Forward Deployed Software Engineer

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.

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).

The Role

We’re looking for our first Forward Deployed Software Engineer (FDSE) to work directly with our customers, understand their requests, and build solutions that deliver immediate impact. FDSEs sit at the intersection of engineering and deployment. You will partner closely with external customers to translate real-world workflows into polished, scalable software. You’ll also help our engineering team build expertise in rapid iteration, pattern recognition, and the use of AI tooling to accelerate development. This role is ideal for an engineer who loves building fast for real users, thrives in ambiguous contexts, and is energized by operating at the edge of customer needs.

Who You Are

• A product-minded engineer who cares deeply about user experience, clarity, and outcomes

• You are AI-native and excited to push a new generation of development and product tools to their limit

• Comfortable working directly with customers and guiding them through technical decisions

• Energized by ambiguous, fast-moving problem spaces and capable of bringing structure to them

• Equally comfortable thinking in systems and diving into implementation details

• Collaborative, low-ego, and motivated by mission-driven work

What You’ll Do

• Build end-to-end solutions: Design and implement full-stack features (React/Next.js, TypeScript, Node, Postgres) driven by customer needs

• Turn ambiguity into clarity: Scope unclear customer problems and translate them into buildable engineering work

• Prototype and iterate rapidly: Gather feedback directly from users and incorporate it into tight iteration cycles

• Use AI to accelerate workflows: Leverage AI copilots and automation to code faster, debug smarter, and synthesize user patterns

• Drive cross-functional alignment: Collaborate with product, design, engineering, and deployment to unblock issues and move work forward

• Contribute to scalable systems: Identify recurring customer needs and build reusable components, playbooks, or internal tools

What You’ll Bring

• 5+ years of professional software engineering experience working directly with customers or end users

• Experience building full-stack applications with modern web technologies (React/Next.js, TypeScript, Node.js, Postgres)

• Ability to translate customer workflows and pain points into technical solutions

• Strong communication skills with both technical and non-technical stakeholders

• Comfort supporting deployments, integrations, or customer-facing technical work

• A bias toward action, learning, and continuous iteration

• Excitement about using AI tools to improve engineering speed, quality, and reliability

Strong Candidates May Also…

• Have experience in civic tech, public sector deployments, consulting, or forward-deployed engineering

• Have built AI-enhanced workflows or used AI agents extensively for development

• Have led customer-facing implementations or integrations in complex environments

• Have contributed to internal documentation, tooling, or cultural practices that improve team velocity

What Kaizen Offers

• 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.

• 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.

• Company-wide winter break the week of Christmas.

• One-time home office or desk setup stipend up to $750.

• $50/month commuter benefit.

• $100/month for wellness or productivity - your call on how you use it!

• $500/year for professional development.

• $250/year for recreation.

• Company-provided laptop.

• Expensed lunch while in the office.

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 careers@kaizenlabs.co.

Why Now

The government technology modernization wave is happening. Agencies are being pushed to change, and they need partners who can move fast and build well.

We have the contracts. We have the agency relationships. We have the platform. We need the engineers.

If you want to spend the next few years shipping software that actually matters — not another B2B SaaS dashboard, not an internal tool nobody uses — and you want to do it at a company moving aggressively into one of the most consequential markets in tech, this is the role.

Don't Apply If...

You need a detailed ticket to know what to build next. You think AI tools are a crutch. You want to own one layer of the stack and never leave it. You're more comfortable in a 500-person organization than a small team where everyone's accountable. You need the problem fully defined before you start moving. Or if you're looking for low-stakes work — because what we build touches real people in real moments that matter: accessing benefits, families navigating public services, constituents interacting with their government at its most critical touchpoints. This work is serious. The people we serve deserve serious teams.