Business Operations Manager

Who Are We?

Government technology has failed the public for decades, and Americans have been conditioned to expect websites from the 90s for essential public services.

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. We started in outdoor recreation, and now we're building toward something much larger — the software layer that powers how Americans access any government service.

Our platform already reaches 40 million residents across 50+ agencies in 17 states.

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.

The Role

Kaizen's growth is accelerating, and we want to get out in front of it. We're hiring a Business Operations Manager to help the COO and Chief of Staff stay multiple steps ahead, building the operating muscle that lets us scale without losing the speed that got us here. You'll take on a rotating portfolio of operational and strategic projects across the company, spanning financial ops, customer ops, deployment support, vertical expansion, automations, dashboards, people ops, compliance, and more. The point isn't to own one function. It's to be the person we can hand any project to, and trust will run it end-to-end, with the right people involved and with AI and automation woven in by default. Real people use what Kaizen builds: 40M residents across 50+ agencies in 17 states rely on services we power. The systems you build behind the scenes are what let us keep showing up for them.

What You'll Do

Day-to-day will look different depending on what the business needs. Some weeks, you'll own a workstream end-to-end. Other weeks, you'll be the right hand to whoever owns it, adding capacity, structure, or AI leverage. Across both modes, you'll:

• Take on a rotating portfolio of operational and strategic projects. Scope spans financial ops, customer ops, deployment support, people ops, HR/payroll/benefits, dashboards, and beyond

• Lead diligence on new verticals and market expansions. Build the business case, scope the entry plan, and project manage the launch

• Drive or support compliance, legal, and infrastructure workstreams that unlock new customers and the next tier of growth, from security reviews and internal controls to the certifications buyers require

• Support the sales team on the operational backbone of revenue. Pipeline and forecast hygiene, deal desk for complex government procurements, and the dashboards leadership uses to run revenue reviews

• Build the AI-native tooling and automations that give every team at Kaizen leverage. Default to systems that compound, not one-off fixes that break next quarter

• Manage external vendors across tax, compliance, benefits, and software procurement. Keep them honest and the relationships productive

• Translate ambiguous asks into structured plans, name the right collaborators, project manage end-to-end, and jump in to execute when it's faster than handing it off

What You'll Bring

• 3 - 6 years of experience, ideally a mix of investment banking or management consulting plus operations at an early-stage or high-growth startup

• A track record of leading end-to-end projects across cross-functional teams. You've owned the plan, the people, and the outcome

• AI fluency that shows up in your work, not your talking points. You've shipped AI-powered workflows, agents, or automations that actually changed how something gets done

• Comfort operating in ambiguity. You know when to go deep on a problem and when to wrap it up and move on

• Sharp written communication and judgment on what needs to escalate vs. what you handle yourself

• Experience with Notion, Linear, QuickBooks, Vanta, Gusto, Guideline, Slack, Intercom, and compliance/HRIS platforms like Mosey.

Strong Candidates May Also...

• Have prior experience as a Chief of Staff, Founders Associate, or BizOps lead at an early-stage startup

• Bring light technical chops like SQL, Python, or fluency with no-code automation tools (Zapier, Make, n8n)

• Have led a complex vendor or systems consolidation project where you owned the diligence, selection, and rollout

Don't Apply If...

• You need a detailed ticket to know what to work on next

• You get overwhelmed when the path forward isn't clear

• You can't tell the difference between a problem that needs deep investigation and one that needs a fast, good-enough answer

• You think AI tools are a productivity gimmick rather than a core part of how modern operators work
  

Kaizen is rebuilding the operating system of American government. The work moves fast, the stakes are real, and we need someone who can run with it.

What Kaizen Offers

Health & Insurance

• Comprehensive medical through Oxford/United — Gold and Platinum PPO plans, with 85% of premiums covered on the Platinum plan and a $0 employee premium option. Dental through Guardian PPO and vision through Beam, with 99% of employee premiums covered and 50% for dependents.

• $100,000 in fully paid life insurance. FSA and Dependent Care FSA. 401(k) access through Guideline.

Family & Time Off

• 16 weeks of fully paid parental leave for birthing parents. 10 weeks fully paid for non-birthing parents.

• Unlimited PTO, closed for all federal holidays, and company-wide winter break the week of Christmas.

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 3x a week while in the office.

• Company-provided laptop.

Wellness

• 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.

• $300/quarter pet care stipend.

Stipends

• $100/month utility stipend.

• $500/year professional development.

• $250/year recreation.

Kaizen is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. If you need an accommodation during the interview process, email us at [email protected].