Product Design Manager

Gusto is on a mission to grow the small business economy, handling payroll, health insurance, 401(k)s, and HR for over 500,000 small businesses nationwide. The company has teams in Denver, San Francisco, and New York, and is building an AI-native design organization.

As the Product Design Manager for Payroll, you will lead design for one of Gusto's most complex and consequential product areas. You will manage a team of designers, set the UX direction for Payroll, and partner with Product, Engineering, Research, Data, Ops, and Compliance to simplify payroll complexity for customers. Your work includes leading automation and AI initiatives, mentoring designers, and setting the quality standard for AI-assisted design work.

• Lead end-to-end design for Payroll, shaping experiences that help small businesses pay their teams correctly and on time.
• Define and communicate the long-term UX vision for Payroll and rally multiple teams around it.
• Partner with Product, Engineering, Data, Ops, and others to set strategy and roadmaps.
• Lead product initiatives where AI and automation are central to the user experience, simplifying payroll and reducing manual work.
• Collaborate with Research and Data to uncover customer insights and translate them into actionable UX priorities.
• Influence product and technical roadmaps by advocating for design quality and customer needs.
• Set the quality and judgment standard for all design work, including AI-assisted outputs.
• Define and scale shared patterns, principles, and standards for quality and consistency.
• Manage and grow a team of designers, providing mentorship and direction.
• Champion the Payroll experience as the foundation of Gusto's broader People Platform.

• 8–10+ years of product design experience, with at least 3 years leading and managing design teams.
• Experience designing in complex domains such as financial products, healthcare, or regulated environments.
• Experience setting UX direction across multiple teams and influencing product strategy.
• Proven ability to drive alignment across cross-functional partners and represent design in strategic conversations.
• Deep systems thinking with a track record of turning complex workflows into simple, intuitive experiences.
• Clear communication and storytelling skills.
• A genuine bond to Gusto's mission and the needs of small businesses.

• Demonstrated ability to assess AI-generated design directions.
• Experience leading product initiatives where AI or automation is central to the user experience.
• Experience leading a team through an AI workflow transition.

Cash compensation range: $172,000/yr to $237,000/yr in Denver & most remote locations; $202,000/yr to $279,000/yr in San Francisco, Seattle & New York. All full-time employees receive competitive base pay, benefits, and equity (RSUs).

Apply through the provided Greenhouse link.