Compare your current skills to what this opportunity needs—we'll show you what you already have and what could strengthen your application.
Job Description
AGC, Commercial & Privacy at Kerwin Associates AGC, Commercial & Privacy at Kerwin Associates in Redwood City, California Posted in 7 days ago.
Type:
full-time
Job Description:
About Z?
m:
Z?m is revolutionizing mass mobility with its Connected Mobility Experience (Z?m CMX™) 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 - Zum is transforming a daily source of transportation anxiety and disruption into a reliable, transparent, and efficient mobility experience for students and families. Today, more than 4,500 schools in 17 states rely on Zum. Recognized globally for its innovative approach and operational execution, Z?m 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. Z?m is backed by leading investors including Sequoia Capital, GIC, TPG, and Softbank.
Who You Are:
We are seeking an experienced commercial attorney to serve as a key member of the legal team. Reporting to our General Counsel, JoAnn Covington, this role will lead the company's commercial contracting function, managing the full lifecycle of customer and vendor agreements across all business lines, and guiding key compliance activities, particularly around data privacy, use, and security. The successful candidate will also play a central role in optimizing the company's contract management system and compliance processes as the company continues to scale. This position is ideal for a pragmatic, business-oriented attorney who thrives in a fast-paced environment and can balance legal rigor with operational agility. This is a hybrid position based out of our headquarters in Redwood City, CA. The ideal candidate will be onsite 3 days per week (Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday). We value in-person collaboration and strongly prefer candidates located in the Bay Area.
What You'll Do:
Customer RFPs & Contracts Review customer RFPs and advise internal stakeholders on key legal and business risks, including identifying areas that require exceptions to mitigate exposure. Draft, review, and negotiate customer agreements across all service lines, including home-to-school, charter, and technology-only engagements. Provide strategic guidance on proposal submissions, partnering with the business development and operations teams to align legal positions with commercial objectives. Respond to public records requests, ensuring protection of confidential and proprietary information from public disclosure. Commercial and Government Contracts Draft, review, and negotiate a broad range of vendor and commercial agreements, including service agreements, technology and intellectual property licenses, and NDAs. Assist with a variety of financing transactions and related compliance, including vehicle leases and purchases, and corporate banking transactions. Maintain and periodically update the company's standard contract templates to reflect current best practices, regulatory changes, and evolving business needs. Review and advise on grant award contracts, confirming the company's ability to comply with funding conditions, reporting obligations, and related requirements. Draft, review, and negotiate IP-related provisions in commercial agreements, including technology licensing agreements, vendor contracts, data sharing arrangements, and partnership agreements to protect the company's intellectual property interests. Draft, negotiate, and manage data processing agreements (DPAs), data sharing agreements, and privacy addenda with school district customers, vendors, and third-party technology partners. Advise internal teams on dispute resolution strategies for customer and vendor matters, balancing legal risk with operational priorities and relationship considerations. Compliance and Data Privacy Oversight Serve as the primary subject matter expert on data privacy laws applicable to Zum's operations, including
FERPA, COPPA, SOPPA
(Illinois), California Consumer Privacy Act/CPRA, and state student data privacy laws across Zum's operating jurisdictions Develop, implement, and conduct employee training on Zum's data privacy policies, procedures, and internal controls. Work with our technical experts to conduct privacy impact assessments and data protection impact assessments for new products, features, and business initiatives. Partner with the Engineering and Product teams to embed privacy-by-design principles into Zum's platform, app development, and data analytics programs. Monitor federal and state legislative and regulatory developments in student data privacy, consumer privacy, and AI/automated decision-making to assess impact on Zum's operations. Legal Services & Contract Management System Optimization Partner with the Head of Legal Operations to refine and optimize the company's contract lifecycle management (CLM) system, troubleshooting issues and improving workflows for drafting, review, approval, and tracking. Identify and resolve process gaps within the CLM system to improve efficiency across customer, vendor, and grant contract management. Train internal stakeholders on CLM system usage and best practices to enhance cross-departmental collaboration and reduce legal bottlenecks. Develop and implement workflows, including AI-based tools, to improve consistency and efficiency in service delivery and compliance with contractual and regulatory obligations. Develop (and collaborate with other legal and cross-functional team members on the development of Zum policies and training materials on contract management, regulatory matters, and intellectual property protection. What You Bring To Z?
m:
Requirements:
Juris Doctor (J.D.) from an accredited law school and active membership in good standing in at least one U.S. state bar. California bar membership a plus. 10+ years of relevant legal experience, with a significant focus on commercial contracts, preferably including a mix of law firm and in-house experience, preferably in heavily regulated industries. Deep expertise in drafting, reviewing, and negotiating complex commercial agreements (customer, vendor, technology, and real estate). Proven ability to manage outside counsel relationships effectively and within budget. Excellent judgment and ability to provide practical, business-oriented legal advice in a fast-paced, high-growth environment. Outstanding written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to convey legal concepts clearly to non-legal stakeholders.
Preferred:
Experience in the transportation, logistics, edtech, or government contracting sectors. Familiarity with FOIA compliance, grant-funded contracts, and public-sector procurement processes. Hands-on experience with contract lifecycle management (CLM) platforms, including workflow optimization and stakeholder training. Background in data privacy compliance, particularly in the education or student data context (e.g., FERPA, COPPA, state student privacy laws).
Compensation:
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 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 CA is: $270,000 - $290,000 Z?m 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. Zum has exclusively engaged Kerwin Associates to conduct this search. Any resumes sent directly to Zum will be forwarded to Kerwin Associates. If interested in this role, please contact Anne Kerwin Payne (anne@kerwin.com) and Jamie Walsh (jamie@kerwin.com) at Kerwin Associates.
