Staff Software Engineer, Payroll Platform

Gusto

San Francisco, CA - HybridFull-time$163k2026-10-16 → 2026-11-10

Hybrid

Core

Design and evolve backend product infrastructure and APIs that power payroll experiences for 500,000+ small businesses.

Role type

Staff Software Engineer (Backend Platform)

Builds

Internal APIs and services for payroll, time, contractor, and accountant experiences

Domain

Fintech / Payroll / Highly regulated domain

Required skills

Backend development, System design, Scalability, Reliability, API design, Technical partnership, Architecture documentation, AI-assisted development

Preferred skills

Ruby programming

Technologies

Ruby, LLMs, Claude Code, Cursor

Responsibilities

Design and maintain backend services and APIs for core payroll workflows, Own a primary domain for system health and scalability, Act as a technical partner to other engineering teams, Author and drive architecture and design documents, Improve system performance and observability, Collaborate cross-functionally with Product, Design, Data, Compliance, and Operations

Seniority

Staff, hands-on IC with strategic scope

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.