on leader who thrives in the controlled chaos of daily operations. You know how to balance competing priorities without losing sight of safety, service quality, and team morale. You're a problem-solver who takes ownership and finds solutions rather than excuses. You build trust with your team through consistency, fairness, and genuine investment in their success. You're comfortable working in the field, whether coaching a supervisor through a tough conversation, troubleshooting a route issue, or jumping in to support operations when needed. You communicate clearly up, down, and across the organization, keeping everyone informed and aligned. You understand that operational excellence comes from empowering your team rather than micromanaging them, and you take pride in seeing your people grow and succeed.
\nOperational Excellence & Performance Management
-
Oversee day-to-day transportation operations, including scheduling, staffing, route assignments, and field trip/charter coordination
-
Monitor and analyze operational KPIs using Zum's IT infrastructure, implementing corrective actions to exceed performance targets
-
Partner with the Location Manager to maintain operational readiness, respond to real-time challenges, and ensure facilities are organized, safe, and efficiently operated
-
Collaborate with the Maintenance Manager to ensure fleet readiness and regulatory compliance while supporting budget management through monitoring of labor costs and operational expenses
Team Leadership & Development
-
Directly supervise and coach the staff, providing guidance, feedback, and professional development
-
Collaborate with HR, Recruiting, and Safety teams to execute hiring plans,maintain adequate staffing levels, and investigate and resolve employee concerns
-
Build a culture of accountability, ownership, and continuous improvement by conducting regular one-on-ones, performance reviews, and development planning with direct reports
-
Identify and develop high-potential team members for advancement opportunities
Safety, Compliance & Customer Service
-
Champion a behavioral safety culture that prioritizes the well-being of employees, students, and the community while ensuring compliance with all state, federal, DOT regulations, company policies, and customer contract requirements
-
Review incident reports, oversee accident/incident reporting procedures, and maintain accurate documentation
-
Maintain strong relationships with internal and external customers, ensuring service expectations are consistently met or exceeded
-
Respond promptly to customer inquiries, service issues, and operational concerns with professionalism and urgency while acting as an escalation point for problem resolution
Basic Qualifications
-
2+ years of experience maintaining client relationships and managing accounts in an operational setting
-
2+ years of supervisory or people-leadership experience managing teams of 25+ employees in fast-paced, time-sensitive operational settings (e.g., transportation, field services, logistics, hospitality, or similar industries)
-
2+ years of experience managing day-to-day operations in complex, time-sensitive environments such as transportation, field services, logistics, hospitality, or similar industries
Preferred Qualifications
-
Bachelor's degree in Business Analytics, Business Management, Operations Management, or related field, or 4+ years of equivalent professional experience in operations leadership
-
Experience in a unionized environment and familiarity with collective bargaining agreements (CBAs)
-
Experience in K-12 transportation or working with school district customers
-
Proficiency with transportation management systems, fleet management software, or operational IT platforms, and Microsoft or G Suite applications (Sheets, Docs, Slides, etc.)
-
Exceptional organizational skills with the ability to effectively manage concurrent priorities and deadlines
-
Demonstrated track record of developing direct reports and building high-performing supervisory teams
-
Strong communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to influence and collaborate across all levels of the organization
Zum provides 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.