Selling software to the federal government is supposed to take years. Long procurement cycles, entrenched primes, and pilots that die before they convert. We found a market and a motion that break that pattern, and Kaizen is on track to go from $1M to nine figures in 24 months. Nobody in the history of government technology has done that.
Which means the constraint is no longer whether we can sell or if we can win. It is whether we can hire fast enough, and whether we can go after the people we assume are out of reach. This role owns that. You will carry concurrent searches across GTM, operations, engineering, and design, build the systems and the team underneath them, and personally close the hardest ones. You will also change what this company believes is possible in hiring. The bar goes up by going after the best of the best, and this conviction starts with you.
This is the most influential window Kaizen will ever have. The next sixty people become the company. This starts as a talent-focused role. As the function grows, it can grow to include People more broadly.
This is a hybrid role based out of our New York or DC. Candidates must reside or be able to commute to New York City or DC to work out of our office at least four times a week (Monday - Thursday).
Build and run Kaizen's recruiting engine: process, pipeline, and reporting across every function we hire into.
Own the hiring bar and raise it across the company. Not by saying no more often, but by convincing us we can win over the best talent, and making it happen.
Carry concurrent searches across go-to-market, operations, engineering, and design, and personally close the senior and executive ones.
Own the recruiting stack in Ashby, Juicebox, and LinkedIn Recruiter, give leadership a live view of pipeline health against the plan, and drive the automation of coordination work so the team spends its time on candidates.
Manage the team of three and hire the additional recruiters already approved, set the standard for excellent recruiting here, and invest in the career growth of the people you inherit.
Own the agency roster: evaluate the current partners, negotiate terms, and decide search by search when a firm earns its fee.
Establish Kaizen's employer brand in the NYC and DC markets so strong candidates understand the unique product and value proposition of Kaizen.
Partner with the COO and founding team on headcount planning and the talent strategy behind a 40-to-100 plan in the next few quarters.
Qualification
Strong Candidates May AlsoHave recruited in governmentDon't Apply If
Required
Real relationships and depth of understanding of the NYC engineering community.
You use AI and automation in your own recruiting workflow today, and you have configured an ATS yourself, ideally Ashby.
Strong Candidates May Also...
Have recruited in government, defense tech, or another regulated industry where the sell is harder than the salary.
Have run or managed retained executive searches, and know when a firm earns its fee and when it does not.
Want to grow into broader people operations as the function matures.
Don't Apply If...
Your first move on a hard search is to call an agency. Firms should be part of your toolkit, not a reflex you depend on.
You think raising the bar means saying no more often. Here it means going after people who would not currently take the call.
You want a settled process before you can produce. Ours is built for a 40-person company and has to carry a hundred.
You want to run talent from the strategy layer. You will be expected to personally help source and close senior candidates.
The public sector reads to you as a step down rather than the most under-served software market in the country.
