Head of PEO Sales

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.

Gusto is searching for a builder. Not a manager of an existing PEO sales team — a founder-minded sales leader who will design the motion, write the playbook, hire the team, and carry a personal book of business in the early months. This is a 0→1 opportunity to establish Gusto's PEO sales org from the ground up, and we're looking for someone who is energized by that challenge.

You will drive new PEO revenue by selling Gusto's co-employment solution to both prospects and our existing base of 400,000+ customers — Gusto's single biggest competitive advantage over legacy PEOs. The pace is fast, the market opportunity is real, and we're looking for someone who will bring experience, creativity, and a genuine passion for building to the table every single day. You align with our company values and have a knack for building for the long haul. If you're excited to roll up your sleeves, lead by example, and architect something from scratch, let's talk.

You will be the founding leader of Gusto's PEO sales function. In the first 6–12 months, you'll operate as a true player-coach — personally closing deals while simultaneously building the team, tooling, and infrastructure around you. You'll define the ideal customer profile, build out the sales stages and pipeline architecture in Salesforce, and establish the channel strategy (including broker and accountant referral partnerships) that will drive scalable new business over time.

This team will serve as Subject Matter Experts on PEO, guiding prospects through complex buying decisions and partnering closely with HR, benefits, and payroll counterparts to deliver a seamless customer experience. Your biggest unfair advantage: Gusto's existing install base. Like the best scaled PEOs, a meaningful share of your pipeline will come from converting existing payroll customers — and you'll be the one to design and build that on-ramp.

• Sell and build simultaneously. For the first 6–12 months, carry a personal book of business while building the team and infrastructure around you. This is a player-coach role that requires someone comfortable operating at both levels.
• Design the sales motion from scratch. Define sales stages, lead routing, funnel metrics, and pipeline architecture in Salesforce. This org doesn't have a pre-built RevOps foundation — you'll build it.
• Own the full talent lifecycle. Partner closely with Recruiting to define hiring profiles, run interviews, and select top PEO sales talent. Onboard new hires for fast ramp and continuously assess team capacity to stay ahead of headcount needs.
• Build and leverage the channel ecosystem. Develop a point of view on broker, GA, and accountant referral channels. Even if you don't own these relationships day one, you'll be expected to shape the strategy and lay the groundwork for a scalable partner channel.

Our target on-target earnings (OTE) compensation for this role is $270,000/yr to $280,000/yr in Denver & most remote locations, and $295,000/yr to $318,000/yr for San Francisco, & New York. This OTE is structured with a target 60% base pay and 40% commission pay with an uncapped commission structure. Final offer amounts and the exact base/commission split 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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