Senior Franchise Account Executive

About Gusto

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 owners can focus on their craft and their customers. With teams in Denver, San Francisco, and New York, we support more than 400,000 small businesses nationwide and are building a workplace that reflects the people we serve.

All full-time employees receive competitive base pay, benefits, and equity (RSUs) — because everyone who helps build Gusto should share in its success. Offer amounts are determined by role, level, and location. Learn more about our Total Rewards philosophy.

AI is a fundamental part of how work gets done  expect all team members to actively engage with AI tools relevant to their role and grow their fluency as the technology evolves. AI experience requirements vary by role and will be assessed during the interview process.

The Franchise Account Executive role is an opportunity to help build and scale one of Gusto's newest growth channels. Franchise represents a massive and largely untapped market, and this team is focused on activating franchise owners across established partner networks and high‑potential industries. As a Franchise AE, you'll operate in a true outbound motion — prospecting into multi‑unit operators, building relationships with influential owners, and closing new business that can scale across locations.

You'll also help shape the playbook for how Gusto sells into franchise ecosystems as we grow this program into a durable revenue engine for the company. You'll partner closely with our Franchise Partner Manager (who develops relationships with franchisors) and a dedicated BDR (focused on high‑volume activations). Your role is to lead strategic pursuits, unlock influential operators, and build the repeatable sales motion for selling into franchise ecosystems.

• Own new franchise revenue generation. Prospect into franchise ownership groups within Gusto’s partner networks and target industries, building pipeline through outbound outreach and relationship development with multi‑unit operators and influential franchise owners.
• Execute and refine the franchise sales playbook. Leverage the existing franchise sales motion to drive consistent pipeline and deals, while providing feedback and insights that help improve messaging, targeting, and overall execution as the program scales.
• Run the full sales cycle. Manage deals from prospecting through close, partnering with BDRs who support high‑volume outreach while focusing your time on larger ownership groups and strategic franchise opportunities.
• Develop relationships with influential franchise operators. Engage multi‑unit owners, directors of operations, and regional leaders to understand operational needs and position Gusto as a scalable payroll and workforce platform across multiple locations.
• Partner cross‑functionally to drive franchise success. Collaborate with the Franchise Partner Manager, Sales Ops, and Marketing to activate franchise networks, support partner initiatives, and identify opportunities to expand within existing franchise relationships.
• Build referenceable wins within franchise networks. Secure early customer success stories and multi‑location operators that can serve as proof points and accelerate adoption across additional franchisees.
• Drive consistent outbound pipeline generation. Maintain a disciplined outbound motion across named franchise accounts and industry segments, using a mix of calls, emails, Linked In outreach, and events to create new opportunities.
• Represent Gusto in franchise communities. Attend franchise conferences, regional events, and industry gatherings to build relationships, generate pipeline, and strengthen Gusto’s presence in the franchise ecosystem.
• Achieve and exceed revenue targets. Consistently deliver against quarterly targets for MRR and new customer adds while contributing insights that help scale the franchise program over time.

• 3+ years of quota‑carrying B2B SaaS AE experience, ideally with outbound new business in SMB, mid‑market, or…