Channel Partnerships Manager (VC, Accelerator & Community)

The Wrap; United States; Hybrid; USD 181,000 - 230,000; Full time

Job summary

Gusto is seeking a VC & PE Partnerships Manager to own and scale our relationships with venture capital and private equity firms. This role sits at the intersection of partnerships, investing, and go-to-market strategy and will build high-leverage, programmatic ecosystem partnerships that appear early in a founder’s journey.

You’ll collaborate with Partnerships, Marketing, Events and Sales to define the portfolio, engagement model, and success metrics, and you will represent Gusto externally

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in partnerships, ecosystem development, venture or growth programs, or adjacent roles, with a track record of function‑level impact
• 3+ years of experience with the venture capital and private equity ecosystem, including founders, operators, and investors
• Proven ability to independently lead complex, cross‑functional partnership initiatives that balance relationship depth with scalability
• Strong judgment around where to invest time and where to say “not now”
• Comfort working cross‑functionally and influencing without direct authority
• Ability to translate ambiguous inputs into clear strategy and execution plans
• Experience working at or closely with a VC or PE firm, high‑growth company, or ecosystem platform
• Background in program design, portfolio engagement, or platform partnerships
• Experience evaluating partnership impact beyond direct revenue attribution

Responsibilities

• Own Gusto’s VC & PE partnership strategy end to end, accountable for results across the function
• Define and maintain a clear partner portfolio, including which partners warrant 1:1 investment versus scaled engagement
• Build repeatable, programmatic partnership motions (e.g., portfolio company programs, founder and operator education, marketplace or platform integrations)
• Serve as the Tier 1 point of contact for a core group of high‑impact ecosystem partners
• Collaborate closely with Partner Marketing and Events to design scalable programs and moments of engagement
• Partner with Recruit and other internal teams to align on net‑new partner sourcing over time
• Track and evaluate ecosystem impact across metrics such as ARR, pipeline influence, and founder reach
• Represent Gusto externally as a credible, recognized voice in the VC & PE ecosystem, and provide thought leadership to internal teams and external partners

Job description

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.

About the Role:

Gusto is looking for a VC & PE Partnerships Manager to own and scale our relationships across venture capital (VC) and private equity (PE) firms.

This role sits at the intersection of partnerships, investing, and go-to-market strategy. You’ll own how Gusto engages with the investor ecosystem in a way that is thoughtful, scalable, and aligned with long‑term business priorities, and you’ll be accountable for the results of that motion across the function. Rather than managing a broad set of one‑off relationships, this role focuses on building high-leverage, programmatic ecosystem partnerships that consistently show up early in a founder’s journey.

You’ll partner closely with teams across various Partnerships teams, Marketing, Events, and Sales to define the right portfolio, engagement model, and success metrics for this motion.

About the Team:

The Channel Partnerships function sits within Gusto’s broader Partnerships organization. We work cross‑functionally to extend Gusto’s reach through trusted partners, while ensuring our motions scale sustainably over time. This team acts as a connective layer between the startup ecosystem and Gusto’s go‑to‑market engine—balancing long‑term relationship building with clear ownership, guardrails, and outcomes.

Here’s what you’ll do day‑to‑day:

• Own Gusto’s VC & PE partnership strategy end to end, accountable for results across the function
• Define and maintain a clear partner portfolio, including which partners warrant 1:1 investment versus scaled engagement
• Build repeatable, programmatic partnership motions (e.g., portfolio company programs, founder and operator education, marketplace or platform integrations)
• Serve as the Tier 1 point of contact for a core group of high‑impact ecosystem partners
• Collaborate closely with Partner Marketing and Events to design scalable programs and moments of engagement
• Partner with Recruit and other internal teams to align on net‑new partner sourcing over time
• Track and evaluate ecosystem impact across metrics such as ARR, pipeline influence, and founder reach
• Represent Gusto externally as a credible, recognized voice in the VC & PE ecosystem, and provide thought leadership to internal teams and external partners

Here’s what we're looking for:

• 5+ years of experience in partnerships, ecosystem development, venture or growth programs, or adjacent roles, with a track record of function‑level impact
• 3+ years of experience with the venture capital and private equity ecosystem, including founders, operators, and investors
• Proven ability to independently lead complex, cross‑functional partnership initiatives that balance relationship depth with scalability
• Strong judgment around where to invest time and where to say “not now”
• Comfort working cross‑functionally and influencing without direct authority
• Ability to translate ambiguous inputs into clear strategy and execution plans
• Experience working at or closely with a VC or PE firm, high‑growth company, or ecosystem platform
• Background in program design, portfolio engagement, or platform partnerships
• Experience evaluating partnership impact beyond direct revenue attribution

Our cash compensation amount for this role is $153,000 to $195,000 USD for Denver, Phoenix, Atlanta metro areas and $180,815 to $230,000 USD for San Francisco & New York and $146,940-$185,000 CAD for Toronto. Final offer amounts are determined by multiple factors including candidate location, experience and expertise and may vary from the amounts listed above.

At Gusto, we don't use titles the traditional way, as a signal of rank or hierarchy. Instead, our titles describe two things at once — your craft (what you do, e.g. Engineering, Design) and your scope of ownership (what you're accountable for) — which is why you'll see something like "Head of X" instead of a rank word like "Director" that tells you neither. Because of this, the title on this posting may look different from what you'd expect based on the scope and seniority of the role, and from how similar roles are typically titled elsewhere. If you have questions about how this role compares to your current title or level, your recruiter can help translate.

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.

Reliable, consistent presence: We expect regular and predictable attendance, whether you're working in‑office, hybrid, or fully remote, so that you stay closely connected to your team, customers, and stakeholders in real time and ensure colleagues and customers receive the timely support and responsiveness they deserve.

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.

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

Personal information collected and processed as part of your Gusto application will be subject to Gusto's Applicant Privacy Notice.