Staff Software Engineer, Tax Experiences

Gusto

. Execute the technical strategy for the team's domain in alignment with team and group-level OKRs .

Posted 9/19/2026full-timeSan Francisco • California • United StatesLead💰 $197,000 - $247,000 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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

Demonstrates expertise in React and TypeScript, with a strong background in software engineering and experience in Payroll, Taxes, or Compliance. Capable of driving product development and applying AI tools to enhance workflows and code quality.

Highest-signal resume keywords

React ExpertiseTypeScript ProficiencyRuby on Rails ExperienceAI Tool ApplicationPayroll and Tax Knowledge

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Software EngineeringProduction-Level Code DesignSQLCodebase ImprovementSystems Thinking

Soft Skills

Collaborative WorkClear CommunicationMentoring

Tools & Technologies

AI ToolsDesign Systems

Industry Keywords

PayrollTaxesCompliance

Tech Stack

Tools & technologies

ReactRubyRuby on RailsSQLTypeScript

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Execute the technical strategy for the team's domain in alignment with team and group-level OKRs
Contribute to the broader Tax Engineering roadmap through collaboration
Design, build, and test experiences enabling people to add and update tax information at Gusto
Advocate for employers and employees relying on Gusto to ensure taxes are collected, calculated, and filed correctly
Collaborate on complex and ambiguous problems with Engineering, Product Management, Design, Data Science, Compliance, Operations, and other cross-functional teams
Support the software platform powering multiple first- and third-party products and serving millions of businesses
Mentor and grow fellow engineers
Drive product development from concept to launch
Build design systems, components, and interfaces that improve team productivity
Identify and prioritize long-term investments in foundational systems and architecture
Apply AI tools in the engineering workflow and use an AI-native lens to simplify tax workflows and provide proactive guidance

Requirements

What you’ll need

8+ years of professional software engineering experience
Expertise in React and TypeScript
Experience with Ruby on Rails, SQL, or other backend languages
Experience in Payroll, Taxes, or Compliance preferred
Experience working in large, complex codebases
Ability to improve codebases incrementally without breaking things
Experience designing, building, and testing production-level code at scale
Experience applying AI tools to accelerate development, improve code quality, and build testing
Familiarity with AI-assisted development workflows
Ability to communicate technical complexity clearly to product and design partners
Strong systems thinking and ability to analyze unfamiliar systems
Preference for collaborative work, pairing, thought partnership, and shared investigation

Benefits

Comp & perks

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