FP&A AI Architect
Gusto, Inc.· enterprise· HR & Payroll· Oct 19, 2026 · 9d ago
San Francisco, CA - Hybrid
Hybrid
Full-time
Principal
$225K–$250K
10+ years exp
Job description
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 500,000 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 at Gusto. We 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. About the Role
Gusto’s Finance team is rebuilding planning, forecasting, and analysis with AI at the center. As Staff FP&A AI Architect, you’ll design and lead the technical and process architecture that turns FP&A from a manual, spreadsheet-driven cycle into an automated, insight-generating function. You’re a hybrid: deep enough in finance to understand driver-based planning, variance analysis, and board reporting, and deep enough in data and AI to design the systems that automate them. You’ll partner with the CFO org, FP&A, Accounting, Data, and Engineering.
About the Team
This is a new role on the Enterprise AIT team, which drives the intelligent transformation of Gusto’s enterprise systems by integrating AI, automation, and advanced analytics across internal applications. The team works closely with Finance, Business Ops, IT, and Security, and this role brings dedicated AI architecture capacity to FP&A and the CFO org.
What You’ll Do
Set the strategy: Define the multi-year architecture and roadmap for AI-enabled planning, forecasting, and reporting, prioritizing use cases by value, feasibility, and risk.
Build forecasting systems: Architect driver-based, ML-assisted forecasts for revenue, headcount, opex, and cash, combining statistical models with LLM workflows and benchmarking against human forecasts.
Automate analysis: Build agentic workflows for variance commentary, flux analysis, scenario modeling, board and QBR narratives, and ad-hoc “ask the numbers” questions.
Own the finance data foundation: Work with Data Engineering on governed data models connecting the GL, billing, CRM, HRIS, and planning tools, so AI outputs are traceable and auditable.
Embed controls and trust: Establish evals, human-in-the-loop checkpoints, lineage, and audit trails that meet SOX, security, and privacy requirements.
Evaluate and select tools: Drive build-vs-buy decisions across planning platforms, LLM providers, and orchestration frameworks.
Lead through influence: Mentor analysts and engineers, create reusable patterns and templates, and drive AI adoption across Finance.
Measure impact: Report on cycle-time reduction, forecast accuracy, analyst capacity freed, and decision latency.
What We’re Looking For
Required
10+ years in FP&A, corporate finance, finance systems, data science, or finance engineering, including 3+ years designing or leading AI/ML or advanced automation for finance
Strong FP&A fundamentals: driver-based modeling, operating plans, rolling forecasts, SaaS or fintech metrics, variance analysis
Hands-on experience with LLMs and agentic systems (prompting, RAG, tool use, evals) and classical forecasting (time series, regression, ensembles)
Proficiency in SQL and Python, a modern data stack (e.g., Snowflake, Databricks, dbt), and BI tools
Experience with enterprise planning platforms and ERP/GL systems
Track record shipping production-grade solutions under SOX, data governance, and security review
Exceptional communication: able to explain model behavior to a CFO and system design to an engineer
Nice to have
Payroll, HR tech, fintech, or SaaS finance experience
Experience building internal tools with Engineering
Familiarity with MCP-style integrations and AI governance frameworks
CPA, CFA, or an advanced quantitative degree
Ideal Attributes
Finance-fluent builder, systems thinker, rigorous about trust (evals, lineage, and human-in-the-loop as design requirements), pragmatic on build vs. buy, influencer and teacher, and outcome-driven.
AI Fluency Expectations
Expert/Transformer level, expected to set AI standards for Finance. Advanced in LLM platforms (Anthropic, OpenAI, Gemini), agent frameworks and MCP, and Python/SQL; proficient in Snowflake/Databricks/dbt, planning platforms (Anaplan, Adaptive, Pigment), ERP/GL (NetSuite), and BI tools.
Our cash compensation amount for this role is targeted at $185,000-$205,000 /yr in Denver & most remote locations, and $225,000-$250,000 /yr for San Francisco, Seattle & New York. Final offer amounts are determined by multiple factors, including candidate experience and expertise, and may vary from the amounts listed above.
At Gusto, we don't use titles the traditional way, as a signal of rank or hierarchy. Instead, our titles describe two things at once — your craft (what you do, e.g. Engineering, Design) and your scope of ownership (what you're accountable for) — which is why you'll see something like "Head of X" instead of a rank word like "Director" that tells you neither. Because of this, the title on this posting may look different from what you'd expect based on the scope and seniority of the role, and from how similar roles are typically titled elsewhere. If you have questions about how this role compares to your current title or level, your recruiter can help translate.
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 employees.
Reliable, consistent presence: We expect regular and predictable attendance, whether you're working in-office, hybrid, or fully remote, so that you stay closely connected to your team, customers, and stakeholders in real time and ensure colleagues and customers receive the timely support and responsiveness they deserve.
Our customers come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds, not just because it's the right thing to do, but because it makes our company stronger. If you share our values and our enthusiasm for small businesses, you will find a home at Gusto.
Gusto is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate in hiring or any employment decision based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or other applicable legally protected characteristic. Gusto considers qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state and local law. Gusto is also committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application procedures. We want to see our candidates perform to the best of their ability. If you require a medical or religious accommodation at any time throughout your candidate journey, please fill out this form and a member of our team will get in touch with you.
Gusto takes security and protection of your personal information very seriously. Please review our Fraudulent Activity Disclaimer .
Personal information collected and processed as part of your Gusto application will be subject to Gusto's Applicant Privacy Notice .
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Benefits
Benefits detected in the listing.
Health Insurance
401(K)