Federal Growth Lead, DoW

Job description

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 reaches 55 million Americans across 50+ agencies. Our goal: build technology that touches the lives of 100 million residents by the end of the year. 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. THE ROLE Kaizen already has an active relationship inside the Department of War, and now needs someone to turn that foothold into a systematic growth engine. This person will own the full sales cycle across DoW and the military service branches, from opening new program relationships through demos, procurement, and close. The work means going deep on defense-specific buying cycles and building trust with program offices, contracting officers, and installation staff who've been burned by legacy vendors before. Given the seniority of this hire, we need someone who already speaks DoW fluently, not someone learning federal procurement for the first time. WHAT YOU'LL DO - Own the full DoW sales cycle end to end, from outbound prospecting through demos, proposals, negotiation, and close - Build and execute Kaizen's DoW go-to-market strategy, turning an early relationship into a repeatable motion across service branches - Navigate defense-specific procurement pathways, including OTAs, BAAs, SBIR/STTR, and service-specific task orders - Build direct relationships with program offices, contracting officers, and installation staff across the military branches - Lead discovery sessions and in-person product demos tailored to defense workflows, comfortable presenting without SE support - Partner with Proposal & Capture and Design on solicitation responses, including positioning, requirements mapping, and project management - Champion the mission internally: help the team understand what it means to bring modern, trustworthy technology to the people responsible for troops and their families, not just why the account is a good one to have WHAT YOU'LL BRING - 10+ years of experience in sales or growth roles, with a significant majority of that time spent selling into the Department of War or the broader military services - A full-cycle enterprise sales track record, including closing complex, multi-stakeholder deals - Experience working large deals, not just carrying a large number, but a track record of actually closing against it - Fluency navigating defense procurement vehicles and buying cycles - Comfort demoing software independently, without SE support - Proficiency with sales tools like Salesforce, Outreach, Gong, LinkedIn, and ZoomInfo - U.S. citizenship, given the security and eligibility requirements tied to Department of War contracts STRONG CANDIDATES MAY ALSO... - Hold or have held a security clearance - Have existing relationships within specific service branches or the Office of the Secretary of Defense - Have experience working with OTA consortiums (e.g., NSTXL, Tradewinds) DON'T APPLY IF... - You need a mature, well-worn procurement pathway to move — DoW's buying process for a new entrant like Kaizen is still being built - You're not comfortable hearing "no" for six months before you hear "yes" - You'd rather sell into programs you already know than open new relationships from scratch This isn't about closing another logo. It's about getting modern technology in front of the people responsible for troops and their families, who deserve better than another decade of legacy systems. WHAT KAIZEN OFFERS Health & Insurance - 100% coverage across the board: medical through Oxford/United (Gold and Platinum PPO plans), dental through Guardian PPO, and vision through Beam — all fully covered for employees, with 100% coverage for dependents. - $100,000 in fully paid life insurance. FSA and Dependent Care FSA. - One Medical membership, on us — same-day primary care, 24/7 virtual visits, and offices all over the city. - Fertility and family-building support through Carrot. - 401(k) through Guideline, with a 2% company match. Family & Time Off - 16 weeks of fully paid parental leave for birthing parents. 10 weeks fully paid for non-birthing parents. - Unlimited PTO, with a two-week minimum (we mean it when we say take time off!) - Closed for all federal holidays. - Company-wide winter break the week of Christmas. - Company offsites throughout the year. Office & Remote Setup - Up to $750 one-time home office or desk setup stipend for NYC-based employees. $500 for remote employees. - $50/month commuter benefit (company contribution). - Expensed lunch while in the office. - Company-provided laptop of your choice. Wellness - Fully covered gym membership at Grindhouse https://grindhousemhttn.com/ — right across the street from our office at 47 W 17th St (and in Williamsburg). A $225/month value, on us. For remote employees, $100/month dedicated to gym or physical fitness reimbursement. Stipends - $100/month utility stipend. - $500/year professional development. - $250/year recreation. - $300/quarter pet care stipend.