Head of Government Affairs

About this role

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.

BEFORE YOU APPLY...

This is Kaizen's first dedicated government affairs hire, and it's a build role. You'll define how Kaizen shows up in Washington: with Congress, civilian and defense agencies alike, the press, and the broader federal technology ecosystem. There's no playbook to inherit. You'll set the strategy, work the appropriations calendar, coordinate our outside firms, and be the person in the room when it matters.

Government affairs at a company our size isn't a cost center or a compliance function. It's a growth engine that opens doors, shapes markets, and protects the mission. We have tremendous respect for public servants and empathize with their pain points, so low ego and high EQ go a long way. And politics is not a criterion at Kaizen: we don't screen for ideology, and we expect you to build trusted relationships on both sides of the aisle.

LOCATION

Based in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area. You'll spend most of your time in and around Washington (the Hill, agencies, events), with regular travel to our New York City HQ and 20-30% overall travel. Due to the nature of our work, this role requires U.S. citizenship.

WHO YOU ARE

- You've spent years working in or with the federal government, whether on Capitol Hill, inside an agency, or in government affairs for a company or firm, and you know how Washington actually works

- You understand how the federal government funds and buys things: the appropriations cycle, authorizing legislation, OMB, GSA schedules, and the modernization vehicles agencies use to escape legacy contracts

- You've partnered with or managed outside lobbying firms, you understand LDA compliance, and you're willing to register as a lobbyist yourself

- You think about government affairs as a growth function: you've helped a company win positioning, funding language, or market access, not just monitor legislation

- You're a natural translator, able to turn a technical product story into a policy narrative for a chief of staff, a committee staffer, a reporter, or an agency CIO

- You're comfortable being a public face for the company: handling press and media, shaping the narrative, and speaking on Kaizen's behalf at events, on panels, and on the record

- You have bipartisan instincts and real relationships on both sides of the aisle

- You thrive with high autonomy in ambiguous, fast-moving environments, and you self-generate the agenda rather than waiting for one

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

- You're emotionally intelligent, thoughtful, and empathetic toward public sector missions

WHAT YOU'LL DO

- Own Kaizen's government affairs strategy end-to-end. Build and run the plan for how Kaizen engages Congress, the executive branch, and the federal technology ecosystem

- Drive appropriations and legislative strategy. Identify and pursue funding language, report language, and policy provisions that support agency modernization programs Kaizen serves, working the annual appropriations and authorization cycles

- Build relationships across the Hill. Members, personal office staff, and committee staff relevant to Kaizen's markets (Appropriations, Oversight, Homeland Security, Agriculture, Armed Services, Commerce), and coordinate visits, briefings, and testimony prep for Kaizen leadership

- Engage the executive branch, civilian and defense alike. Develop relationships at OMB, GSA, DoD, and the agencies we serve; track executive orders, IT modernization policy, AI procurement guidance, and FAR/FedRAMP developments that affect our business, and brief leadership with clear recommendations

- Manage our outside firms. Direct Kaizen's lobbying and consulting relationships, set their priorities, measure their output, and own lobbying disclosure compliance

- Partner with federal sales as a force multiplier. Open doors, deconflict strategy, and support capture on key pursuits; you own the air war, sales owns the ground game

- Shape Kaizen's public presence from a government affairs lens. Represent Kaizen at think tanks, trade associations, coalitions, and conferences; partner with leadership on media and PR moments that build credibility in Washington

- Be the early-warning system. Monitor, analyze, and brief leadership on legislative, regulatory, and political developments that create risk or opportunity for Kaizen

WHAT YOU'LL BRING

- 7 - 15 years of experience across Capitol Hill, the executive branch, and/or federal government affairs for a technology company or firm

- Direct Hill experience is a plus (especially appropriations or committees overseeing federal technology), but deep federal government affairs experience matters more than where you built it

- Working knowledge of federal IT procurement and modernization policy (GSA MAS, IDIQs, FedRAMP; agency working capital funds a plus)

- Demonstrated ability to convert policy engagemen

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