About Gusto

Gusto is a modern, online people platform that helps small businesses take care of their teams. On top of full-service payroll, Gusto offers health insurance, 401(k)s, expert HR, and team management tools. Today, Gusto offices in Denver, San Francisco, and New York serve more than 300,000 businesses nationwide.

Our mission is to create a world where work empowers a better life, and it starts right here at Gusto. That’s why we’re committed to building a collaborative and inclusive workplace, both physically and virtually. Learn more about our Total Rewards philosophy

About the Role:

As the Senior Staff Software Engineer for Gusto Start, you will spearhead the development of a new product aimed at an entirely new customer base. This role involves repackaging existing features and implementing new functionalities in legacy systems to better support our new customers. You will be responsible for defining the technical roadmap, collaborating with cross-functional stakeholders, managing daily team operations, and mentoring and guiding engineers. If you are passionate about driving innovation and making a significant impact, we would love to have you join our team.

About the Team:

Our team is dedicated to expanding Gusto’s reach by developing both greenfield and legacy features aimed at a new customer segment. Our mission is to grow this customer base and continuously test and refine a suite of tools designed to help these customers hire their first employee. We are a dynamic team that values innovation, collaboration, and the opportunity to make a tangible impact on our product and customers.

Here’s what you’ll do day-to-day:

  • Define and execute the technical roadmap for the new product, ensuring alignment with overall business goals
  • Lead the development of both new (greenfield) and legacy features using Ruby on Rails, Typescript, and React to support the new customer segment
  • Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including Product Management, Design, and Marketing, to deliver high-quality solutions
  • Mentor and guide engineers on the team, fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement
  • Develop the team’s software development process and technical approaches to ensure efficient and effective project execution
  • Drive the implementation of new functionality in legacy systems to enhance support for the new customer base
  • Act as the technical leader for the team, pioneering solutions and overcoming challenges to innovate and drive the project forward
  • Participate in code reviews and provide constructive feedback to maintain code quality standards

Here’s what we're looking for:

  • 10+ years of professional software development experience
  • Proven experience in leading the development of both greenfield and legacy features (Ruby on Rails, Typescript, and React experience is preferred but not mandatory)
  • Experience collaborating with cross-functional teams, including Product Management, Design, and Marketing
  • Strong mentorship skills with a track record of fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement within a team
  • Experience acting as a technical leader, solving complex problems, and driving innovation
  • Ability to develop and enhance the team’s software development processes and technical approaches
  • Excellent communication skills, capable of explaining complex technical concepts to non-technical stakeholders
  • Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field (preferred but not mandatory)

Our cash compensation amount for this role is targeted at $191,000/yr to $237,000/yr in Denver & most remote locations, and $225,000/yr to $279,000/yr for San Francisco & New York. Stock equity is additional. Final offer amounts are determined by multiple factors including candidate 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.


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. If you require assistance in filling out a Gusto job application, please reach out to candidate-accommodations@gusto.com.

Gusto takes security and protection of your personal information very seriously. Please review our Fraudulent Activity Disclaimer.

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Our customers come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire people from a wide variety of backgrounds, not just because it’s the right thing to do, but because it helps us to build better products, better serve our customers, and makes our company stronger. 

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