Head of Sales

Kaizen Labs•New York, NY

21h•Hybrid

About The Position

Have you struggled to reserve that coveted summer camping spot at a state park? Wondered why you’re still filling out a paper form at the DMV? Or tried (and failed) to book your favorite pickleball court from your phone? Kaizen Labs is rebuilding the government’s digital front door - bringing modern, people-first software to the public services millions of Americans rely on every day. From parks & recreation and permitting to licensing and payments, we’re replacing outdated systems with intuitive, beautiful technology designed for residents and the public servants who serve them. Our platform now powers over 50 agencies across 17 states, reaching more than 30 million residents. Recent partners include Maricopa County (AZ), San Bernardino County (CA), and the Cherokee Nation. In Maryland, our platform helped eliminate seven-mile traffic jams at state parks, saving hundreds of thousands in costs and dramatically improving the visitor experience. Founded in 2022 and based in New York City, Kaizen has raised $35 million from world-class investors, including NEA, Andreessen Horowitz, Accel, 776, and Carpenter Capital. We’re a team of builders, designers, and operators redefining what it means to serve the public in the digital age - and we’re just getting started. Before You Apply… Kaizen is hiring its first sales leader. We’re looking for a proven SLED leader who’s equally excited about being in the weeds with our team and customers as they are about building scalable sales processes and growing the team. The ideal candidate should be excited to collaborate closely with the founders to expand upon an existing playbook and should feel energized by the potential to expand Kaizen across other verticals in government. Location This is a hybrid role based out of our New York City HQ. Candidates must reside in New York or be able to commute to New York City to work out of our office at least three times a week (Tuesdays - Thursdays). Who You Are You’re an experienced, proven sales leader with SLED experience. You’ve helped teams navigate enterprise, public-sector sales cycles at the local, state, and federal levels. You’ve led field sales motions for software that requires you to meet customers where they are, building deep trust and developing a deep understanding of government operations. You’ve built and scaled a sales team. You know how to hire, coach, and retain enterprise sellers who thrive in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment. You’re not looking to lead from an ivory tower. You lead by example — closing critical deals, rolling up your sleeves, and modeling the behaviors you expect from your team.

Requirements

8+ years of experience in software sales, with at least 2 years in a leadership role that involved growing and scaling a team
Depth of expertise and knowledge of selling to public agencies, procurement strategies, and field sales

Responsibilities

Recruit, hire, and mentor a team of BDRs, AEs, and RFP specialists selling to various customer segments.
Build a high-performance culture defined by accountability, high autonomy/ownership, and proactivity.
Establish core processes for pipeline management, forecasting, and sales reporting.
Partner with the leadership team on compensation design, territory planning, and quota planning as the company scales.
Dissect every part of our sales motion (top of funnel outreach, conferences and trade-show presence, pricing proposals, RFPs, procurement, etc.) to identify opportunities to increase conversion and shorten deal cycles.
Own and continuously evolve our sales methodologies, demo frameworks, top-of-funnel playbooks, and outbound strategy. This will require frequent collaboration with marketing and design to strategize on top-of-funnel strategies.
Spend critical time with customers (in-person and virtual) to refine Kaizen’s value proposition and messaging.
Redesign our sales tech stack, partnering closely with team members to remove friction, and leverage automation and AI to accelerate productivity.
Implement scalable CRM processes and team and IC reporting, ensuring data accuracy and actionable insights.
Partner with founders and leadership on sales forecasting, territory strategy, and GTM planning.
Collaborate cross-functionally with marketing on lead generation, ensuring consistency throughout our sales process.
Contribute to Kaizen’s long-term vision by spearheading market expansion projects and identifying new geographies, customer segments, and verticals within government.
Partner with leadership and design to build and test proofs of concept as part of the expansion strategy.

Benefits

Comprehensive Health Coverage We offer 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
$50/month toward your commute
One-time setup stipend (up to $750) for your home or NYC office
$100/month for wellness or productivity
$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
Unlimited PTO
All federal holidays off
A company-wide winter break during the week of Christmas