Principal Software Engineer – Pay Group Engineering

Gusto

. Function as a Technical Lead across multiple teams in Payroll Services, keeping engineers unblocked and supporting long-term goals .

Posted 9/16/2026full-timeSan Francisco • California • United StatesLead💰 $215,000 - $295,000 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

Use this summary to align your resume positioning with the role.

Demonstrates expertise in building and supporting large-scale systems, with a strong focus on compliance in Payroll, Tax, and HR domains. Proficient in mentoring engineers and driving product development through collaboration and innovative solutions.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Ruby on RailsTypeScriptReactData StructuresSystem Design

ATS Keywords

Tailor your resume

Applicant Tracking System Keywords

Tip: use these terms in your resume and cover letter to boost ATS matches.

Hard Skills

Large-Scale System EngineeringData ModelingTest-Driven DevelopmentAI Tools UtilizationCode Documentation

Soft Skills

CollaborationProblem-SolvingCommunicationMentoringInfluencing

Tools & Technologies

APIsProduction SystemsAI FrameworksCompliance ToolsPayroll Systems

Industry Keywords

PayrollTaxesComplianceHRRegulated Domains

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

ReactRubyRuby on RailsTypeScript

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Function as a Technical Lead across multiple teams in Payroll Services, keeping engineers unblocked and supporting long-term goals
Design, build, and test the foundation supporting compliant payroll for millions of people
Help scale Gusto’s Ruby/Rails and TypeScript/React applications
Collaborate on complex and ambiguous problems with Engineering, Product Management, Design, Data Science, Compliance, Operations, and other cross-functional teams
Mentor and grow fellow engineers creating holistic and scalable solutions
Drive product development from concept to launch for payroll, tax, and compliance products
Improve team productivity and happiness through services, tools, and APIs
Work in a supportive environment to drive productivity and innovation
Stay current with AI and Machine Learning advancements and apply this knowledge to projects

Requirements

What you’ll need

Successful applicants typically have at least 15+ years of experience
Able to build maintainable, structured, well-documented code
Strong knowledge of data structures, data modeling, and system design
Experience working across 3+ teams, influencing both product and team direction
Experience working on platform products depended upon throughout the company
Experience engineering, designing, building and supporting large-scale systems in production
Aptitude for bringing clarity and simplicity to complex problems, communicating technical complexity, and facilitating informed tradeoffs to major stakeholders
Experience operationalizing and scaling large interconnected production systems
Enthusiasm for a collaborative, test-driven environment
Experience in complex, highly regulated domains such as HR, Payroll, Taxes, or Compliance
Experience using AI tools to build, test, and iterate on products quickly
Understanding of how to evaluate AI-driven outputs using clear success criteria
Commitment to staying current on emerging backend technologies and AI frameworks and patterns
Willingness to contribute to shared tools or templates that enhance the speed and safety of AI experimentation
Ability to work from a designated Gusto office approximately 2–3 days per week, or more depending on role, for employees based in Denver, San Francisco, or New York
Secure, reliable, and consistent internet connection when working from an approved non-office location

Benefits

Comp & perks

Competitive base pay
Health insurance
401(k)s
Equity (RSUs)
Secure, reliable, and consistent internet connection required when working from an approved non-office location
Reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans
Equal opportunity employment