
Government Contracts Administrator (Contract) at Kaizen Labs (Washington, DC)
Kaizen Labs· Washington, DC·
Role details
Job description
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.
LOCATION
DC Metro area with ability to work from our DC office occasionally is preferred. NYC is also available.
SCOPE
We hold federal work across civilian agencies and DoD: FAR-based subcontracts with commercial-item flowdowns, and DoW agreements. The obligations run well past security into employee notices, required training, prohibited technology screening, EEO and labor reporting, OCI and business ethics.
This is a new function here, working alongside our security team and outside counsel.
WHAT YOU'D DO
- Build and maintain the obligation register across every federal agreement, and keep it current through mods
- Run the compliance calendar: training deadlines and certificates back to the AOR, notices and postings, annual filings like VETS-4212A
- Portal administration and submissions. SAM and our reps and certs, PIEE and WAWF for invoicing
- Make the applicability calls. Thresholds, commercial-item carve-outs, what actually reaches a company our size
- Read flowdowns on new subcontracts and agreements before signature, and tell us what we'd be taking on
- Route execution to People Ops, IT and security, and hold the map
- Manage clause interpretation with outside counsel
WHAT YOU NEED
- Federal contracts or subcontracts administration on the contractor side, where the follow-through was yours
- FAR and DFARS, and comfort with flowdown matrices and applicability thresholds
- You've built a register or compliance calendar, not just worked from one
- Submissions into federal systems. SAM at minimum, PIEE or WAWF if invoicing has been yours
- You've worked on small teams and are self-directed. No department behind you, nobody assigning your week
- US person, able to work with CUI
Useful on top of that: DoD other transaction agreements, priming with subcontractor flowdowns, NCMA certification, CDRLs, contract closeout.
An active or recently held clearance is a real plus, particularly given the clearance work.
DON'T APPLY IF
- Your background is commercial contracts
- You want to write policy rather than close obligations
- You need a system to inherit
- You want the security and technical compliance work. That's a different role here
WHAT KAIZEN OFFERS
Health & Insurance
- 100% coverage across the board: medical through Oxford/United (Gold and Platinum PPO plans), dental through Guardian PPO, and vision through Beam — all fully covered for employees, with 100% coverage for dependents.
- $100,000 in fully paid life insurance. FSA and Dependent Care FSA.
- One Medical membership, on us — same-day primary care, 24/7 virtual visits, and offices all over the city.
- Fertility and family-building support through Carrot.
- 401(k) through Guideline, with a 2% company match.
Family & Time Off
- 16 weeks of fully paid parental leave for birthing parents. 10 weeks fully paid for non-birthing parents.
- Unlimited PTO, with a two-week minimum (we mean it when we say take time off!)
- Closed for all federal holidays.
- Company-wide winter break the week of Christmas.
- Company offsites throughout the year.
Office & Remote Setup
- Up to $750 one-time home office or desk setup stipend for NYC-based employees. $500 for remote employees.
- $50/month commuter benefit (company contribution).
- Expensed lunch while in the office.
- Company-provided laptop of your choice.
Wellness
- Fully covered gym membership at Grindhouse grindhousemhttn.com — right across the street from our office at 47 W 17th St (and in Williamsburg). A $225/month value, on us. For remote employees, $100/month dedicated to gym or physical fitness reimbursement.
Stipends
- $100/month utility stipend.
- $500/year professional development.
- $250/year recreation.
- $300/quarter pet care stipend.
Why work at Kaizen Labs
- Culture: Described as a team of "builders, designers, and operators" who are "change-seekers." The company emphasizes "Design is Everyone's Job" and "Collective Ownership" — every employee is accountable for the quality and trustworthiness of the product.
- Work Model: Hybrid. Employees work from home on Mondays and Fridays, and are in the office 3 days a week (Tuesday–Thursday) for intentional collaboration.
- Location: HQ in New York, NY. Some roles are listed as remote or hybrid.
- Tech Stack: TypeScript, JavaScript, Node.js, React, Next.js, GraphQL, PostgreSQL, AWS, Google Cloud, Vercel, GitHub, Linear, Slack, Salesforce, Outreach.
- Notable Perks: The company is building a culture of collective ownership and high design standards, with a focus on meaningful impact in the public sector.