Head of Compensation

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:

Gusto’s People team is growing and scaling with the company!  As our business scales and becomes more complex, and as we add hundreds of new Gusties each year, we need to ensure that our compensation programs evolve and scale in a values-driven manner to attract, retain, and motivate Gusties.

This individual will lead a small but mighty Compensation Team and partner closely with the Head of People, Finance, Accounting, Legal, Equity Admin, and People Partner teams.

Here’s what you’ll do day-to-day:

• Design, implement, and manage compensation programs that are competitive, equitable, easily understood, and incentivize employee performance.
• Lead compensation research, using both standard benchmarking approaches and more creative approaches in order to keep Gusto ahead of fast changing market dynamics.
• Execute on all components of our compensation programs including cash, variable, equity, executive, and other compensation programs.
• Ensure that our compensation offerings are effectively communicated and understood across Gusto and externally to candidates.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local compensation laws and regulations.
• Work collaboratively with senior leaders and other stakeholders at Gusto on all matters of compensation to influence and meet Gusto’s talent strategy. You will work closely with HR, Finance, and Legal departments to ensure a collaborative approach to compensation.
• Empower Gusto’s compensation team to do the best at their craft, inclusive of removing roadblocks, develop decision making frameworks, and development plans.

Here’s what we're looking for:

• 10+ years of progressive experience in compensation, with at least 2 years in a managerial role.
• Proven experience in developing and implementing effective compensation strategies in a complex, fast-paced, tech environment.
• Advanced knowledge of standard competitive market pay practices but eager to find unique solutions tailored to fit Gusto’s business model, stage, and culture. 
• Comprehensive understanding of pre-IPO equity vehicles and practices.
• Exceptional analytical, problem-solving, communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to engage and influence stakeholders of all levels.
• Ability to break down complex compensation concepts and educate stakeholders and employees of all levels, experiences, and prior compensation knowledge.
• Pragmatic, action-oriented, with a strong service mindset.

Our cash compensation amount for this role is between $152,000 - $188,00/year in Denver and between $178,000 - $220,000/year for New York and San Francisco. 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.

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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