Strategic Finance Lead

Who Are We

Have you struggled to reserve that coveted summer camping spot at a state park Wondered why youre still filling out a paper form at the DMV Or tried (and failed) to book your favorite pickleball court from your phone

Kaizen Labs is rebuilding the governments digital front door - bringing modern people-first software to the public services millions of Americans rely on every day. From parks & recreation and permitting to licensing and payments were replacing outdated systems with intuitive beautiful technology designed for residents and the public servants who serve them.

Our platform now powers over 50 agencies across 17 states reaching more than 40 million residents. Recent partners include Maricopa County (AZ) San Bernardino County (CA) and the Cherokee Maryland our platform helped eliminate seven-mile traffic jams at state parks saving hundreds of thousands in costs and dramatically improving the visitor experience.

Founded in 2022 and based in New York City Kaizen has raised $35 million from world-class investors including NEA Andreessen Horowitz Accel 776 and Carpenter Capital.

Were a team of builders designers and operators redefining what it means to serve the public in the digital age - and were just getting started.

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).

Who You Are

• Youre an experienced finance professional who thrives in early-stage fast-moving environments. Youve built scalable financial systems reporting and forecasting processing from 0-1.

• Youre comfortable (and excited to) be in the weeds of modeling and reconciliation but can quickly context switch to support strategic projects like headcount planning or board prep.

• You think beyond the numbers and care deeply about operational excellence. You constantly look for ways to help yourself and your team run faster and smarter.

• Youre entrepreneurial by nature and understand that no task is too big or too small at the early stage.

What Youll Do

• Strategic Finance

  • Own the finance function end-to-end partnering closely with accounting for month-end close cash flow management revenue recognition payroll and BvA tracking.

  • Establish and own core accounting FP&A AR and reporting processes and systems.

  • Collaborate closely with the executive team on financial modeling headcount planning.

  • Own investor reporting including monthly/quarterly updates financial packages and KPI narratives. Also contribute meaningfully to board decks and meeting preparation.

  • Build dynamic robust dashboards to monitor financial and business health. Regularly present findings and actionable insights to the executive team.

  • Oversee all company spend. Build monitor and refresh internal spend policies.

  • Serve as the primary point of contact for external accountants tax advisors auditors and banking partners.

  • Design implement and maintain a best-in-class finance tool stack including ERP billing expense management and BI/reporting tools.

  • Look for ways to automate manual processes reduce manual work and improve the speed and accuracy of reporting.

  • Partner closely with sales and GTM on commission plans pricing headcount planning and reporting.

• Business Operations

  • Support tax and compliance efforts including R&D tax credit processes state compliance requirements business registrations insurance policies and COI requests and employer filings.

  • Support compliance and audit efforts across SOC 2 HIPAA and related frameworks. Bonus: experience with NIST FedRAMP or StateRAMP frameworks.

  • Serve as a resource to adjacent teams on strategic and operational initiatives. This could range from helping to negotiate a contract to owning a research project for market expansion.

What Youll Bring

• 6 years of experience in finance ideally with early-stage or growth-stage SaaS companies.

• Strong FP&A financial modeling and accounting fundamentals.

• Eagerness and openness to leveraging AI tools to help automate workflows.

• Experience with BI tools and SQL.

• Experience building scalable systems and processes in previous finance and operations organizations.

• Eagerness and excitement to pick up cross-functional projects.

• Candidates who began their careers in investment banking consulting or corporate finance are preferred.

Base Salary is $160 - $190k

At Kaizen we believe that great work starts with taking great care of our people. Were building something meaningful and that starts with a culture where people genuinely love to work. Heres how we support you - in and out of the workplace:

Comprehensive Health Coverage

We offer Gold and Platinum PPO plans through Oxford (United) with 85% of premiums covered for employees on the Platinum plan with a $0 premium option

Dental Vision & Financial Wellness

Youre covered with Guardian PPO dental and Beam vision plans - Kaizen pays 99% of premiums for employees and 50% for dependents. We also offer:

• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA & Dependent Care FSA)

• $100000 in fully paid life insurance

• 401(k) access through Guideline

Parental Leave That Supports Families

Because time with your growing family matters.

• 16 weeks fully paid for birthing parents and 10 weeks paid for non-birthing parents

Everyday Support & Flexibility

• $50/month toward your commute

• One-time setup stipend (up to $750) for your home or NYC office

• $100/month for wellness or productivity

Perks That Make Life Better

• $250/year for recreation - because fun matters

• $500/year for professional development - because growth does too

• Expensed lunch three days a week when youre in the office

• Company-provided laptop

Time Off to Recharge

• Unlimited PTO

• All federal holidays off

• A company-wide winter break during the week of Christmas

At Kaizen were building something meaningful and that starts with a culture where people genuinely love to work. Come build with us.

The salary range listed represents the low and high end of Kaizens salary range for this position. Salary will vary depending on various factors including but not limited to location education skills experience and performance. The range listed is just one component of Kaizens total compensation package for employees and other forms of compensation may include annual bonuses commissions and equity grants.

Kaizen provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race color religion age sex national origin disability status genetics protected veteran status sexual orientation gender identity or expression or any other characteristic protected by federal state or local laws.

We are committed to maintaining a supportive and inclusive environment for people with diverse backgrounds and experiences. We respect the varied identities abilities cultures and traditions of the individuals who comprise our organization and recognize the value that different backgrounds and points of view bring to our organization.

If you need assistance or an accommodations due to a disability please email us at . This information will be treated as confidential and used only to determine an appropriate accommodation for the interview process.