Head of Sales Compensation

Join to apply for the Head of Sales Compensation role at Gusto. About Gusto At Gusto, we're on a mission to grow the small business economy. We handle the hard stuff—like payroll, health insurance, 401(k)s, and HR—so owners can focus on their craft and customers. With teams in Denver, San Francisco, and New York, we’re proud to support more than 400,000 small businesses across the country, and we’re building a workplace that represents and celebrates the customers we serve. Learn more about our Total Rewards philosophy. Head of Sales Compensation - GTM Location: San Francisco, Denver, New York City, Atlanta, Phoenix, or Las Vegas. Candidates located in San Francisco, Denver, or NYC are expected to be in office two days a week. About the Role As the Head of Sales Compensation at Gusto, you will be a key leader and strategic advisor to our Sales leadership teams, reporting to the Head of Revenue Operations. You will own the end‑to‑end strategy, design, and operationalization of all incentive compensation plans across our Sales organizations. This dynamic role requires analytical skills and a passion for sales to ensure our compensation programs are competitive, fair, and aligned with our ambitious growth objectives. You'll partner closely with leadership across Sales, RevOps, Finance, and People to attract, motivate, and retain top talent, and you will directly lead a team of Sales Compensation Analysts. What You’ll Do Strategic Leadership & Execution: Act as a strategic thought partner to GTM/Sales and Finance leaders on incentive strategy and plan design. Develop a clear compensation vision and execute on it, troubleshooting issues, building robust operational mechanisms, and partnering with Sales Ops and other systems teams to solve problems as they arise. Program Ownership: Lead the full lifecycle of sales compensation, from annual and semi‑annual planning and plan design (curves, components, weightings) to implementation (using platforms like Xactly and SFDC), training, and daily administration. Team Leadership: Empower a team of Sales Compensation Analysts, fostering a collaborative and high‑performing environment. Operational Excellence: Drive efficiency and accuracy by documenting, optimizing, and automating processes for quotas, crediting, attainment reporting, and dispute resolution. Establish clear cadences for planning and reviews. Compliance & Governance: Design, implement, and monitor compensation process controls to ensure internal compliance and educate cross‑functional partners on key business decisions. Performance & Analytics: Track and report on the effectiveness of compensation programs, monitoring key metrics such as budget adherence, error rates, and program ROI to ensure desired outcomes. Cross‑Functional Collaboration: Partner with GTM/Sales, Sales Ops, Finance, and People teams to enhance sales engagement and productivity through effective compensation, helping recruit and retain the best talent. What We’re Looking For 10+ years of experience in sales compensation design and operationalization, with at least 3+ years in a leadership role within a SaaS environment. Exceptional analytical abilities and comfort in both strategic design and hands‑on implementation of daily processes. Proficiency with Salesforce (SFDC) and a compensation management tool like Xactly. Persuasive communication skills using data to tell a story and back up recommendations. Ability to influence leadership and inspire team members. A problem‑solving mindset with passion for sales and creativity in making teams more productive. Highly organized, detail‑oriented, and proficient in stakeholder and project management. Our annual base salary compensation range for this role is $238,000 – $297,500 in San Francisco & New York, and $202,000 – $252,500 in Denver and most other remote locations. This role is also eligible for an annual variable cash bonus (up to 20%). Final offer amounts are determined by multiple factors, including candidate experience and expertise, and may vary from the amounts listed above. Office expectations: Employees who are based in Denver, San Francisco, and New York City are expected to work from the office on designated days approximately 2–3 days per week (or more depending on role). When approved to work from a location other than a Gusto office, a secure, reliable, and consistent internet connection is required for all hybrid employees. Equal Employment Opportunity 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 legally protected characteristics. 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. If you require a medical or religious accommodation at any time throughout your candidate journey, please fill out our accommodation form and a team member will get in touch. Gusto takes security and protection of your personal information seriously. Please review our Fraudulent Activity Disclaimer and the Applicant Privacy Notice relevant to Gusto application. #J-18808-Ljbffr