Senior Full Stack Engineer - HR Experience Platform

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 over 500,000 small business owners nationwide can focus on their craft. Artificial Intelligence is a fundamental part of how work gets done at Gusto, and all team members actively engage with AI tools to drive efficiency and innovation.

As a Senior Full Stack Engineer on the HRX (HR Experience) Engineering team, you will independently own features end-to-end across frontend, backend, and data layers—from initial technical scoping and architecture through implementation, automated testing, deployment, and production monitoring. Operating in an agile, cross-functional pod alongside Product Managers and Product Designers, you will write maintainable code using modern frameworks (Ruby on Rails, React, TypeScript, SQL), provide technical guidance to less-tenured engineers, and ensure high platform reliability for hundreds of thousands of employers and employees.

Key Responsibilities

• End-to-End Feature Ownership: Scrape, architect, build, test, ship, and monitor full-stack features for Gusto’s HR Experience (HRX) product surface with minimal supervision.
• Full-Stack Development: Write clean, well-tested, maintainable code across modern backend frameworks (Ruby on Rails, Node.js, Python/Django) and frontend platforms (React, TypeScript).
• Database & API Design: Design relational database schemas, write efficient SQL queries, manage migrations, and build performant RESTful or GraphQL APIs.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with Product Managers, UX Designers, and engineering peers to translate business requirements into technical solutions and project roadmaps.
• Operational Excellence & On-Call: Participate in the team’s on-call rotation, lead incident response for owned systems, monitor production health metrics, and continuously improve feature reliability.
• Mentorship & Engineering Standards: Conduct code reviews, participate in sprint planning/retrospectives, establish testing standards, and mentor less-tenured engineers.

Requirements

Software Engineering Depth & Domain Craft

• 8+ years of professional software engineering experience with demonstrated full-stack ownership.
• End-to-End Ownership Track Record: Proven ability to design, build, and ship features spanning frontend, backend, and data layer with minimal oversight.
• Backend & Frontend Proficiency:
  • Strong fluency in at least one modern backend framework (e.g., Ruby on Rails, Node.js, Python/Django).
  • Strong fluency in at least one modern frontend framework (e.g., React, TypeScript).
• Relational Databases: Solid grounding in relational database systems (PostgreSQL, MySQL)—including schema design, migrations, index optimization, and query tuning.
• Engineering Fundamentals: Firm grasp of software design patterns, data structures, algorithms, automated testing (unit, integration, end-to-end), and CI/CD pipelines.
• Communication: Excellent written and verbal technical communication skills, including authoring clear technical design documents.

Work Logistics

• Ability to work a hybrid schedule out of Gusto's New York City, NY office (2–3 days per week in-office).

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience within HR tech, payroll, fintech, or benefits administration software domains.
• Experience designing and maintaining scalable RESTful or GraphQL APIs.
• Exposure to web accessibility (a11y) standards and WCAG compliance.

Total Rewards & Benefits

• Compensation & Equity: NYC base salary of $197,000 – $247,000 USD + Restricted Stock Units (RSUs) grants so every employee shares in company growth.
• Comprehensive Healthcare: Premium medical, dental, and vision insurance options for employees and eligible dependents.
• Financial Security & Time Off: 401(k) retirement plan, flexible time off policy, and paid parental leave.
• In-Office Perks: Vibrant hybrid office experience in NYC with catered lunches, team events, and continuous learning stipends.