Founders Associate

Government technology has failed citizens, public servants, and service members for decades.

Kaizen powers America’s application layer. We replace the legacy systems federal agencies run on with modern software, built with craft. The ticketing platform a resident uses to visit a presidential library. The marketplace DoW uses for counter-drone procurement to protect lives and critical infrastructure. The system a Veteran uses to access benefits. We build systems of record, of national consequence. Our AI-native modules and harness allow us to do so in weeks and months, not years.

This year, our revenue has grown 35x. Next year, our software will serve over 100 million Americans across dozens of federal agencies.

Founded in 2022 and based in New York City and DC, Kaizen has raised $35 million from NEA, a16z, Accel, 776, and Carpenter Capital.

The Role

This role sits directly under the CEO and COO, owning the operational layer that keeps the team running. You'll manage the CEO's day to day, build the briefs needed before high-stakes meetings with investors and federal agencies, own follow-through on stakeholder conversations, and take on one-off execution when there's no clear owner.

You'll have visibility into every part of the business — BD, finance, hiring, government relationships — while working at the pace of one of the fastest-growing companies in the govtech space.

Location

This role is based in New York City, with bi-weekly multi-day trips to Washington, DC - often on short notice. Candidates must be comfortable splitting time between both cities.

Key Responsibilities

• Build advance meeting briefs from board materials, agency context, and internal threads so the founders walk into every room prepared

• Travel to DC with the CEO for multi-day engagements: be in the room, take notes, and own every action item that comes out of it

• Research, prep talking points, and handle logistics for the CEO's speaking engagements, panels, and external events

• Manage the CEO's inbox and calendar: triage daily, draft responses, prioritize what needs a decision, and cut what doesn't

• Own follow-through on investor, partner, and federal stakeholder interactions: track every open thread, draft the follow-ups, and close the loop

• Support active recruiting: prep the CEO for candidate interviews, run debrief readouts, and coordinate closing on priority hires

• Execute one-off deliverables that don't have a clear owner: a competitive brief, a partner deck, a research pull, whatever needs to get done

Required Qualifications

• 2–4 years in consulting, banking, an early-stage startup, or a role where you directly supported a founder or senior executive

• A track record of taking things and running with them. You've moved on incomplete information and gotten it right more often than not

• Tight written communication: briefs, follow-ups, and summaries ready to use under time pressure

• Fluency with AI tools, applied to speed and not as a substitute for judgment

• Willingness to travel frequently, including multi-day DC trips and last-minute travel.

• Comfort with daily ambiguity: priorities shift, and you won't need anyone to explain why

Preferred Background

• Experience working with federal agencies, defense stakeholders, or public sector partners

• Background inside a high-growth startup in a generalist or operational capacity

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 — 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.