Product Counsel, Payroll and Fintech
Gusto
$199,150 - $245,618 / year
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Description
About Gusto
At Gusto, we're on a mission to grow the small business economy. We handle the hard stuff — payroll, health insurance, 401(k)s, and HR — so owners can focus on their craft and their customers. With teams in Denver, San Francisco, and New York, we support more than 500,000 small businesses nationwide and are building a workplace that reflects the people we serve.
All full-time employees receive competitive base pay, benefits, and equity (RSUs) — because everyone who helps build Gusto should share in its success. Offer amounts are determined by role, level, and location. Learn more about our Total Rewards philosophy.
AI is a fundamental part of how work gets done at Gusto. We expect all team members to actively engage with AI tools relevant to their role and grow their fluency as the technology evolves. AI experience requirements vary by role and will be assessed during the interview process.
About the Role:
We’re looking for a Product Counsel to join our growing Product Commercial Legal team and redefine how we advise on payroll, fintech and tax products at scale. This is not a “keep the lights on” product counsel role—it’s a transformational opportunity to build the function of the future, powered by AI and cutting-edge process design while working collaboratively within our consumer fintech and payments products to support the risk-adjusted development of Gusto’s payroll, benefits and HR services.
At Gusto, Legal & Compliance operates as an AI-native team. We expect every team member to actively leverage AI tools to improve quality, scale, and speed, while designing right-sized human-in-the-loop controls to ensure accuracy and quality.
In this role, you will own Gusto’s end-to-end legal advisory support of product development, review, updates, and advancements in partnership with product managers, engineers, design, business development, commercial, privacy, security, risk and other stakeholders while also leading the adoption of AI-driven review tools. You will set the standards, playbooks, and tooling that allow Gusto’s product legal function to scale with speed and intelligence as the company grows.
You’ll be the driver of innovation: determining thresholds for review, implementing smarter ways of working, and leading the way in educating our legal and compliance teams—and the business at large—on new industry practices and breakthroughs in smarter product development and counseling. If you’re energized by building from the ground up, pushing boundaries, and leaving a mark on how in-house legal can operate in this new AI-powered era, this role is your chance to do just that.
About the Team:
Gusto’s Legal & Compliance team partners with product teams to enable innovation, facilitate responsible company growth, accelerate the Gusto roadmap, and provide compliant products to our customers, through solution-focused counsel on legal and business risks. We are passionate about using groundbreaking technology and excellent service to elevate the experience of small business owners and their employees. Each team member is a true owner and makes a tremendous impact every day.
Here’s what you’ll do day-to-day:
- Navigate complex regulatory frameworks to design and mature Gusto’s core products including, payroll, fintech, tax and payments.
- Look around corners, creatively solve problems, and help define business strategy as Gusto expands its functionality to meet the needs of US businesses that have hired or are preparing to hire employees and/or contractors.
- Counsel the Product, Engineering, Design, and Business Teams and help them navigate a range of issues related to payroll products and/or partnerships, domestic and international payments, data privacy, and tax.
- Contribute to the development of scalable processes to manage legal risk and accelerate product expansion.
- Partner closely with our Commercial Team to advise on product risk, work through redlines, and negotiate with counterparties.
- Actively test, pilot, and recommend next-gen AI solutions, ensuring the Product Legal team is always on the leading edge of innovation.
Here’s what we're looking for:
- JD degree and a member of a State bar/ active license to practice law.
- 7+ years of combined legal experience, with experience working in an in-house legal department at a technology company.
- Experience supporting the development of payroll, fintech, tax and payment products and the launches and scaling of highly regulated, yet innovative, domestic and global products.
- Demonstrated ability to build consensus and build strong relationships.
- Demonstrated success in working collaboratively to help business clients understand and own risk-based decisions.
- Experience creatively solving problems, balancing legal risk and business needs.
- Attention to detail and the ability to follow through in a fast-paced environment.
- A collaborative approach and demonstrated ability to work well under pressure, cross-functionally, and independently.
- Experience in working closely with Commercial or Contracts Counsel to support deal closure.
- Experience with AI review tools (GCAI or similar).
- Demonstrated success building and improving processes, not just running them.
- A passion for showing that Product Legal is a driver of innovation and business impact, not a blocker.
Here’s what we’d love to see you bring to the table:
- A passion for AI and technology as drivers of legal transformation.
- Familiarity with regulated industries (e.g., financial services, payroll/tax SaaS, healthcare).
- Creative problem-solving skills and the confidence to take smart risks.
- Energy, curiosity, and a drive to be part of something groundbreaking.
- A team-first approach, with no job too big or too small.
Our cash compensation amount for this role is between $199,150 - $245,618/year in Denver and between $221,275 - $272,906/year for New York/San Francisco. Final offer amounts are determined by multiple factors including candidate location, experience and expertise and may vary from the amounts listed above.
At Gusto, we don't use titles the traditional way, as a signal of rank or hierarchy. Instead, our titles describe two things at once — your craft (what you do, e.g. Engineering, Design) and your scope of ownership (what you're accountable for) — which is why you'll see something like "Head of X" instead of a rank word like "Director" that tells you neither. Because of this, the title on this posting may look different from what you'd expect based on the scope and seniority of the role, and from how similar roles are typically titled elsewhere. If you have questions about how this role compares to your current title or level, your recruiter can help translate.
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.
Reliable, consistent presence: We expect regular and predictable attendance, whether you're working in-office, hybrid, or fully remote, so that you stay closely connected to your team, customers, and stakeholders in real time and ensure colleagues and customers receive the timely support and responsiveness they deserve.
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.
Benefits
- health insurance
- 401(k)
- stock options
About this role
Gusto's Product Counsel role sits at the intersection of legal strategy and product innovation, focused on scaling the company's payroll, fintech, and tax offerings while building a fundamentally different approach to in-house legal work. Rather than a traditional advisory function, this position involves designing the playbooks, processes, and AI-driven tools that will allow Gusto's legal team to move faster and smarter as the business grows. You'll own end-to-end legal counsel for product development across multiple regulated domains—navigating payroll frameworks, domestic and international payments, data privacy, and tax implications—while partnering with product, engineering, commercial, and risk teams to balance innovation with compliance.
The role demands someone with at least seven years of in-house legal experience at a technology company, ideally with direct exposure to payroll, fintech, tax, or payment products in regulated environments. You'll need a JD and active bar license, strong cross-functional collaboration skills, and the ability to help business stakeholders understand and own risk-based decisions rather than simply blocking progress. Equally important is comfort with AI tools and a track record of building better processes, not just executing them—this is explicitly framed as a transformational opportunity, not a maintenance role.
If you're drawn to the idea of reshaping how legal operates in a high-growth fintech company, thrive in ambiguity, and see AI as a tool to amplify your impact rather than a threat, this could be a strong fit. The compensation ranges from $199K–$246K in Denver to $221K–$273K in New York or San Francisco, with equity and full benefits included.
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Pay for this role
$199,150 to $245,618 per year
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