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:
Gusto is seeking a Security, Governance, Risk & Compliance professional to join our team managing our security governance, risk and compliance initiatives. This person will guide the company from foundational Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) maturity through to steady-state operations, leveraging AI to automate and improve old practices and tools, ensuring ongoing compliance with SOC 2 Type 2, IT General Controls, ICOC and related frameworks, while embedding security-minded practices throughout Gusto. This is a cross-functional role with key touchpoints in every department.
Here’s what you’ll do day-to-day:
- Develop, maintain, and ensure adherence to security and compliance SOPs, internal documentation, and company-wide policies—particularly supporting SOC 2 and future framework adoption.
- Own and manage trust management platforms including documentation of controls, risks, vendors, and exceptions, and lead the implementation of AI agents to automate and improve the implementation of our controls framework and evidence collection to support it
- Collaborate with Legal, Enterprise Applications, and Gusto counterparts to establish and maintain data governance policies (e.g., classification, retention, handling).
- Conduct ongoing internal risk assessments to identify exposure and control gaps; coordinate remediation plans with functional teams.
- Manage the third-party vendor risk program, including onboarding reviews, monitoring, and renewal assessments.
- Lead interactions with external auditors and regulatory bodies during compliance assessments (e.g., SOC 2 Type 2) and oversee responses to client security assessments and due diligence requests.
- Stay current on relevant compliance frameworks, laws, and regulations to ensure appropriate coverage and adaptability.
- Partner cross-functionally (e.g., Security, Legal, Engineering, Sales, IT) to implement scalable GRC processes, harmonize systems, and foster GRC understanding through employee enablement programs and KPI-driven insights.
Here’s what we're looking for:
- 8+ years of experience in governance, risk, and compliance within SaaS, ideally in the HCM, payroll, or fintech sectors.
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Information Systems, or a related field.
- Strong understanding of SaaS business models, with experience implementing controls and policies in fast-paced, product-driven environments.
- Proven experience leading or supporting a SOC 2 Type 2 compliance initiative, including collaboration with auditors and cross-functional teams.
- Familiarity with compliance tools and platforms such as Optro, Vanta, Drata, Viso Trust, or similar.
- Demonstrated ability to translate complex GRC requirements into actionable, scalable processes.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to educate and influence cross-functional stakeholders.
- A data-informed mindset, with the ability to use analytics to assess GRC performance and maturity.
- One or more relevant professional certifications:
- CISA, CRISC, or GRCP preferred
- CGEIT, CRMA, or PMI-RMP are a bonus
Our cash compensation amount for this role is targeted at $183,000-205,000 in the San Francisco Bay Area. Stock equity is additional. Final offer amounts are determined by multiple factors including candidate experience and expertise and may vary from the amounts listed above.
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.
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.
Skills Required
- 8+ years of governance, risk, and compliance experience within SaaS; HCM, payroll, or fintech experience is ideal
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Information Systems, or a related field
- Strong understanding of SaaS business models and experience implementing controls and policies in product-driven environments
- Experience leading or supporting a SOC 2 Type 2 compliance initiative, including auditor and cross-functional collaboration
- Familiarity with compliance platforms such as Optro, Vanta, Drata, Viso Trust, or similar
- Ability to translate complex GRC requirements into actionable, scalable processes
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including educating and influencing cross-functional stakeholders
- Data-informed mindset and ability to use analytics to assess GRC performance and maturity
- CISA, CRISC, or GRCP certification
- CGEIT, CRMA, or PMI-RMP certification
What the Team is Saying
What We Do
Gusto is a modern, online small business platform that helps small businesses take care of their teams. On top of full-service payroll, Gusto offers health insurance, 401(k)s, expert HR, and team management tools. Today, Gusto offices in Denver, San Francisco, and New York serve more than 400,000 businesses. 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.
Why Work With Us
We help small businesses—the backbone of the economy—thrive. Everything we do ladders up to empowering entrepreneurs and supporting their teams. Gusto empowers builders at every level to take initiative and make things better. You'll be solving meaningful challenges that shape the future of work.
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Employees engage in a combination of remote and on-site work.
We’ve built an inclusive, connected culture—no matter where you live. Whether near an office or remote, you’ll find opportunities to connect, grow, and belong. Employees work from the office on 2 designated days per week.
