Staff Software Engineer, Gusto Solo

Gusto, Inc.

San Francisco (CA)

Hybrid

USD 197,000 - 247,000

Full time

7 days ago

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Job summary

Gusto, Inc. is seeking a Staff Software Engineer for Gusto Solo to build the next chapter of an AI-native platform for solopreneurs. You’ll own end-to-end delivery, drive product-minded decisions, and help shape architecture that scales with revenue growth.

You’ll collaborate with Product, Design, Data Science, and GTM, shipping full-stack features using Ruby on Rails, React, TypeScript, and GraphQL, while applying AI to improve workflow and customer experiences. Hybrid in SF.

Qualifications

8+ years of professional software engineering experience with end-to-end shipping of full-stack features.
Proficiency with Ruby on Rails, React, TypeScript and GraphQL.
Demonstrated ownership of greenfield or 0→1 projects, not just extensions.
Self-driven mindset with ability to navigate ambiguity.
Experience shipping AI-powered or AI-augmented product experiences.

Responsibilities

Own end-to-end delivery of net-new product areas, from design through shipping.
Incorporate AI as a multiplier in workflows and build AI-native experiences into the product.

Skills

Full-stack ownership

Ruby on Rails

React

TypeScript

GraphQL

AI tooling usage

Cross-functional collaboration

Product mindset

Self-directed

SBM/fintech domain

Tools

AWS/GCP (implicitly)

Job description

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 Solo is the all-in-one platform solopreneurs (and their accountants) run their whole business on. We're looking for a Staff Software Engineer to help build the next chapter of Solo. You'll work in a tight, high-leverage funnel where your work maps directly to top-line revenue, and you'll help build an AI-native product.

We're looking for an owner, not just an executor: someone with a strong product mindset who spots the problem, drives the change, and sees it through end to end. We're a small, scrappy, fast-moving team, so we're looking for someone who likes wearing many hats. If you want to weigh in on product, design, or GTM along the way, there's real room for that here.

About the Team:

Self-employed businesses are one of the fastest-growing segments of small business, and Gusto is betting on making Solo the true all-in-one platform for solopreneurs. This is a fully funded, high-performing team: a small group of engineers and an Engineering Manager, plus a dedicated Data Scientist, Designer, and GTM partner with room to grow based on roadmap progress.

Here’s what you’ll do day-to-day:

Own end-to-end delivery of net-new product areas, from technical design through shipping.
Use AI as a genuine multiplier in your own workflow, and help build AI-native experiences into the product itself (including MCP tools).
Partner closely with Product, Design, Data Science, and GTM to identify customer and business problems, prototype solutions, and iterate quickly.
Make pragmatic architecture and data-modeling decisions for problems that mostly don't have existing precedent at Gusto yet.
Build and maintain full-stack features - from backend APIs to frontend UI - with an eye toward scalability and maintainability as the team and product grow.
Weigh in beyond the "engineer lane" when it helps the team: product framing, design tradeoffs, or GTM considerations.
Help define engineering practices and technical foundations for a team that's still early in its build-out.

Here’s what we're looking for:

8+ years of professional software engineering experience, with a track record of shipping full-stack features end to end.
Proficiency across a full-stack toolkit (e.g., Ruby on Rails, React, TypeScript, GraphQL) and the judgment to choose the right tool for the problem.
Demonstrated ownership of 0→1 or greenfield projects, not just extension of existing systems.
A self-driven mindset: comfortable setting direction amid ambiguity, not just executing against a spec.
Genuine, habitual use of AI tools in day-to-day engineering work
Excellent written and verbal communication, with a track record of strong cross-functional partnership.
Experience building for self-employed businesses or SMBs.
Experience in a regulated or compliance-adjacent domain (fintech, payroll, tax, accounting).
Experience shipping AI-powered or AI-augmented product experiences (agents, copilots, LLM-based tooling).
Startup or \"team of one\" experience, comfortable operating with high autonomy and few guardrails.

Please note that a two day travel to a Gusto office for onboarding is required for this position. If you have any questions regarding this requirement, please share with your recruiter.

Our cash compensation amount for this role is targeted at $197,000–$247,000 for San Francisco. 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. 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.

Voluntary Self-Identification

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.

In addition to the information required to consider your application, below is a set of demographic questions that help us identify areas for improvement in our process and further support the development and execution of our diversity efforts and programs as well as to create a more inclusive environment for all employees.

Your responses to these questions will be recorded and maintained in a confidential file. Your responses, or your wish not to answer, will not be associated with your specific application, will not be shared with hiring managers, and will not in any way be used in making any employment decisions, including hiring decisions.

Please use this as a reference while completing the disability self-identification:

You are considered to have a disability if you have a physical or mental impairment or medical condition that substantially limits a major life activity, or if you have a history or record of such an impairment or medical condition. Disabilities include, but are not limited to: