Senior Contracts Manager

Kaizen; New York (NY); On-site; USD 125,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

Kaizen, a government-technology firm, seeks a contracts-focused professional in New York City to own federal obligations and drive compliance across DoD and civilian agency work. You’ll report to the Head of Business Operations & Corporate Affairs and partner with IT, security, and the deployment team to keep contracts current.

You will advise on structure, pricing justification, and risk, coordinate with outside counsel, and push for rapid turnarounds, often measured in hours.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of federal contracts or subcontracts administration on the contractor side.
• FAR and DFARS fluency, including flowdown matrices and applicability thresholds.
• Built a compliance register or calendar, not just used one built by others.
• DoD contract experience, including FAR-based awards or other transaction agreements.
• GSA Schedule administration: catalog maintenance, pricing justifications, BPA setup/updates, SIN/SKU modifications, option year reporting, price reduction clause compliance.
• Direct submissions into federal systems: SAM, PIEE or WAWF.
• Experience managing subcontractors or teaming partners against committed scope, milestones, and deliverables, including escalation when they slip.
• Negotiation experience on federal contracts, not just post-award administration.
• Familiar with data rights and IP provisions in federal software contracts.
• Eligible to work with CUI

Responsibilities

• Build and own the obligation register across every federal agreement, keeping it current through mods and change orders.
• Run the compliance calendar: training certificates back to the AOR, required notices and postings, annual filings including VETS-4212A.
• Make applicability calls on thresholds, commercial-item carve-outs, and what actually applies at our size.
• Administer federal portals: SAM reps and certs, PIEE and WAWF for invoicing.
• Review flowdowns on new subcontracts and agreements before signature and flag what we'd be taking on.
• Onboard new subcontractors: program context, systems access, security requirements, and operating expectations; hold them to committed scope, timelines, and deliverables.
• Route execution to People Ops, IT, and security and hold the map of who owns what.
• Serve as the primary interface with government COs and AOs on active contracts.
• Support BD and capture teams with contract strategy, pricing input, and T&C risk assessment on proposals.
• Manage clause interpretation with outside counsel.

Skills

Federal contracts

FAR/DFARS fluency

Contract negotiation

Subcontracts management

SAM/PIEE/WAWF

DoD contract experience

CUI eligibility

Tools

SAM

PIEE

WAWF

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

Federal software companies run on contracts, and most manage compliance through a mix of inboxes, spreadsheets, and hope. Kaizen holds work across civilian agencies and DoD: FAR-based, subcontracts, IDIQ vehicles, BPAs, DoW agreements. Training deadlines, labor postings, OCI requirements, VETS filings - this role builds the function that keeps all of it current. It's the first contracts hire at Kaizen, reporting to the Head of Business Operations & Corporate Affairs and working daily with IT, security, the FSO, and the deployment team.

The BD team brings you deals in progress. You advise on structure, flag compliance risks, help with pricing justification, and get it to signature. Turnaround is hours, not days. If a standard teaming agreement takes you a week, this isn't the right seat. You work with outside counsel on interpretation when needed, but the turnaround is yours to own.

What You’ll Do

• Build and own the obligation register across every federal agreement, keeping it current through mods and change orders
• Run the compliance calendar: training certificates back to the AOR, required notices and postings, annual filings including VETS-4212A
• Make applicability calls on thresholds, commercial-item carve-outs, and what actually applies at our size
• Administer federal portals: SAM reps and certs, PIEE and WAWF for invoicing
• Review flowdowns on new subcontracts and agreements before signature and flag what we'd be taking on
• Onboard new subcontractors: program context, systems access, security requirements, and operating expectations; hold them to committed scope, timelines, and deliverables
• Route execution to People Ops, IT, and security and hold the map of who owns what
• Serve as the primary interface with government COs and AOs on active contracts
• Support BD and capture teams with contract strategy, pricing input, and T&C risk assessment on proposals
• Manage clause interpretation with outside counsel

What You’ll Bring

• 5+ years of federal contracts or subcontracts administration on the contractor side, where the follow-through was yours
• FAR and DFARS fluency, including flowdown matrices and applicability thresholds
• You've built a compliance register or calendar, not just worked from one someone else built
• DoD contract experience, including FAR-based awards or other transaction agreements
• GSA Schedule administration: catalog maintenance, pricing justifications, BPA setup and updates, SIN and SKU modifications, option year reporting, and price reduction clause compliance
• Direct submissions into federal systems: SAM, PIEE or WAWF
• Comfortable on a small team with no department behind you, able to assign your own week
• Experience managing subcontractors or teaming partners against committed scope, milestones, and deliverables, including escalating when they slip
• Negotiation experience on federal contracts, not just post-award administration
• Familiar with data rights and IP provisions in federal software contracts
• Eligible to work with CUI

Strong Candidates May Also…

• Primed on subcontracts with flowdown obligations
• Managed relationships with major defense prime subcontractors
• Managed subcontractors delivering software, data, or AI capabilities
• Hold an NCMA certification
• Carry an active or recently lapsed clearance

Don’t Apply If…

• Your contracts background is commercial. The federal compliance context here is the whole job.
• You want to write policy rather than close obligations.
• You need a system to step into. There isn't one yet.
• You want the security and technical compliance work. That lives on a different team.
• The agencies Kaizen serves run essential public services. The obligations matter.

What Kaizen Offers

Health & Insurance

• 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.

Family & Time Off

• 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 (we mean it when we say take time off!)
• Closed for all federal holidays.
• Company-wide winter break the week of Christmas.
• Company offsites throughout the year.

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 while in the office.
• Company-provided laptop of your choice.

Wellness

• NYC employees: 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.
• Non-NYC employees: $100 per month, dedicated to gym / physical fitness reimbursement.

Stipends

• $100/month utility stipend.
• $500/year professional development.
• $250/year recreation.
• $300/quarter pet care stipend.