Senior Data Engineer

About Gusto

Gusto supports more than 500,000 small businesses with payroll, health insurance, 401(k)s, and HR services. Its Data Engineering team builds tools and systems that make data consistent, accessible, and useful for business decisions and customized customer experiences.

Role and Responsibilities

• Own loosely defined data problems end-to-end, from problem framing and stakeholder alignment through design, implementation, and delivery of durable data solutions.
• Partner with analytics, product, and engineering teams to deliver business and customer impact.
• Actively engage with AI tools relevant to the role and develop fluency as the technology evolves. AI experience will be assessed during interviews.

Preferred Qualifications

• 8–10+ years of industry experience in data engineering, building scalable data pipelines and data products.
• Strong SQL proficiency and proficiency in at least one programming language, such as Python, Scala, or Java.
• Experience building and maintaining robust data pipelines and ETL workflows, including hands-on dbt experience for reliable, testable, maintainable transformations.
• Experience ingesting data from APIs, databases, SaaS applications, and event streams.
• Strong foundations in data modeling, schema design, and data quality, with functional experience using platforms such as Snowflake, Redshift, BigQuery, or Databricks.
• Experience implementing CI/CD pipelines, automated testing, and data observability.
• Familiarity with monitoring, alerting, and incident response for production data pipelines.
• Ability to optimize performance and cost across data workflows and storage systems.
• Functional understanding of AI and automation in data engineering, including self-service tools, intelligent pipelines, and agents that automate repetitive tasks.
• Excellent problem-solving and cross-functional collaboration skills.
• Strong communication with an emphasis on clarity, empathy, and shared ownership.

Locations and Work Expectations

• Listed locations: Denver, CO; New York, NY; and San Francisco, CA, all hybrid.
• Employees based near Gusto offices are expected in the office on designated days approximately 2–3 days per week, or more depending on the role. San Francisco office expectations include the San Jose metro area.
• A secure, reliable, consistent internet connection is required for approved work outside the office, including hybrid non-office days.
• Regular, predictable attendance and timely responsiveness to colleagues, customers, and stakeholders are expected.

Compensation and Benefits

Target annual cash compensation varies by location:

• Denver: $155,000–$185,000.
• Los Angeles: $170,000–$200,000.
• San Francisco, Seattle, and New York: $190,000–$220,000.

Final offers depend on experience, expertise, and other factors and may vary from these amounts. The posting also lists compensation reference figures of 180425 for Start of Entry, 212000 for Midpoint, and 243574 for Max of Mature, with a Variable Pay Target of 7.5; units are not specified for those figures.

Full-time employees receive competitive base pay, benefits, and equity through RSUs. Offers vary by role, level, and location.

Application Information

Gusto's titles describe craft and scope of ownership rather than traditional hierarchy; recruiters can clarify comparisons with other titles or levels. Candidates requiring medical or religious accommodations during the application process may request them through the provided form.