Business Development Representative

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. THE ROLE Most government agencies are still running on legacy software built before smartphones existed - and the residents who depend on those services feel it every day. Kaizen is changing that, but closing deals with public sector agencies is a long game: multi-stakeholder, relationship-driven, and high-touch from the very first conversation. This BDR role exists to build the top of that funnel - identifying the right agencies, opening the right doors, and handing off qualified opportunities to our Account Executives. It's an early-career role with real ownership and a direct line to revenue. 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). Expect travel to be 25-50% for conferences and in-person meetings. WHAT YOU'LL DO - Own outbound prospecting across your territory - research target agencies, identify champions, and build pipeline from scratch through cold outreach, LinkedIn, and conference presence - Qualify inbound leads and route them efficiently, ensuring AEs have the context they need to run a strong first meeting - Run high-volume, personalized outreach sequences across email, phone, and LinkedIn - adapting your approach based on what resonates with public sector buyers - Partner closely with AEs to align on territory strategy, share intel from early conversations, and refine messaging based on what's working in the field - Represent Kaizen at industry conferences and virtual events, building relationships with government decision-makers before a formal sales process begins - Maintain rigorous CRM hygiene so pipeline visibility is always accurate and the team can act on real data - Surface patterns from prospect conversations - what objections come up, what excites people, what's changing in the market - and bring those insights back to the GTM team WHAT YOU'LL BRING - 1–3 years of outbound sales or prospecting experience, ideally in a SaaS or high-growth startup environment - A track record of hitting or exceeding pipeline targets through self-directed outbound activity - not waiting for leads to come to you - Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to tailor messaging to different buyers and contexts - Comfort with sales tools: CRM (Salesforce preferred), sequencing platforms (Outreach or similar), LinkedIn Sales Navigator - High EQ and genuine curiosity about the people you're talking to - government buyers respond to reps who take the time to understand their world STRONG CANDIDATES MAY ALSO... - Have prior exposure to SLED (state, local, and education) sales or government-adjacent markets - Have experience booking meetings through multi-channel sequences, including phone, and can speak to what worked - Be energized by the idea of growing into a full-cycle AE role over time WHAT KAIZEN OFFERS Health & Insurance - Comprehensive medical through Oxford/United