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.
Teams in Denver, San Francisco, and New York.
AI is a fundamental part of how work gets done at Gusto.
About the role
We're hiring an Operations Lead, internally named Labs Lead, to build and run Benefits Labs, the system that governs how Gusto's Benefits organization tests, validates, and scales operational change.
You will own the full Labs lifecycle, including intake, pilot design, execution governance, measurement, and recommendations to leadership.
This role is AI-native. You will design and run the agents, automations, and workflows that power how work is triaged, how pilots are executed, and how evidence is generated and synthesized.
Responsibilities
Own intake and triage: Run the AI-powered intake system that classifies, routes, and prepares incoming work.
Run pilot governance: Ensure every pilot follows a clear structure with defined success metrics, checkpoints, and outputs.
Raise design quality: Pressure-test hypotheses, refine success criteria, and hold Pilot Leads accountable to standards.
Build and improve the system: Extend the existing agent and automation architecture across the Labs lifecycle.
Solve systemic problems: Identify inefficiencies in how operational change moves through the organization.
Drive decision-making: Develop analytical approaches and produce clear, evidence-based narratives.
Lead cross-functional work: Own coordination across product, engineering, operations, enablement, and business partners.
Create clarity in ambiguity: Lead discussions on complex operational and product topics.
Produce leadership-ready outputs: Deliver structured readouts, post-mortems, and recommendations.
Shape the future of Labs: Use what you build and learn to inform the long-term operating model.
Raise the bar for others: Coach Pilot Leads and BizOps partners on AI-powered ways of working.
Requirements
Proven ownership: You've owned outcomes across complex, cross-functional work and consistently delivered results end-to-end.
AI-native builder (core requirement): You don't just use AI tools. You build with them. You've designed and deployed AI agents, automations, or workflows that execute multi-step work, and you've measured the leverage created.
Systems thinker: You identify root causes at the process level and build solutions that scale.
Strong data fluency: You can structure problems, define success metrics, and turn data into clear, decision-driving narratives.
Operator + coach: You raise the quality of work around you through direct feedback, clear standards, and accountability.
Cross-functional leader: You've led initiatives across product, engineering, operations, enablement, and business partners.
Conditions
Competitive base pay, benefits, and equity (RSUs).