Gusto
Head of Channel Partnerships New Denver, CO;New York, NY; San Francisco, CA
Gusto, New York, New York, us, 10261
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 400,000 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
We’re looking for an experienced and strategic leader to serve as
Head of Channel Partnerships
at Gusto. This senior role reports to the Head of Indirect GTM and is responsible for building and scaling our channel partner organization. The ideal candidate has a proven track record of managing both individual contributors and managers, setting long-term strategic direction, and driving operational excellence. Success in this role requires balancing big-picture planning (3+ years out) with hands-on execution to deliver measurable growth and impact. The team sits within the revenue organization and is responsible for sourcing net-new revenue and through-partner recruitment. About the Team
At Gusto, partnerships are core to our growth strategy. The Channel Partnerships team focuses on: Developing partner-to-partner strategies with accounting firms Driving new revenue opportunities in collaboration with product partnership teams Your remit will span partners across banking/lending, vertical markets (e.g., franchise and medical practices), and time-tracking solutions—shaping how Gusto shows up across the partner ecosystem. What You’ll Do
Strategic Leadership (25%) Define the long-term vision for the Channel Partnerships organization, including key growth drivers and investible partner criteria. Conduct portfolio assessments (new categories, scaling existing, sunsetting where needed). Build and manage the economic model for investments (partner acquisition and activation costs). Lead, coach, and develop a team of ICs and managers. Design compensation structures, define roles, and drive performance management. Build a culture of excellence in partnership management. Go-to-Market Execution (25%) Develop and refine playbooks for partner recruitment, activation, and growth. Mobilize partners through marketing/partner development programs, co-marketing strategies, and partner-to-partner initiatives. Oversee business planning, contracting, and legal negotiations. Build a motion for 1:1 strategic management and 1:many programmatic management. Establish a tiering framework, shared GTM playbook, and feedback loops that connect both models. Define approach to-through-with marketing, and implement strategy in collaboration with the partner-marketing team. Operational Excellence (25%) Build and manage resourcing, investment plans, and scalable systems/tools. Define rules of engagement across internal and external stakeholders. Ensure rigor in contracts, negotiations, and value exchange modeling. Continuously measure and optimize partner performance and economics. What We’re Looking For
15+ years of experience in partnerships, business development, or GTM strategy, with 8+ years in leadership roles. Demonstrated success managing both ICs and managers. Strong balance of strategic vision and hands-on execution. Deep understanding of partnership economics, GTM motions, and scaling playbooks. Experience working with accounting firms, fintech, SaaS, or B2B partner ecosystems strongly required Excellent communication, negotiation, and cross-functional leadership skills. Salary range: $177,200 to $221,500 in Denver and most major metro locations, and $208,000 to $260,000 for San Francisco and New York. Final offer amounts are determined by factors including location, experience, and market conditions. Gusto has physical office spaces in Denver, San Francisco, and New York City. Employees 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 office is in Scottsdale. Note: The San Francisco office expectations encompass both the San Francisco and San Jose metro areas. Equal Employment Opportunity
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 legally protected characteristic. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application procedures. If you require a medical or religious accommodation at any time throughout your candidate journey, please fill out the accommodation form and a team member will reach out.
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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 400,000 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
We’re looking for an experienced and strategic leader to serve as
Head of Channel Partnerships
at Gusto. This senior role reports to the Head of Indirect GTM and is responsible for building and scaling our channel partner organization. The ideal candidate has a proven track record of managing both individual contributors and managers, setting long-term strategic direction, and driving operational excellence. Success in this role requires balancing big-picture planning (3+ years out) with hands-on execution to deliver measurable growth and impact. The team sits within the revenue organization and is responsible for sourcing net-new revenue and through-partner recruitment. About the Team
At Gusto, partnerships are core to our growth strategy. The Channel Partnerships team focuses on: Developing partner-to-partner strategies with accounting firms Driving new revenue opportunities in collaboration with product partnership teams Your remit will span partners across banking/lending, vertical markets (e.g., franchise and medical practices), and time-tracking solutions—shaping how Gusto shows up across the partner ecosystem. What You’ll Do
Strategic Leadership (25%) Define the long-term vision for the Channel Partnerships organization, including key growth drivers and investible partner criteria. Conduct portfolio assessments (new categories, scaling existing, sunsetting where needed). Build and manage the economic model for investments (partner acquisition and activation costs). Lead, coach, and develop a team of ICs and managers. Design compensation structures, define roles, and drive performance management. Build a culture of excellence in partnership management. Go-to-Market Execution (25%) Develop and refine playbooks for partner recruitment, activation, and growth. Mobilize partners through marketing/partner development programs, co-marketing strategies, and partner-to-partner initiatives. Oversee business planning, contracting, and legal negotiations. Build a motion for 1:1 strategic management and 1:many programmatic management. Establish a tiering framework, shared GTM playbook, and feedback loops that connect both models. Define approach to-through-with marketing, and implement strategy in collaboration with the partner-marketing team. Operational Excellence (25%) Build and manage resourcing, investment plans, and scalable systems/tools. Define rules of engagement across internal and external stakeholders. Ensure rigor in contracts, negotiations, and value exchange modeling. Continuously measure and optimize partner performance and economics. What We’re Looking For
15+ years of experience in partnerships, business development, or GTM strategy, with 8+ years in leadership roles. Demonstrated success managing both ICs and managers. Strong balance of strategic vision and hands-on execution. Deep understanding of partnership economics, GTM motions, and scaling playbooks. Experience working with accounting firms, fintech, SaaS, or B2B partner ecosystems strongly required Excellent communication, negotiation, and cross-functional leadership skills. Salary range: $177,200 to $221,500 in Denver and most major metro locations, and $208,000 to $260,000 for San Francisco and New York. Final offer amounts are determined by factors including location, experience, and market conditions. Gusto has physical office spaces in Denver, San Francisco, and New York City. Employees 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 office is in Scottsdale. Note: The San Francisco office expectations encompass both the San Francisco and San Jose metro areas. Equal Employment Opportunity
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 legally protected characteristic. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application procedures. If you require a medical or religious accommodation at any time throughout your candidate journey, please fill out the accommodation form and a team member will reach out.
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