Proposal Writer & Capture Strategist

Kaizen Labs•New York, NY

9d•$125,000 - $145,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Kaizen exists to strengthen trust in American public services by building technology that residents and public servants are proud to use. We partner with local, state, and federal agencies to replace legacy systems with modern, AI-native software that is worthy of the people they serve. Our platform reaches 55 million Americans across 50+ agencies. Our goal: build technology that touches the lives of 100 million residents by the end of the year. Founded in 2022 and based in New York City, Kaizen has raised $35 million from NEA, a16z, Accel, 776, and Carpenter Capital. We're builders, designers, and operators who believe that beautifully designed software shouldn't be a luxury in government. It's how you earn trust back.

Requirements

At least 8 years of experience writing and winning proposals for Federal government solicitations.
Experience at a startup or fast-moving tech company, not solely at large, established Federal contracting firms.
Deep fluency in Federal procurement, including working with contracting officers, developing unsolicited proposals, knowing which procurement channels to monitor beyond SAM.gov, and understanding the terminology and mechanics of different solicitation types.
A sharp eye for detail. In this role, missing a small requirement can sink an otherwise strong response.
A self-starter who takes on work without needing to be told what is next, and who asks for feedback rather than waiting for it.
Real, hands-on experience using AI tools in proposal and capture work, not just familiarity with the concept.

Nice To Haves

Experience at a fast-growing, mission-driven technology company, think Palantir, Anduril, or similar, rather than a large traditional Federal contracting firm.
Been part of a small, nimble proposal and capture team before.
Owned the full spectrum of both capture strategy and proposal development, not just one half of the process.

Responsibilities

Own the full development and submission of Federal solicitation responses, including RFx responses, white papers, solution briefs, and unsolicited proposals, from first draft through submission.
Monitor Federal contracting channels beyond SAM.gov to surface new opportunities that fit Kaizen's strengths.
Partner with product, engineering, and partnerships to translate technical work into narratives that win with Federal contracting officers, work that ultimately gets modern tools into the hands of the agencies serving millions of Americans.
Build the AI-assisted workflows and templates that let Kaizen's Federal proposal function move faster as the team grows.
Work alongside David to sharpen capture strategy, spot what a strong-fit opportunity looks like, and prep for competitive deals with the Federal BD team.
Catch the requirements a solicitation does not explicitly spell out, since missing them is often the difference between a compliant response and a losing one.
Represent Kaizen at virtual industry days and other Federal BD activities as needed.

Benefits

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.
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.
Closed for all federal holidays.
Company-wide winter break the week of Christmas.
Company offsites throughout the year.
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.
Fully covered gym membership at Grindhouse — 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.
$100/month utility stipend.
$500/year professional development.
$250/year recreation.
$300/quarter pet care stipend.