Federal Growth Lead

Government technology has failed the public for decades, and Americans have been conditioned to expect websites from the 90s for essential public services.

Kaizen exists to strengthen trust in American public services by building technology that residents and public servants are proud to use. We partner with local, state, and federal agencies to replace legacy systems with modern, AI-native software that is worthy of the people they serve. We started in outdoor recreation, and now we're building toward something much larger — the software layer that powers how Americans access any government service.

Our platform already reaches 40 million residents across 50+ agencies in 17 states.

Founded in 2022 and based in New York City, Kaizen has raised $35 million from NEA, a16z, Accel, 776, and Carpenter Capital. We're builders, designers, and operators who believe that beautifully designed software shouldn’t be a luxury in government. It’s how you earn trust back.

This role is part of Kaizen’s strategic expansion into federal markets. It requires an entrepreneurial mindset and the ability to operate with high independence in a complex, highly regulated environment. You will help open new agency relationships, navigate procurement channels, and shape Kaizen’s federal go-to-market strategy. We have tremendous respect for public servants and empathize with their pain points, so low ego and high EQ go a long way. Some experience in federal sales or growth is required.

Strong preference for individuals based in the DMV area. Expect 30–40% travel for visits to DC, conferences, and in-person time with the team.

• You have full-cycle enterprise sales experience, with a track record of closing multi-stakeholder deals

• You have meaningful experience selling into or working with U.S. federal agencies (civilian and/or DoD)

• You’re energized by in-person relationship building, demos, workshops, and agency engagement

• You understand that federal growth is bigger than pipeline. You've partnered with lobbying firms, government affairs teams, or Hill staff to advance a company's position, and you're comfortable being the internal point person for appropriations strategy, event planning, and federal ecosystem positioning

• You’re excited by the challenge of breaking into new programs and contracts, including environments with legacy tools and complex procurement pathways

• You thrive in scrappy, ambiguous environments and can self-generate pipeline creatively

• You can articulate a product that’s evolving - balancing current capabilities with a forward-looking vision

• You’re AI-pilled and default to these tools in your daily workflows

• You’re emotionally intelligent, thoughtful, and empathetic toward public sector missions

• Own the full federal sales cycle from outbound prospecting and discovery through demos, proposals, negotiations, and closing

• Build and execute Kaizen’s federal GTM strategy, developing a repeatable approach to reach federal agencies

• Serve as Kaizen's federal point person for government affairs coordination, including partnering with lobbying firms, supporting appropriations strategy, and leading event and conference strategy to build Kaizen's presence across the federal ecosystem

• Navigate federal procurement processes such as GSA MAS, IDIQs, BPAs, agency-specific task orders, and multi-year modernization efforts

• Work closely with program offices, IT stakeholders, contracting officers, and installation staff to align Kaizen’s capabilities with agency needs

• Lead discovery sessions and tailored product demos, often onsite and in-person, to understand legacy workflows, pain points, mission priorities, and opportunities for modernization

• Work closely with operations, partnerships, and other GTM teammates to share insights and align on outbound strategy

• Partner with Proposal & Capture and Design to support solicitation response efforts, including positioning, requirements mapping, and project management

• Maintain disciplined pipeline management, forecasting, and activity tracking in Salesforce

• 4–7 years of experience in sales, with at least 3 years of quota-bearing experience selling into U.S. federal agencies

• An existing network of relationships across federal agencies is a significant advantage

• Proven ability to lead full-cycle sales processes with complex stakeholder landscapes

• Proven ability to navigate federal buying processes and procurement vehicles

• Comfortable demoing software independently, without SE support

• Proficiency in sales tools like Salesforce, Outreach, Gong, LinkedIn, and ZoomInfo

• High EQ, strong communication skills, and a thoughtful approach to relationship-building

• Comprehensive medical through Oxford/United - Gold and Platinum PPO plans, with 85% of premiums covered on the Platinum plan and a $0 employee premium option. Dental through Guardian PPO and vision through Beam, with 99% of employee premiums covered and 50% for dependents.

• $100,000 in fully paid life insurance. FSA and Dependent Care FSA. 401(k) access through Guideline.

• 16 weeks of fully paid parental leave for birthing parents. 10 weeks fully paid for non-birthing parents.

• Unlimited PTO & closed for all federal holidays.

• Company-wide winter break the week of Christmas.

• One-time home office or desk setup stipend up to $750.

• $50/month commuter benefit.

• $100/month for wellness or productivity - your call on how you use it!

• $500/year for professional development.

• $250/year for recreation.

• Company-provided laptop.

• Expensed lunch while in the office.

Kaizen is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. If you need an accommodation during the interview process, email us at [email protected].

The government technology modernization wave is happening. Agencies are being pushed to change, and they need partners who can move fast and build well.

We have the contracts. We have the agency relationships. We have the platform. We need the engineers.

If you want to spend the next few years shipping software that actually matters — not another B2B SaaS dashboard, not an internal tool nobody uses — and you want to do it at a company moving aggressively into one of the most consequential markets in tech, this is the role.

You need a detailed ticket to know what to build next. You think AI tools are a crutch. You want to own one layer of the stack and never leave it. You're more comfortable in a 500-person organization than a small team where everyone's accountable. You need the problem fully defined before you start moving. Or if you're looking for low-stakes work — because what we build touches real people in real moments that matter: accessing benefits, families navigating public services, constituents interacting with their government at its most critical touchpoints. This work is serious. The people we serve deserve serious teams.