About the role

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 Federal software companies run on contracts, and most manage compliance through a mix of inboxes, spreadsheets, and hope. Kaizen holds work across civilian agencies and DoD: FAR-based, subcontracts, IDIQ vehicles, BPAs, DoW agreements. Training deadlines, labor postings, OCI requirements, VETS filings - this role builds the function that keeps all of it current. It's the first contracts hire at Kaizen, reporting to the Head of Business Operations & Corporate Affairs and working daily with IT, security, the FSO, and the deployment team. The BD team brings you deals in progress. You advise on structure, flag compliance risks, help with pricing justification, and get it to signature. Turnaround is hours, not days. If a standard teaming agreement takes you a week, this isn't the right seat. You work with outside counsel on interpretation when needed, but the turnaround is yours to own. WHAT YOU'LL DO - Build and own the obligation register across every federal agreement, keeping it current through mods and change orders - Run the compliance calendar: training certificates back to the AOR, required notices and postings, annual filings including VETS-4212A - Make applicability calls on thresholds, commercial-item carve-outs, and what actually applies at our size - Administer federal portals: SAM reps and certs, PIEE and WAWF for invoicing - Review flowdowns on new subcontracts and agreements before signature and flag what we'd be taking on - Onboard new subcontractors: program context, systems access, security requirements, and operating expectations; hold them to committed scope, timelines, and deliverables - Route execution to People Ops, IT, and security and hold the map of who owns what - Serve as the primary interface with government COs and AOs on active contracts - Support BD and capture teams with contract strategy, pricing input, and T&C risk assessment on proposals - Manage clause interpretation with outside counsel WHAT YOU'LL BRING - 5+ years of federal contracts or subcontracts administration on the contractor side, where the follow-through was yours - FAR and DFARS fluency, including flowdown matrices and applicability thresholds - You've built a compliance register or calendar, not just worked from one someone else built - DoD contract experience, including FAR-based awards or other transaction agreements - GSA Schedule administration: catalog maintenance, pricing justifications, BPA setup and updates, SIN and SKU modifications, option year reporting, and price reduction clause compliance - Direct submissions into federal systems: SAM, PIEE or WAWF - Comfortable on a small team with no department behind you, able to assign your own week - Experience managing subcontractors or teaming partners against committed scope, milestones, and deliverables, including escalating when they slip - Negotiation experience on federal contracts, not just post-award administration - Familiar with data rights and IP provisions in federal software contracts - Eligible to work with CUI STRONG CANDIDATES MAY ALSO... - Primed