Senior Software Engineer, Product

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

As a Product Engineer, you’ll be one of the engineers closest to our customers, shaping how residents interact with local government every day. Your work will directly influence customer experience, retention, and adoption, while setting the quality bar for how government technology should feel. You’ll work across the stack to design and ship features that make government services intuitive, reliable, and even delightful. This role is full-stack at its core, but with an eye for detail on the customer-facing side of the product (React/Next.js). You’ll collaborate closely with product, design, and even directly with customers to understand needs, scope solutions, and deliver polished, quality user experiences. Attention to detail, customer empathy, and ownership are key - you’ll be the type of engineer who makes sure the end result feels right to both the user and the system.

Technical Challenges Unique to This Role

• Building full-stack features that span elegant frontends and reliable backends.

• Creating beautiful, high-performance, and intuitive user experiences - residents should feel like they’re using best-in-class consumer apps.

• Scaling our platform to serve millions of residents across thousands of municipalities.

• Working directly with customers and quickly turning their feedback into thoughtful product improvements.

• Integrating with external hardware and services (QR code scanners, Apple Wallet, cash registers).

• Developing reusable, accessible components that adapt to many different municipalities.

What You’ll Do

• Own, build, and ship customer-facing features end-to-end.

• Translate customer requests and feedback into high-quality product improvements.

• Collaborate with design and product teams to craft polished, intuitive interfaces.

• Write high-quality, testable, and maintainable code across the stack.

• Contribute to high-level architectural decisions as we scale.

• Pay close attention to design details to ensure the product feels smooth and user-friendly.

• Use AI tools throughout your daily workflow, from writing and reviewing code to debugging, testing, and documentation - to ship faster without sacrificing quality.

What You’ll Bring

• 6+ years of professional software development experience, ideally across the stack.

• Strong experience in React/Next.js (frontend) and Node.js/TypeScript/Postgres (backend).

• A proven track record of shipping polished, customer-facing features.

• Comfort using AI coding tools (e.g., Copilot, Cursor, Claude) as part of how you work. You treat them as a real part of your toolkit, not a novelty.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills - comfortable engaging directly with customers.

• A customer-obsessed mindset, you care about user experience and details that make software enjoyable to use.

• Experience balancing quick customer-driven requests with building long-term, scalable solutions.

• Self-awareness and a growth mindset - you seek feedback, take initiative, and continuously improve.

Nice to Have

• Background in e-commerce or other customer-facing applications where users' experiences were critical.

• Experience working in early-stage startups, shipping 0→1 features.

• Familiarity with cloud deployment tools (Vercel, Render, GCP, GitHub Actions).

• Experience building reusable design systems or component libraries.

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 [email protected].