Partner Account Executive

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 500,000 small businesses nationwide and are building a workplace that reflects the people we serve.

You'll engage with C-level executives and senior payroll specialists at accounting firms, with a focus on large regional and national players. You'll act as a consultant, understanding their unique needs and demonstrating how GustoPro can boost efficiency and help them realize more value for their clients while delivering upside for the firm.

The Partner Onboarding Agreement — a 30-day enablement contract signed at close — is your operating document once a firm is in. It defines milestones, role responsibilities across the firm, and the incentive structure that keeps both sides accountable through activation.

We're looking for a true "builder" — someone who's excited to wear multiple hats, design systems and processes, and run experiments. Comfort with a dynamic environment and the ability to pivot when needed is essential.

• →Evangelize the GustoPro solution to prospective accounting firms to grow our market share and meet and exceed monthly/quarterly sales targets.
• →Collaborate closely with Sales Leaders to build out and refine our new partner sales process, with a focus on accelerating sales cycles (target 60–90 days) and maximizing close rates.
• →Conduct compelling and persuasive product demos that showcase the value of GustoPro using data and insights, tailored to resonate with accounting firm executives.
• →Negotiate and execute the Partner Onboarding Agreement, aligning on a 30-day enablement plan and client pipeline targets from day one.
• →Serve as the primary Gusto contact during the 30-day enablement period — keeping the Champion certification track, Practice Member Academy completion, and Practice Lead go-to-market readiness all on schedule.
• →Hold the firm's Strategic Lead accountable to Champion designation and kickoff commitments in Week 1; track certification milestones and coordinate with the partner success team to unlock incentives on time.
• →Support Practice Leads in running positioning and discovery workshops and building a migration candidate pipeline across their book of business.
• →Drive the partner to 10 net new client adds within 90 days of signing — the activation benchmark — by leading regular status calls, removing blockers, and coordinating migration scheduling across practice areas.
• →Coordinate co-marketing activation (co-branded materials, joint email campaigns) once the 10-client milestone unlocks co-op marketing funds, and ensure cross-sell products (HI, 401k, WC, R&D TC) are introduced as adoption deepens.
• →Prepare a structured handoff brief for the receiving Account Manager — including certified contacts, migration status, QBR baseline, revenue and usage snapshot, and flagged growth opportunities — and facilitate a warm introduction.
• →Navigate and update internal and external stakeholders, including C-suite executives at Gusto, partners, and cross-functional teams throughout the activation window.
• →Leverage AI tools and technologies to enhance sales workflows, streamline partner communications, and derive actionable insights from data to drive more effective prospecting, pipeline management, and partner engagement.
• →Travel as needed to partner offices for onsite meetings, as well as to industry events and conferences to represent Gusto and strengthen partner relationships.

• 6+ years total work experience in sales, account management, or customer success, with a strong focus on enterprise clients.
• 3+ years of experience selling B2B SaaS products or managing partner relationships, ideally to accounting firms or related businesses.
• A consistent track record of exceeding sales quotas and building long-term client relationships, including negotiating complex six-figure contracts.
• Experience and comfort working quick sales cycles (60–90 days average).
• Deep understanding of the accounting firm landscape, including their business models, challenges, and technology needs — particularly the CAS/advisory and payroll practices.
• Strong ability to articulate contractual, technical, and financial value points to partners, internal senior leaders, and executive leaders.
• Equally comfortable in a closing motion and a post-close enablement and coordination role — you see getting a firm to 10 clients as part of the sale, not separate from it.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities — you're a strategic thinker who can identify risk and opportunity across a portfolio.
• Ability to quickly learn our product so you are credible with prospects and partners alike.
• Comfort and proficiency with AI-powered tools and technologies, with a willingness to adopt and integrate AI into daily sales and partner management workflows to improve efficiency and outcomes.
• Experience with CRM and sales software (e.g., Salesforce, ZoomInfo, Tableau).