Federal Growth Lead, Air Force/Space Force

Kaizen Labs; Washington; Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Kaizen seeks a senior sales leader to own the full Air Force and Space Force sales cycle from outbound prospecting through demos, proposals, negotiation and close. You will build strategic plans, navigate procurement channels, and develop repeatable motions across major commands.

Based in the DC area with 30-40% travel, you will articulate Kaizen's AF/USSF strategy, engage program offices, contracting officers, and installations, and partner with Proposal & Capture and Design on responses.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of DoW experience with USAF/USSF.
• 5+ years in quota carrying sales focused on AF/USSF.
• Proven full-cycle enterprise sales with complex deals.
• Experience closing large multi-stakeholder deals.
• Fluency navigating Air Force/Space Force programs and procurement vehicles.
• Comfort demos with minimal SE support.
• Proficiency with Salesforce.
• U.S. citizenship due to security requirements.

Responsibilities

• Own the full AF/USSF sales cycle from prospecting to close.
• Develop account plans and execute Kaizen's AF/USSF strategy.
• Turn standing start into repeatable sales motion across commands.
• Navigate procurement pathways and awards.
• Build relationships with AFLCMC and contracting staff.
• Lead discovery sessions and in-person product demos.
• Collaborate with Proposal & Capture and Design on responses.
• Represent Kaizen at AF/USSF industry days and conferences.

Skills

DoD experience

Quota-carrying sales

Enterprise sales

Closing complex deals

Salesforce

US citizenship

AF/USSF program knowledge

Software demos

Tools

Salesforce

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.

The Role

Kaizen already has a foothold inside the Department of War: the counter-drone marketplace we built for JIATF-401 is live on cuas.mil, carrying 20 vetted vendors and transacting for 20 partner nations. Air Force is the next front - a service with its own acquisition culture, its own program offices, and its own version of the legacy-system fatigue Kaizen was built to fix. This person will own the full sales cycle across the Department of the Air Force - Air Force and Space Force together - from opening new relationships inside AFLCMC and its program offices through demos, procurement, and close, building a repeatable motion across major commands and installations rather than chasing a single flagship win. The work means knowing how the Air Force actually buys, whether through OT pathways or more traditional program-of-record channels, and building trust with program offices, contracting officers, and installation staff who've watched vendors overpromise before. Given the seniority of this hire, we need someone who already speaks Air Force fluently, not someone learning federal procurement for the first time.

Location

Based in the DC area. Hybrid, with frequent travel to Air Force and Space Force installations, program offices, and conferences - expect 30-40% travel, higher during peak seasons.

What You'll Do

• Own the full Air Force and Space Force sales cycle end to end, from outbound prospecting through demos, proposals, negotiation, and close
• Build strategic account plans and execute Kaizen's AF/USSF strategy, developing a repeatable approach across the territory
• Turning a standing start into a repeatable motion across AFMC and other major commands and installations
• Navigate Air Force- and Space Force-specific procurement pathways, OT awards, GSA MAS, IDIQs, BPAs, and installation-level task orders
• Build direct relationships within AFLCMC, installation leadership, and contracting officers across Air Force and Space Force bases
• Lead discovery sessions and in-person product demos tailored to Air Force and Space Force workflows, comfortable presenting without SE support
• Partner with Proposal & Capture and Design on solicitation responses and pricing
• Represent Kaizen at Air Force and Space Force focused industry days and conferences to build pipeline and presence across the service

What You'll Bring

• 10+ years of DoW experience, with experience working inside the USAF or USSF
• 5+ years in quota carrying sales or growth roles, with a significant majority of that time spent selling into the AF or USSF
• A full-cycle enterprise sales track record, including closing complex, multi-stakeholder deals
• Experience working large deals - not just carrying a large number, but a track record of actually closing against it
• Fluency navigating Air Force and Space Force major programs, procurement vehicles and buying cycles
• Comfort demoing software independently, without SE support
• Proficiency with sales tools like Salesforce
• U.S. citizenship, given the security and eligibility requirements tied to Department of War contracts

Strong Candidates May Also...

• Currently possess a U.S. security clearance. TS/SCI is preferred.
• Have existing relationships within AFMC, SSC, or a specific major command
• Have experience with an Air Force/Space Force software factory (e.g., Kessel Run, Platform One), or selling quality-of-life, base services, or enterprise IT modernization programs

Don't Apply If...

• You need an account