---
title: 'Director of Government Affairs at Kikoff'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/director-of-government-affairs-kikoff-remote-f8zf58dcas9d'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-10-16'
---

# Director of Government Affairs at Kikoff

- **Company:** Kikoff
- **Location:** Remote
- **Compensation:** $150k–$220k
- **Work type:** remote
- **Posted:** 2026-10-14
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-16
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/kikoff/jobs/4452607009

## Job description

Kikoff: The Fintech Powering Financial Security at Scale Kikoff is a profitable, pre-IPO fintech company on a mission to empower everyone to achieve financial security. With record revenue growth in 2025 and a unicorn valuation, we've built a suite of products that help millions of people build credit, access liquidity, and save money. We're scaling fast. Join us if you want to build something meaningful and help millions of people move forward financially.

Why Kikoff:

This is a consumer fintech startup, and you will be working with serial entrepreneurs who have built strong consumer brands and innovative products. We value extreme ownership, clear communication, a strong sense of craftsmanship, and the desire to create lasting work and work relationships. Yes, you can build an exciting business AND have real-life real-customer impact.

## The Role

Kikoff is seeking its first government affairs leader to shape and advance the company's public policy agenda at the federal and state levels for its earned wage access (EWA) service, Grant Cash Advance. You will be Grant’s Kikoff's primary voice with legislators, regulators, trade associations, consumer advocates, and other stakeholders, and you will lead strategy to support a clear, workable legal framework for earned wage access (EWA). This is a high-impact, hands-on role for someone who builds durable relationships, translates policy into business strategy, and is comfortable operating in a fast-moving, evolving regulatory landscape.

The role will involve regular nationwide travel.

## What You'll Do

- Develop and execute Grant’s Kikoff's government affairs strategy, with an initial focus on federal and state policy affecting earned wage access and consumer credit-building products.
- Represent Grant Kikoff before legislators, legislative staff, federal and state financial regulators, attorneys general, and other public officials.
- Serve as Grant’s Kikoff's representative to relevant trade associations and industry coalitions, taking active roles on committees and working groups and helping shape industry positions.
- Build and maintain constructive relationships with consumer advocacy groups, community organizations, think tanks, and other stakeholders, including those who may hold differing views.
- Monitor, analyze, and report on legislative and regulatory developments; assess business impact and recommend responses, including testimony, comment letters, and model legislative language, in coordination with Legal and Compliance.
- Identify, hire, and manage outside lobbyists and consultants across priority states and at the federal level, including setting objectives, overseeing budgets, and evaluating performance.
- Advise executive leadership and the communications team on public relations positioning, messaging, and reputational considerations related to policy issues and regulatory developments.
- Partner with Legal, Compliance, Product, and Executive teams to ensure policy strategy aligns with business priorities and product roadmaps.
- Oversee compliance with lobbying registration, reporting, and political activity rules, in coordination with Legal.
- Represent Grant Kikoff at hearings, conferences, industry events, and stakeholder meetings nationwide.

## What We’re Looking For

- 4–10 years of experience in government affairs, public policy, legislative or regulatory affairs, or advocacy, gained in-house, at a trade association, at a public affairs firm, or in government service.
- A self-starter with a founder’s mindset and is comfortable establishing and honing processes where little internal infrastructure exists
- Demonstrated track record of building and leveraging relationships with policymakers, regulators, and stakeholders at the state and/or federal level.
- Experience developing and executing multi-state legislative or regulatory strategies.
- Experience engaging, directing, and managing outside lobbyists or consultants.
- Experience in fintech, consumer financial services, or payments.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to distill complex financial and regulatory issues for diverse audiences.
- Sound judgment on messaging and public positioning; comfort advising senior leadership.
- Ability to work independently and manage competing priorities in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.
- Willingness to travel nationally as needed.

## Nice to Have

- Familiarity with earned wage access, consumer lending, or credit-reporting policy issues.
- Experience working with fintech or financial services trade associations.
- Existing relationships with state financial regulators, state legislators, the CFPB, or other federal financial agencies.
- Bachelor’s degree or higher in public policy, political science, or a related field.

## Compensation

💰 US salary range: $150,000 – $220,000 base + equity

🏥 Medical, dental, vision — Kikoff covers the full cost for employees, 50% for dependents

📈 RSUs Base Range $150,000—$220,000 USD

A note on applying: We know great candidates sometimes hold back if they don’t meet every qualification listed. If you’re excited about this role and believe you can do the work, we encourage you to apply. We’re looking for capability and trajectory, not a perfect checklist match.

## Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Kikoff Inc. is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to complying with all federal, state, and local laws providing equal employment opportunities and considers qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, creed, gender, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy, sex, gender expression or identity, sexual orientation, citizenship, or any other legally protected class.

Please reference the following for [more information](https://www.eeoc.gov/sites/default/files/2022-10/22-088_EEOC_KnowYourRights_10_20.pdf).

## About Kikoff

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Kikoff is a personal financial technology company that builds credit, manages debt, and unlocks financial opportunity for underserved consumers.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Series C)
- **Headquarters**: San Francisco, California, United States
- **Founded**: 2019
- **Founders**: Cynthia Chen (CEO & Founder)

## Core Business
- **Primary industry/industries**: Consumer Fintech, Credit Building, Personal Finance
- **Target customers**: B2C – individuals seeking to build or improve credit scores, manage debt, and access affordable financial services.
- **Mission or purpose statement**: Empowering everyone to achieve financial security, no matter where they’re starting from.

## Products & Services
- **Credit Building ($5/month)**: A credit-builder loan that reports to major credit bureaus with no interest and no hidden fees.
- **Rent & Bill Reporting**: Reports on-time rent and utility payments to credit bureaus to help users build credit from everyday bills.
- **Secured Credit Card**: A card designed to help users establish or rebuild credit responsibly.
- **AI-Powered Debt Negotiation**: Complimentary service that uses AI to negotiate debt reductions for users (over $8M in debt relief since 2024).
- **Identity Theft Protection**: Monitoring and alerts for identity fraud.
- **Fynn (AI Credit Coach)**: Launched in 2026, an AI-powered coach providing personalised financial guidance.
- **Grant & Catch**: Additional products in the ecosystem (likely focused on grants and savings/catch-up features).

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed (unicorn status inferred from growth and investor profile).
- **Key Metric**: Annual Revenue surpassed **$300M** in 2025, more than doubling year over year while maintaining profitability since 2023.
- **Total Raised**: $42.5M (Series C)
- **Notable Investors**: Core Innovation Capital, Coatue, Lightspeed, Portage, Notable Capital (and 12+ others)
- **Growth Signals**: Profitable since 2023; reached $300M+ revenue in <7 years; 1M+ customers; 80M+ credit points boosted; 30K+ mortgages and 433K+ auto loans opened after using Kikoff; appointed CFO John Kaelle and CLO Robert Mahnke in 2026, signalling public-market readiness.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Radically affordable pricing** ($5/month for credit building vs. industry $300+) removes barriers for low-income users.
- **AI-first approach** for debt negotiation and credit coaching creates scalable, personalised solutions.
- **Proprietary technology** builds the entire stack in-house, lowering costs and enabling faster iteration.
- **Strong unit economics** and profitability demonstrate operational discipline uncommon at this growth stage.

## Strategic Focus
- **Continued product expansion** – adding new financial tools (Grant, Catch, Fynn) to create a one-tap financial security platform.
- **Deepening leadership bench** with IPO-experienced executives to prepare for future public listing.
- **Investing in AI and automation** to replace legacy systems and deliver faster, more accessible outcomes.
- **Scaling customer impact** – targeting underserved millions through low-cost, high-access offerings.

## Why Work Here
- **Mission-driven culture** with real impact: 1M+ customers helped, $8M in debt relief, 80M+ points boosted.
- **Financial stability** – profitable since 2023 with rapid revenue growth, reducing risk of layoffs.
- **Strong values in action**: "Company First, Ego Last", "Act Like an Owner", "Customer Obsessed", "Think in Years, Act Today", "Be Candid & Kind".
- **Comprehensive benefits**: Health benefits, flexible PTO, 401k matching, commuter benefits, fitness benefit, office lunches & dinners.
- **Hybrid/Office setting** in San Francisco (132 Hawthorne Street) – likely a collaborative in-office culture with team meals.
- **Growth trajectory** – team is "growing rapidly" (as stated on careers page), offering ample career advancement opportunities.
- **Engineering and AI focus** – investing heavily in technology, making it an exciting environment for engineers and product builders.

## Sources
1. [about.kikoff.com/careers](https://about.kikoff.com/careers)
2. [about.kikoff.com/company](https://about.kikoff.com/company)
3. [cbinsights.com/company/kikoff](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/kikoff)
4. [businesswire.com](https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260421425245/en/)

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