Location: Chicago
Type: Full-Time
Salary: $80,000-$110,000 on-target-earnings
About us:
At Zen, we’re changing how schools find the staff needed for kids to thrive. There is a severe shortage of teachers and the support staff needed to support all children, accelerated by the pandemic. Millions of students experience understaffed classrooms and specialist programs. Schools looking to fill these roles with traditional agencies spend billions of dollars in high agency markups, which further hampers budgets and leads to more problems down the line.
That’s why we’ve developed an alternative solution - our online platform provides schools instant access to fully vetted teachers and support staff in their local area. Since our inception in 2017, we’ve placed tens of thousands of teachers into classrooms, helping kids thrive. And we’ve saved schools over $30 million versus what they would have paid a traditional agency, allowing schools to reinvest money back into school budgets and increasing teachers’ pay.
The opportunity:
Join an ed-tech startup that's reshaping education. This is your chance to be at the forefront of change, where innovation meets impact. We're not just selling a product – we're transforming the way schools operate, filling classrooms with the staff needed for kids to thrive and saving the education system millions of dollars along the way.
We’re also growing at a rapid pace. Our US revenues have doubled in the past quarter, and we plan to do the same in the quarters to come. This type of growth allows you to grow your impact and your career, while making a tangible difference in the education sector.
We're looking for enthusiastic, mission-driven people who fit our values and are passionate about what we do. You're encouraged to apply even if your experience doesn't exactly match the job description.
What you’ll be doing:
Based in the Chicago office, you’ll be working in our rapidly expanding US team, at the forefront of our US operations
You will be responsible for initiating contact with school leaders, handling objections, and securing appointments through strategic cold calling and outreach. Be ready to pick up the phone!
Owning the full sales cycle, from prospecting to successful onboarding of active customers, using a consultative approach.
Collaborating with account management, operations, and technology teams to continuously enhance efficiency in delivering value to schools.
Opportunities to travel to US states for conferences, events and school meetings Embracing the dynamic nature of startup life, where no two weeks are the same, and a willingness to dive in and get the job done is essential.
This role has a lot of scope. You could end up leading our launch into a new state / region. Or creating partnerships with enormous education networks that will affect thousands of students and educators.
What we are looking for:
4+ years of sales experience
A top performer with a track record of performance in a fast paced, motivated team environment.
Passionate and motivated team player who thrives in a collaborative environment. We value every member of our team and want your contributions!
Passion for sales and a growth mindset, committed to advancing your professional skills.
Strong bias towards action, with a proactive approach to problem-solving.
Proven success in outbound prospecting and cold calling
Previous experience in enterprise sales, sales to K-12, recruitment in another industry is a plus
Previous experience in Education and Special Education is a plus
What's in it for you?
Work that you want to talk about
Competitive salary
Ownership in the company
15 PTO days / year
Fun-loving, tight-knit team solving a problem that makes a difference
Hybrid - currently 2 days/week in-office but this is subject to change
We can’t wait to hear from you!
Diversity and Inclusion
At Zen, we strive to build a culture of equity and inclusion, where everyone is respected, valued and appreciated for their unique traits, experiences and perspectives. We are committed to creating a safe, inclusive and equitable environment where our team can thrive, regardless of age, ethnicity, race, gender identity, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, disability, religion or beliefs. We value our differences and believe that practices of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion help us create a fairer, more compassionate environment for all.
We welcome applicants with diverse backgrounds and different experiences and perspectives — just like the staff who teach through Zen and the children at the schools we work with. We believe in hiring the best people from the widest pool and creating an inclusive culture where people’s voices are heard and all our team can look forward to coming to work.
We are committed to building a team that reflects the diversity of our community and promoting an equitable and inclusive environment for all. We seek out diverse opinions, beliefs, and experiences because they collectively make us stronger; we’ve had former teachers, pilots, fundraisers, engineers, lawyers, marketers, social media experts and more join our team.
What We Do
At Zen our mission is to change the world of education recruitment. Schools spend over £2bn a year on agency staff, with over £600m per year of that spent on fees that go straight to recruitment agencies. So far, we've saved UK schools over £14m in supply teaching recruitment costs, and that number grows every day, allowing schools to invest further into children’s wellbeing and attainment.
We're not just redefining recruitment; we’re upskilling our supply staff to provide the highest quality teachers and TAs to schools. Each supply staff member is Level 2 Safeguarding trained, guaranteeing the safety and wellbeing of children in your school.
Using our online platform, schools can access hundreds of fully vetted high-quality teacher & TA profiles, who they can book instantly at the click of a button. We don't stop at just providing a platform – we have a dedicated school success team here to support you every step of the way. When you succeed, we succeed!
