Channel Partnerships Manager, Gusto
Investor Ecosystems (VC & PE)
$185-235k
Actual salary range is dependent on location. Offers equity
2-3 days a week in office
Automated payroll, benefits & HR platform
Open for applications
Automated payroll, benefits & HR platform
1001+ employees
Open for applications
$185-235k
Actual salary range is dependent on location. Offers equity
2-3 days a week in office
1001+ employees
Company mission
To grow the small business economy.
Role
Who you are
- 10+ years of experience in partnerships, ecosystem development, venture or growth programs, or adjacent roles, with a track record of function-level impact
- 4+ years of experience with the venture capital and private equity ecosystem, including founders, operators, and investors
- Proven ability to independently lead complex, cross-functional partnership initiatives that balance relationship depth with scalability
- Strong judgment around where to invest time and where to say “not now”
- Comfort working cross-functionally and influencing without direct authority
- Ability to translate ambiguous inputs into clear strategy and execution plans
- Experience working at or closely with a VC or PE firm, high-growth company, or ecosystem platform
- Background in program design, portfolio engagement, or platform partnerships
- Experience evaluating partnership impact beyond direct revenue attribution
What the job involves
- Gusto is looking for a VC & PE Partnerships Manager to own and scale our relationships across venture capital (VC) and private equity (PE) firms
- This role sits at the intersection of partnerships, investing, and go-to-market strategy
- You’ll own how Gusto engages with the investor ecosystem in a way that is thoughtful, scalable, and aligned with long-term business priorities, and you’ll be accountable for the results of that motion across the function
- Rather than managing a broad set of one-off relationships, this role focuses on building high-leverage, programmatic ecosystem partnerships that consistently show up early in a founder’s journey
- You’ll partner closely with teams across various Partnerships teams, Marketing, Events, and Sales to define the right portfolio, engagement model, and success metrics for this motion
- The Channel Partnerships function sits within Gusto’s broader Partnerships organization
- We work cross-functionally to extend Gusto’s reach through trusted partners, while ensuring our motions scale sustainably over time
- This team acts as a connective layer between the startup ecosystem and Gusto’s go-to-market engine—balancing long-term relationship building with clear ownership, guardrails, and outcomes
- Own Gusto’s VC & PE partnership strategy end to end, accountable for results across the function
- Define and maintain a clear partner portfolio, including which partners warrant 1:1 investment versus scaled engagement
- Build repeatable, programmatic partnership motions (e.g., portfolio company programs, founder and operator education, marketplace or platform integrations)
- Serve as the Tier 1 point of contact for a core group of high-impact ecosystem partners
- Collaborate closely with Partner Marketing and Events to design scalable programs and moments of engagement
- Partner with Recruit and other internal teams to align on net-new partner sourcing over time
- Track and evaluate ecosystem impact across metrics such as ARR, pipeline influence, and founder reach
- Represent Gusto externally as a credible, recognized voice in the VC & PE ecosystem, and provide thought leadership to internal teams and external partners
Our take
For many small businesses, vital administrative tasks such as payroll, taxes, and benefits are manual tasks that take time and energy - which many SMB owners don’t have. The co-founders of Gusto all come from small business backgrounds, which is why they created a platform that would handle employee payments, benefits administration, and compliance support specifically for small businesses.
The company may have started slowly, as the founders focused on nailing each individual aspect of Gusto’s operations, but has now skyrocketed to unicorn status with more than 400,000 customers and a multi-billion dollar valuation. And in 2021, Gusto began acquiring other companies to strengthen its offering and position in a competitive market, including the likes of Ardius, Symmetry and Guideline.
Through its continued acquisitions and fundraising efforts, the company has carved out a strong position for itself in the space. It continues to expand its platform, for example by partnering with Parafin to launch a payroll line of credit for small businesses, and more recently launching Cofounder, an AI teammate tailored to the needs of small businesses.
Steph
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Insights
45% employee growth in 12 months
Company
Funding (last 2 of 9 rounds)
May 2022
$55m
SERIES E
Aug 2021
$175m
SERIES E
Total funding: $706.3m
Company benefits
- Medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and dependents
- Family care and support, including family planning and fertility benefits
- Gender-affirming care and support
- A variety of mental health resources
- Paid vacation, sick time, bereavement, and holidays, paid leaves, sabbatical, and more
- Free meals and refreshments at the office (conversation and community is an added bonus!)
Company HQ
Central Waterfront, San Francisco, CA
Leadership
Joshua Reeves
(CEO & Co-Founder)Studied Electrical Engineering at Stanford and went onto co-found Gusto in 2011.
Tomer London
(CPO & Co-Founder)Has a PhD in Electrical Engineering from Stanford. Was a Researcher at Intel, and then interned at Bump Technologies. Co-founded Vizmo before co-founding Gusto in 2011.
Edward Kim
(Head of Technology & Co-Founder)Studied Electrical Engineering at Stanford. Was Senior Project Engineer at Volkswagen of America Electronics Research Lab and then co-founded Picwing before co-founding Gusto in 2011.
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