Principal HR Manager

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.

We’re seeking a seasoned people leader to join our leadership team and manage a portfolio of senior HR professionals. You’ll be a key driver in scaling our operations while pioneering the future of AI‑enabled HR services and maintaining our high‑touch, human‑centered approach to client service.

• Lead and develop a team of senior HR consultants with extensive industry experience through empowering, empathetic leadership
• Scale operations through innovative process optimization, AI integration, and technology enablement to dramatically improve consultant‑to‑client efficiency
• Pioneer AI‑native HR by partnering with product teams to leverage automation tools that augment human expertise and create new service possibilities
• Drive performance across client satisfaction, retention, and consultant productivity metrics in a high‑growth environment
• Navigate ambiguity and build scalable systems from the ground up as we define the future of fractional HR services
• Coach and inspire consultants to exceed their own expectations, building trust through authenticity while being a hands‑on player‑coach when needed
• Collaborate with peer leaders on hiring strategy, process innovation, and cross‑functional initiatives

• 15+ years of innovative HR experience with deep understanding of evolving HR practices and emerging trends
• 8+ years of people management experience with proven track record scaling teams in high‑growth, rapidly‑scaling companies
• Empowering leadership philosophy that gains trust through authenticity and pushes people to achieve beyond what they thought possible
• Innovation mindset with experience building new business models, processes, or service offerings from scratch
• AI and technology fluency with vision for how emerging tools can transform professional services delivery
• Experience in scaling companies at various growth stages, ideally in services, consulting, or technology‑enabled businesses
• Systems thinking combined with strong interpersonal skills and comfort operating in ambiguous, rapidly‑changing environments
• Experience managing senior professionals who serve external clients while building scalable operations
• Track record of creative problem‑solving and building processes that maintain service quality while dramatically increasing efficiency
• Passion for HR technology space and staying at the forefront of industry innovation
• Experience in consulting, customer success, or professional services with technology integration
• Familiarity with AI/ML applications in professional services or HR
• Previous experience scaling operations through significant growth inflection points
• Non‑traditional career path with diverse functional experience and innovation focus

Our cash compensation amount for this role is $158,000 to $185,000 in Denver & most major metro locations, and $185,000 to $215,000 for San Francisco & New York. Final offer amounts 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…