Forward Deployed Software Engineer

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 From parks & recreation and permitting to licensing and payments were replacing outdated systems with intuitive beautiful technology designed for residents and the public servants who serve them.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 30 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).

The Role

Were 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. Youll also help our engineering team build expertise in rapid iteration pattern recognition and utilizing 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.

Location

Hybrid role with an expectation of three days in our NYC office.

What Youll Do

• Build end-to-end solutions: Design and implement full-stack features (React/ 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

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 Youll Bring

• 3 years of professional software engineering experience

• Experience building full-stack applications with modern web technologies (React/ TypeScript 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

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

Base Salary is $130 - $160k

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 accommodation 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.