Corporate Development & Partnerships Deal Lead

About Gusto

At Gusto, we're on a mission to grow the small business economy. We handle the hard stuff—like payroll, health insurance, 401(k)s, and HR—so owners can focus on their craft and customers. With teams in Denver, San Francisco, and New York, we’re proud to support more than 400,000 small businesses across the country, and we’re building a workplace that represents and celebrates the customers we serve. Learn more about our Total Rewards philosophy. 

About the Role:

We are looking for a “full stack” deal lead to join Gusto’s Corporate Development & Partnerships team. The ideal candidate brings experience driving growth for software and/or financial technology companies through both M&A and strategic partnerships. In this role, you will shape Gusto’s Build/Buy/Partner strategy and lead end-to-end M&A and partnership transactions, from sourcing to deal execution. Your contributions will play a pivotal role in accelerating Gusto’s growth as we empower 400,000 small and medium-sized businesses to take care of their people.

About the Team:

The Corporate Development & Partnerships team is a high-impact group responsible for shaping Gusto’s Build/Buy/Partner strategy and driving growth through M&A and strategic partnerships. As a small but mighty team, we play a critical role in executing deals that accelerate Gusto’s impact.

Here’s what you’ll do day-to-day:

• M&A and Partnerships strategy. Partner with product leaders & executives to refine product strategy and roadmaps, assess Build/Buy/Partner pathways and craft Gusto’s M&A and partnerships strategy in support.
• Deal pipeline. Establish industry relationships to help target/partner identification and deal sourcing.
• Deal execution. Drive the deal process, including coordination with cross-functional teams and external advisors.
• Strategic monitoring. Assess strategic trends and monitor industry developments, startup activity and the competitive landscape.

Here’s what we're looking for:

• Experience. 10 years of relevant work experience (corporate development, partnerships,  investment banking, VC, and/or private equity), with at least 3 of those years in corporate development and partnerships at a high growth software or financial technology company.  
• Deal leadership. Ability to run deals end-to-end, from sourcing to negotiating docs, with excellence.
• Product-minded. Strong product intuition and ability to engage with product & engineering leaders on product strategy.
• Technical skills. Outstanding financial modeling and analytical skills paired with solid critical thinking and business judgment.
• Soft skills. Ability to listen deeply, communicate effectively and influence others.

Our cash compensation range for this role is $190,215 to $234,599 in San Francisco, CA. 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. 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.

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.