Zūm is a fast-growing Series E startup backed by Sequoia Capital, SoftBank, Spark Capital, and GIC, with a clear mission to modernize the school transportation industry. We operate in more than 15 states across the U.S., with major hubs in San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Seattle, and we are expanding into the East Coast and Midwest. As a technology-driven company, we use advanced solutions to manage and operate school district transportation services, while also building our own charter platform and developing proprietary SaaS products. We are also leading a nationwide effort to electrify school transportation fleets and support local utilities by returning needed energy to the grid. Our achievements include being recognized as a CNBC 50 Disruptor, a Financial Times 500 fastest-growing company, and Fast Company’s World Changing Ideas.

We are seeking an experienced Safety Manager to lead safety operations at our [location]. This role covers the full safety lifecycle—developing programs, delivering training, managing incidents, and ensuring regulatory compliance. You will foster a culture of behavioral safety, lead the safety team, and set best-in-class safety standards to protect employees, students, and the communities we serve. You will be responsible for upholding our most important value: ensuring that everyone gets home safely every day.

To succeed, you are a dedicated safety advocate with a commitment to zero incidents. You combine proactive prevention with effective incident response in fast-moving transportation environments. You make safety training engaging and memorable, turning requirements into real behavior change. You review incident data, conduct field observations with drivers, share safety metrics with district leaders, and investigate accident scenes with confidence. You understand and interpret regulations, influence outcomes through clear communication, and build an environment where safety is everyone’s responsibility.

Key responsibilities include:
– Promoting behavioral safety principles across the organization.
– Designing, developing, and implementing initial and recurring training for all transportation staff (drivers, monitors, and support personnel).
– Overseeing all training activities, including new driver training, in-service training, road evaluations, special education training, first aid training, and any other required training.
– Running scheduled safety meetings and recognition/award programs that reinforce Zūm’s safety-first culture and meet or exceed state, federal, FMCSA, DOT, and district requirements.
– Using Zūm’s safety management systems to track, analyze, and exceed safety KPIs such as accident frequency and severity, training compliance, and behavioral observation results.
– Maintaining full compliance with FMCSA rules, state pupil transportation laws, OSHA standards, DOT requirements, and keeping thorough safety records, training documentation, and regulatory files available for audits.
– Monitoring Netradyne alerts and vehicle camera systems to identify retraining opportunities, and maintaining individual driver records, including training dates and accident history.
– Managing safety team members (Field Supervisors and Driver Trainers) by setting clear objectives, performance standards, schedules, and accountability.
– Collaborating with recruiting teams to staff appropriately, coordinate required drug testing, and ensure certifications are current.
– Supervising Master Trainers and certified drivers/trainers who support general bus driver training to ensure delivery meets required standards.
– Serving as the primary contact for injuries and vehicle accidents, ensuring prompt response and proper case management.
– Leading comprehensive incident and accident investigations using root-cause analysis, and completing all required incident reports according to Zūm policy and regulations.
– Coordinating with insurance adjusters, claims administrators, and workers’ compensation providers to ensure proper documentation and timely resolution, and communicating incident details and corrective actions directly with customers.

Qualifications:
– Minimum of 5 years of professional experience in safety management in the transportation industry, with a strong preference for school bus or passenger transportation.
– Strong knowledge of FMCSA regulations, state pupil transportation laws, and OSHA/DOT standards.
– Commercial Driver’s License.

Preferred qualifications:
– Supervisory experience, especially managing and training a driver workforce.
– Commercial Driver’s License with Passenger and School Bus endorsements.
– Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to clearly present complex information.
– Safety certifications such as Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Certified Director of Pupil Transportation (CDPT), or other relevant certifications.
– SBDI (School Bus Driver Instructor) certification.
– Prior experience with vehicle camera and monitoring systems.

The targeted base salary range for this role is listed in the compensation section below. Actual pay may be higher or lower depending on factors such as location, skills, and relevant experience. Additional compensation may be offered in the form of bonus, equity, or commissions. Full-time employees may receive benefits including medical, dental, vision, 401(k), holidays, wellness support, vacation, and more. For this role in the U.S. (CA), the targeted pay range is $75,000–$85,000.

Zūm Services, Inc. and all of its subsidiaries are equal opportunity employers. We provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants and prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on 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 law.