Head of Product, Payroll

About Gusto

At Gusto, we're on a mission to grow the small business economy. We handle the hard stuff — payroll, health insurance, 401(k)s, and HR — so owners can focus on their craft and their customers. With teams in Denver, San Francisco, and New York, we support more than 500,000 small businesses nationwide and are building a workplace that reflects the people we serve.

All full-time employees receive competitive base pay, benefits, and equity (RSUs) — because everyone who helps build Gusto should share in its success. Offer amounts are determined by role, level, and location. Learn more about our Total Rewards philosophy .

AI is a fundamental part of how work gets done at Gusto. We expect all team members to actively engage with AI tools relevant to their role and grow their fluency as the technology evolves. AI experience requirements vary by role and will be assessed during the interview process.

By the Numbers:

• Named #1 best software for small business of 2024 by G2
• 2,700+ employees in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Turkiye and growing
• Over $500M in annual revenue
• The SMB market is large (and growing!) with huge opportunities for Gusto to make an incredible impact for SMBs
• There are 6.2M employers in the US, 98% have fewer than 100 employees (1)
• 550,000 new businesses are created each year in the US (1)

What Product Management is like at Gusto:

• We’re looking for high-autonomy, entrepreneurial Product Managers to come build high-impact solutions for small businesses and their employees. We believe in high-ownership Product Managers who operate like business owners - owning an entire roadmap end to end and shipping product all the way from strategy through to the nitty gritty details (some describe this kind of role as a “GM” type role).
• Our Product team is lean, which means you’ll have a high degree of impact and ownership.
• We’re here to serve small and medium businesses. Gusto has a strong mission-driven culture, and we care deeply about lifting up these business owners.

About the Role:

Gusto is in search of an exceptional product leader to oversee our Payroll product and business area on a global scale. Payroll is Gusto’s core product, used by each of our 400,000+ small business customers and contributing significantly to our annual recurring revenue. As a key member of Gusto’s product leadership team, you will assume end-to-end responsibility for the Payroll product strategy, roadmap, and business performance. You will directly lead the product team and indirectly oversee various cross-functional departments, all collaborating to deliver the ultimate Payroll experience for our valued customers. Your role will encompass building a dynamic team, a thriving business, and a suite of products that will be adored by our customers while setting industry benchmarks.

If you are a customer-centric builder who thrives on making a substantial impact within a high-growth organization, we would be thrilled to hear from you!

About the Team

Payroll is the heart of Gusto’s business, ensuring employees are paid accurately, on time, and in compliance with complex regulations. Our teams build and maintain the infrastructure and customer experiences that make payroll simple, reliable, and stress-free. We design user-friendly team management products that integrate seamlessly with Gusto’s broader Small Business Platform, combining digital solutions with human support where it’s needed most. We serve customers at every stage, from new employers hiring their first team members to growing businesses with expanding needs. No matter the size or complexity of your business, our solutions provide peace of mind and take the work out of paying your team.

Here’s what you’ll do day-to-day:

• Ownership: Take ownership of the Payroll product and business area from end to end.
• North Star: Define and drive the long-term vision and strategy for Gusto Payroll, charting the future of how small businesses will pay and empower their teams, and positioning Payroll for its next era of growth and scale.
• Collaborate: Work with a strong cross-functional team of Engineers, Product Managers, Designers, and Data Scientists to bring your product strategy to life for customers.
• Empowerment: Directly coach and lead a talented team of senior product managers.

Here’s what we're looking for:

• 15+ years of hands-on product management experience across all roles/levels, with at least 5+ years leading and managing PMs (ideally teams of >=5).
• A people-first leader who builds, mentors, and empowers senior PMs, fosters an inclusive product culture, and inspires teams to deliver with clarity, ownership, and accountability.
• Background in SMB-focused software, with experience working in complex areas and regulated categories strongly preferred.
• Strong track record of building and scaling large, mission-critical products, with the ability to break down multi-year initiatives into pragmatic, high-impact launches.
• Skilled at collaborating across Engineering, Design, Data, Ops, Compliance, Finance, and GTM teams to drive adoption, revenue outcomes, and customer success.

If you don't think you meet all of the criteria above but still are interested in the job, please apply. Nobody checks every box, and we're looking for someone excited to join the team.

Our cash compensation amount for this role is $206,000/yr to $248,000/yr in Denver & most major metro locations, and $243,000/yr to $292,000/yr for San Francisco, Seattle & New York. Final offer amounts are determined by multiple factors including candidate location, experience and expertise and may vary from the amounts listed above.

Gusto has physical office spaces in Denver, San Francisco, and New York City. Employees who are based in those locations will be expected to work from the office on designated days approximately 2-3 days per week (or more depending on role). The same office expectations apply to all Symmetry roles, Gusto's subsidiary, whose physical office is in Scottsdale.

Note: The San Francisco office expectations encompass both the San Francisco and San Jose metro areas.

When approved to work from a location other than a Gusto office, a secure, reliable, and consistent internet connection is required. This includes non-office days for hybrid employees.

Our customers come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds, not just because it's the right thing to do, but because it makes our company stronger. If you share our values and our enthusiasm for small businesses, you will find a home at Gusto.

Gusto is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate in hiring or any employment decision based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or other applicable legally protected characteristic. Gusto considers qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state and local law. Gusto is also committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application procedures. We want to see our candidates perform to the best of their ability. If you require a medical or religious accommodation at any time throughout your candidate journey, please fill out this form and a member of our team will get in touch with you.

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