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 engagement into concrete outcomes: funding, positioning, or market access.
- Experience managing external lobbyists and ensuring compliance with lobbying disclosure requirements.
- Excellent written and verbal communication; comfortable drafting white papers, briefing memos, and testimony, and representing a company publicly.
- An existing network across federal agencies and the Hill is a significant advantage.
Nice-to-Haves
- Bipartisan instincts and real relationships on both sides of the aisle.
- AI-pilled and default to these tools in your daily workflows.
- 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.
- Thrive with high autonomy in ambiguous, fast-moving environments, and self-generate the agenda.
Compensation & Benefits
Salary: $180,000 - $250,000
Health & Insurance
- 100% coverage: medical (Gold and Platinum PPO), dental, vision — for employees and dependents.
- $100,000 fully paid life insurance.
- FSA and Dependent Care FSA.
- One Medical membership.
- Fertility and family-building support.
401(k): 2% company match.
Family & Time Off
- 16 weeks fully paid parental leave for birthing parents; 10 weeks for non-birthing.
- Unlimited PTO (two-week minimum encouraged).
- Closed for all federal holidays and company-wide winter break.
- Company offsites.
Office & Remote Setup
- Home office stipend ($750 NYC / $500 remote).
- $50/month commuter benefit.
- Expensed lunch in office.
- Company-provided laptop.
Wellness
- Fully covered gym membership ($225/month value) or $100/month fitness reimbursement for remote.
Stipends
- $100/month utilities.
- $500/year professional development.
- $250/year recreation.
- $300/quarter pet care.
Kaizen LabsWashington, DC
