Strategy & Operations Lead

Who Are We?

Have you struggled to reserve that coveted summer camping spot at a state park? Have you wondered why you’re stuck filling out a paper form to renew a permit? What about not being able to reserve your favorite pickleball court from your phone?

Kaizen Labs is redefining government technology and building solutions across parks & recreation, permitting, citizen engagement, and more. We recognize that incumbent software systems are inefficient and sometimes broken. That’s why we believe residents and public servants across America’s 85,000 government agencies deserve access to modern, trusted software that rivals what we use in our daily lives.

Kaizen’s software currently serves 25 million residents across the country. Some of our partners include the City of Santa Clarita, Vail Recreation District, and Pima County. Most recently, we launched day pass software for 20 million visitors across Maryland’s state parks. Here is a quick video capturing the essence of our work with Pima County, AZ!

Founded in 2022 and based in New York City, we’re backed by Accel and Andreessen Horowitz. Our team of 25 (and growing) is eager to leave a lasting impact on the public services that are so critical to our health, safety, and wellness.

Location & Travel

• This is a hybrid role based out of our New York City HQ. The candidate must reside in New York or be able to commute to New York City to work out of our office at least 3x a week.

• Travel for this role is anticipated to be up to 25%. The candidate must be willing and able to travel as necessary for conferences and customer meetings.

The Role

We are seeking an entrepreneurial Strategy and Operations Lead to spearhead the formation and growth of our Segment & Vertical Expansion team. This role is crucial in our expansion from local and state parks & recreation to adjacent resident services. This individual will be responsible for researching new verticals, building GTM strategies to break in, securing those early wins, and building a playbook to scale efforts.

What You’ll Do

• Market Research and Positioning

  • Conduct in-depth market research to identify opportunities and develop a thesis for Kaizen's positioning, backed by data.

  • Map out competitive offerings and current technology gaps in the market.

• GTM & Ops

  • Transition market insights into a practical GTM plan (ICP identification, pricing and packaging, outreach approach, etc) for breaking in.

  • Execute early GTM plan, secure our early wins, and build playbook for a sales team.

  • Drive pre-sale activities, including product demonstrations and proposal development.

  • Become deeply familiar with regulatory, compliance, and procurement requirements.

• Product Scoping & Development

  • Partner with design team (and leverage AI tools) to build wireframes and mockups for prospective customers and RFP opportunities.

  • Map out product functionality and customer requirements to existing product and modules.

• Stakeholder Engagement

  • Build and nurture relationships with state agencies, city leaders, lobbyists, and advocacy groups relevant to each vertical.

  • Regularly attend conferences and trade shows to meet customers where they are and build market intel.

What You Bring

• 5+ years of experience in strategy, operations, or product management roles, preferably in B2G or B2B SaaS companies

• Experience and willingness to leverage a suite of AI tools to amplify efforts

• Proven track record of successfully launching new products or entering new markets

• Strong understanding of government technology landscape and procurement processes

• Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills

• Outstanding communication and presentation abilities

• Experience working in fast-paced, high-growth startup environments

• Ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities effectively

• Passionate about civic technology and improving government services

💚 At Kaizen, we believe that great work starts with taking great care of our people. We’re building something meaningful, and that starts with a culture where people genuinely love to work. Here’s how we support you - in and out of the workplace:

🩺 Comprehensive Health Coverage

We offer Silver, Gold, and Platinum PPO plans through Oxford (United), with 85% of premiums covered for employees on the Platinum plan, with a $0 premium option

🏥 Dental, Vision & Financial Wellness

You’re covered with Guardian PPO dental and Beam vision plans - Kaizen pays 99% of premiums for employees and 50% for dependents. We also offer:

• 💳 Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA & Dependent Care FSA)

• 🛡️ $100,000 in fully paid life insurance

• 🏦 401(k) access through Guideline

🤰🏼 Parental Leave That Supports Families

Because time with your growing family matters.

• 🍼 16 weeks fully paid for birthing parents and 10 weeks paid for non-birthing parents

🗽 Everyday Support & Flexibility

• 🚆 $50/month toward your commute

• 🏡 One-time setup stipend (up to $750) for your home or NYC office

• 💪 $100/month for wellness or productivity

🎡 Perks That Make Life Better

• 🎉 $250/year for recreation - because fun matters

• 📚 $500/year for professional development - because growth does too

• 🍱 Expensed lunch three days a week when you're in the office

• 💻 Company-provided laptop

🌴 Time Off to Recharge

• 🌅 Unlimited PTO

• 🇺🇸 All federal holidays off

• ☃️ A company-wide winter break during the week of Christmas

Kaizen provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

We are committed to maintaining a supportive and inclusive environment for people with diverse backgrounds and experiences. We respect the varied identities, abilities, cultures, and traditions of the individuals who comprise our organization and recognize the value that different backgrounds and points of view bring to our organization.

If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please email us at [email protected]. This information will be treated as confidential and used only to determine an appropriate accommodation for the interview process.