Hybrid opportunity at
GustoSenior Staff Software Engineer - Pricing and Packaging
Gusto is currently seeking a Senior Staff Software Engineer and Tech Lead to guide the technical path of its internal Commerce Platform in San Francisco. This…
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About This Role
Gusto is currently seeking a Senior Staff Software Engineer and Tech Lead to guide the technical path of its internal Commerce Platform in San Francisco. This hybrid position centers on architecting and delivering foundational infrastructure that powers product packaging, pricing, and distribution for over half a million small businesses nationwide. The person in this role will collaborate closely with product managers, data scientists, and cross-functional engineering groups to design dependable,…
Job Description
Gusto is currently seeking a Senior Staff Software Engineer and Tech Lead to guide the technical path of its internal Commerce Platform in San Francisco. This hybrid position centers on architecting and delivering foundational infrastructure that powers product packaging, pricing, and distribution for over half a million small businesses nationwide. The person in this role will collaborate closely with product managers, data scientists, and cross-functional engineering groups to design dependable, high-performing systems that support corporate expansion.
This opportunity is well-suited for an experienced technologist who thrives on high-stakes platform development, balancing technical craftsmanship with tangible business outcomes. The Commerce Platform acts as the centralized authority for product catalogs, promotional engines, subscription management, pricing experiments, and entitlement services. Daily responsibilities include steering system design, leading complex projects from planning to release, mentoring engineering talent, maintaining platform reliability, and integrating AI tools to boost development speed.
Gusto provides HR, payroll, health insurance, and 401(k) administration services designed to help enterprise owners manage their administrative burdens. Eligible staff members receive total compensation packages featuring base pay, equity in the form of restricted stock units, and standard benefits. Candidates based in San Francisco will work from the office approximately two to three days each week.
Responsibilities
- Lead architectural design for the Commerce Platform including product catalogs, promotion engines, subscriptions, and entitlement systems
- Partner with product management and engineering squads to define technical roadmaps and drive organization-wide adoption
- Manage end-to-end delivery of complex initiatives from scoping through implementation, rollout, and iteration
- Mentor and develop engineering team members through technical coaching, design evaluations, and code reviews
- Incorporate AI assistants and automated testing tools to accelerate development velocity and establish best practices
- Oversee platform observability, establish and track service-level objectives, direct incident response, and conduct post-mortems
- Collaborate with marketing and business units to refine self-service tools for managing products, bundles, and promotions
Requirements
- Have at least 10 years of software engineering experience
- Bring a minimum of 2 years working as a tech lead or staff engineer establishing technical direction
- Achieve mastery in at least one programming language such as Ruby, Java, Python, or Go
- Demonstrate deep background building and operating large-scale backend platform systems in commerce, billing, subscription management, or pricing
- Possess strong command of distributed systems, API design, and service reliability practices in production environments
- Show proven ability to utilize AI coding assistants in daily engineering workflows
- Display a track record of leading cross-functional technical initiatives and aligning engineering with business stakeholders
- Communicate complex technical concepts clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences
- Work from the San Francisco office approximately 2 to 3 days per week
Qualifications
- Hold a bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field, or possess equivalent practical experience
Core Skills
Benefits
- Competitive base salary
- Equity in the form of restricted stock units
- Standard employee benefits
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the location and remote policy for this role?
This position is based in San Francisco, with a hybrid work expectation of approximately two to three days in the office per week.
What is the salary range for this position in San Francisco?
For San Francisco, Seattle, and New York, the targeted cash compensation is between $223,000 and $278,000 per year, with additional stock equity.
What kind of experience is required for this job?
Candidates must have at least 10 years of software engineering experience, including a minimum of 2 years in a tech lead or staff engineer capacity.
What is the employment type?
The posting specifies full-time employment.
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