Founding Filmmaker & Video Lead
Hybrid (New York, NY)$140k - $180k + equityFull-timePosted 1mo ago
About the role
Filmmaker/Content Lead to create and lead Kaizen Studio, capturing Kaizen’s government-tech work across customers, recruiting, and investors; responsible for end-to-end video production, creative direction, and building an in-house production function.
Responsibilities
- Build and run Kaizen Studio. Set the creative direction and visual identity for how Kaizen shows up across every audience: customers, candidates, and investors
- Produce cinematic customer films capturing Kaizen's deployments in the field: the ranger at the gate, the veteran filing a claim, the parent enrolling in benefits, the family relocating across the country
- Shoot documentary-style, behind-the-scenes footage of the team on the road such as the hours before a big meeting, how various teams collaborate on the ground, and what it looks like to build trust with an agency in person
- Run a recurring recruiting film series, covering team events, offsites, day-to-day culture, and the stories behind what draws people to Kaizen’s mission
- Produce founder pieces and launch content tied to new federal contracts and deployments as Kaizen scales past 100 people
- Own production end-to-end on lean shoots: filming, editing, and delivering finished content without waiting on a crew
- Direct and brief contractors (editors, camera operators) on larger productions, making sure their output matches our bar for quality and creativity
Qualifications
- Experience producing and directing video solo or with a small crew, from concept through final edit
- A demonstrated point of view on visual storytelling — not just technical execution, but a clear sense of what makes content feel distinct
- A portfolio that shows range: cinematic storytelling, documentary-style capture, and content built for different audiences (customer-facing, recruiting, executive)
- Comfort working directly with founders to shape how a company's story gets told, without needing a brief handed to you
- Experience briefing and directing contractors on larger shoots, including holding their work to a creative standard
- Good judgment on scoping a shoot — knowing when something can be shot solo and when it needs a hired crew
- Willingness to travel periodically to be embedded with the team on-site, including federal sites
- Experience leveraging AI tooling for pre-viz, assembly, and cleanup, with a clean POV on where it provides the most value in your work
- The ability to eventually lead and grow an in-house team for production and editing
Skills
Required:Video production and directionVisual storytellingPortfolio developmentOn-site collaboration with foundersContractor managementShoot scoping and solo vs crew decisionsTravel and on-site work
Nice to have:AI tooling for pre-viz/assembly/cleanup
Benefits
- Health & Insurance: 100% coverage for employees and dependents across medical, dental, vision; $100,000 life insurance; One Medical membership; Fertility and family-building support; 401(k) with 2% match
- Family & Time Off: 16 weeks paid parental leave for birthing parents, 10 weeks for non-birthing; Unlimited PTO with 2-week minimum; federal holidays off; winter break; company offsites
- Office & Remote Setup: up to $750 home office stipend ( NYC ), $500 remote; $50/month commuter benefit; expensed meals when in office; dinner/Uber home after 7pm; company laptop
- Wellness: NYC gym membership fully covered; non-NYC gym reimbursement
- Stipends: monthly utility stipend, quarterly home cleaning, annual professional development and recreation stipends, quarterly pet care stipend
Last updated Oct 21, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.
About Kaizen Labs
Modern, people-first software for America’s public services
Kaizen Labs helps city administrators transform resident experiences with simple digital products like websites, resident permitting, and recreation management.
softwaredigital productspublic servicesrecreationpermittingcommunitygovernment
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