Partner Account Executive

Partner Account Executive

San Francisco, CA - Hybrid; Denver, CO - Hybrid; New York, NY - Hybrid; United States - Remote Chicago, IL - Remote; Atlanta, GA - Remote

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

As a Partner Account Executive for GustoPro, you will play a critical role in expanding Gusto's footprint within the accounting market by recruiting new accounting firm partners, enabling them to succeed on the platform, and driving them to a healthy, self-sufficient state before transitioning them to an Account Manager.

Working directly with our Head of Sales and Head of GustoPro Sales, you will shape our new partner sales motion while owning the full arc of partner activation — from first conversation to a successful handoff. The benchmark that tells us activation is working: 10 net new clients added and the firm's 30-day enablement plan complete.

You'll engage with C-level executives and senior payroll specialists at accounting firms, with a focus on large regional and national players. You'll act as a consultant, understanding their unique needs and demonstrating how GustoPro can boost efficiency and help them realize more value for their clients while delivering upside for the firm.

The Partner Onboarding Agreement — a 30-day enablement contract signed at close — is your operating document once a firm is in. It defines milestones, role responsibilities across the firm, and the incentive structure that keeps both sides accountable through activation.

We're looking for a true "builder" — someone who's excited to wear multiple hats, design systems and processes, and run experiments. Comfort with a dynamic environment and the ability to pivot when needed is essential.

Here's What You'll Do Day-To-Day

• Evangelize the GustoPro solution to prospective accounting firms to grow our market share and meet and exceed monthly/quarterly sales targets.
• Collaborate closely with Sales Leaders to build out and refine our new partner sales process, with a focus on accelerating sales cycles (target 60–90 days) and maximizing close rates.
• Conduct compelling and persuasive product demos that showcase the value of GustoPro using data and insights, tailored to resonate with accounting firm executives.
• Negotiate and execute the Partner Onboarding Agreement, aligning on a 30-day enablement plan and client pipeline targets from day one.
• Serve as the primary Gusto contact during the 30-day enablement period — keeping the Champion certification track, Practice Member Academy completion, and Practice Lead go-to-market readiness all on schedule.
• Hold the firm's Strategic Lead accountable to Champion designation and kickoff commitments in Week 1; track certification milestones and coordinate with the partner success team to unlock incentives on time.
• Support Practice Leads in running positioning and discovery workshops and building a migration candidate pipeline across their book of business.
• Drive the partner to 10 net new client adds within 90 days of signing — the activation benchmark — by leading regular status calls, removing blockers, and coordinating migration scheduling across practice areas.
• Coordinate co-marketing activation (co-branded materials, joint email campaigns) once the 10-client milestone unlocks co-op marketing funds, and ensure cross-sell products (HI, 401k, WC, R&D TC) are introduced as adoption deepens.
• Prepare a structured handoff brief for the receiving Account Manager — including certified contacts, migration status, QBR baseline, revenue and usage snapshot, and flagged growth opportunities — and facilitate a warm introduction.
• Navigate and update internal and external stakeholders, including C-suite executives at Gusto, partners, and cross-functional teams throughout the activation window.
• Leverage AI tools and technologies to enhance sales workflows, streamline partner communications, and derive actionable insights from data to drive more effective prospecting, pipeline management, and partner engagement.
• Travel as needed to partner offices for onsite meetings, as well as to industry events and conferences to represent Gusto and strengthen partner relationships.

Here's What We're Looking For

• 6+ years total work experience in sales, account management, or customer success, with a strong focus on enterprise clients.
• 3+ years of experience selling B2B SaaS products or managing partner relationships, ideally to accounting firms or related businesses.
• A consistent track record of exceeding sales quotas and building long-term client relationships, including negotiating complex six-figure contracts.
• Experience and comfort working quick sales cycles (60–90 days average).
• Deep understanding of the accounting firm landscape, including their business models, challenges, and technology needs — particularly the CAS/advisory and payroll practices.
• Strong ability to articulate contractual, technical, and financial value points to partners, internal senior leaders, and executive leaders.
• Equally comfortable in a closing motion and a post-close enablement and coordination role — you see getting a firm to 10 clients as part of the sale, not separate from it.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities — you're a strategic thinker who can identify risk and opportunity across a portfolio.
• Ability to quickly learn our product so you are credible with prospects and partners alike.
• Comfort and proficiency with AI-powered tools and technologies, with a willingness to adopt and integrate AI into daily sales and partner management workflows to improve efficiency and outcomes.
• Experience with CRM and sales software (e.g., Salesforce, ZoomInfo, Tableau).

Compensation

Our target on-target earnings (OTE) compensation for this role is $125,000/yr to $150,000/yr in Denver, Las Vegas, Chicago, Atlanta & most remote locations, $155,000/yr to $182,000/yr for San Francisco & New York. This OTE is structured with a target 70% base pay and 30% commission pay with an uncapped commission structure. Final offer amounts and the exact base/commission split are determined by multiple factors including candidate location, 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