Software Engineer, Cleared (TS/SCI)
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.
Clearance and Eligibility
This role requires an active Top Secret or TS/SCI clearance. United States citizenship is required, because it is a condition of eligibility for the clearance the role depends on.
The Role
Most government software was built for compliance, not for the people who use it. Kaizen is changing that, and the engineers who work here are the reason it's possible. At the senior level, this role carries more than code: you're shaping how AI-native features get designed, scoped, and shipped across a platform that millions of Americans touch when they need something from their government. You'll be one of a small number of engineers with direct influence over what gets built and how: setting technical direction, mentoring teammates, and driving decisions that stick.
Location
This is a hybrid role based out of our New York or DC. Candidates must reside in New York or DC or be able to commute to New York City or DC to work out of our office at least three times a week (Tuesdays - Thursdays).
What You'll Do
Architect and ship full-stack features end-to-end, from scoping and technical design through build, iteration, and production
Build and integrate against the Palantir stack: Foundry ontologies and pipelines, AIP agents, and Maven Smart System workflows
Build inside classification and data-handling constraints rather than around them
Lead the development of AI-powered product surfaces: intelligent intake flows, real-time constituent assistants, automated case routing, agency operator dashboards
Set technical direction and raise the bar on code quality. Your decisions become the patterns the rest of the team builds on
Engage directly with federal agency stakeholders to translate messy real-world requirements into clean, shippable product
Own platform reliability and performance at government scale: real SLAs, real users, no abstraction layer between you and accountability
Mentor earlier-career engineers through code review, pairing, and direct technical feedback
What You'll Bring
3+ years of professional engineering experience, with a track record of owning complex features and systems, not just executing on them
Hands-on development experience with Palantir Foundry, AIP, or Maven Smart System. You have modeled against the ontology, shipped pipelines or AIP agents, and can say what the platform does well and where you had to work around it
Deep fluency in React / Next.js and Node.js / TypeScript / Postgres. Fast, not just functional
AI coding tools (Cursor, Copilot, Claude) are already baked into how you work. You've shipped with them, and you move measurably faster because of it
You've built something real: a product, an open source project, a system you designed and stood behind
Proven ability to operate in ambiguity: you define the problem as often as you solve it, and you don't stall waiting for the answer to come to you
A genuine orientation toward the end user, the person on the other side of the screen isn't an abstraction to you
Strong Candidates May Also...
Have shipped software inside a classified or otherwise accredited environment, and know where the real friction lives
Have been a Forward Deployed Engineer, or worked a program where Palantir was prime and you were the one making the integration actually work
Have touched federal, state, or local government tech, or have built in other regulated, high-stakes environments where the constraints were real
Have cloud deployment depth: AWS, Vercel, GitHub Actions, ECS/Fargate
Have experience with design systems and component libraries and a clear opinion on when a component is right vs. just functional
Have led technical work in an early-stage environment where the job was figuring it out, not following a playbook
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
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. For remote employees, $100/month dedicated to gym or physical fitness reimbursement.
Stipends
$100/month utility stipend.
$500/year professional development.
$250/year recreation.
$300/quarter pet care stipend.