Head of Community and Events

About Gusto

Gusto is a modern, online people platform that helps small businesses take care of their teams. On top of full-service payroll, Gusto offers health insurance, 401(k)s, expert HR, and team management tools. Today, Gusto offices in Denver, San Francisco, and New York serve more than 300,000 businesses nationwide.

Our mission is to create a world where work empowers a better life, and it starts right here at Gusto. That’s why we’re committed to building a collaborative and inclusive workplace, both physically and virtually. Learn more about our Total Rewards philosophy. 

As the Head of Community and Events at Gusto, you will lead our efforts to build and nurture a diverse community of passionate entrepreneurs, small business owners, HR professionals, and accountants. You'll be instrumental in shaping the company's community and events strategy, fostering engagement, and driving initiatives that strengthen relationships among our customers and partners, and scaling it. And, you'll work closely with marketing, product and sales teams to build programs and experiences that delight our community while also integrating community initiatives into broader company objectives.

Here’s what you’ll do day-to-day:

• Be a key member of our Integrated Communications team who supports building our brand externally through Community and events 
• Develop and execute a comprehensive community and events strategy aligned with Gusto's mission and values. Identify opportunities for community growth, engagement, and advocacy.
• Oversee all aspects of community-related event planning, including theme development, venue selection, vendor management, budgeting, and logistics.
• Cultivate and grow a diverse and engaged community through various channels, including online forums, social media, partnerships, with a large focus on events
• Implement initiatives to drive community engagement, facilitate discussions, and ensure high levels of participation
• Develop retention strategies to foster long-term community relationships
• Empower community members to become brand advocates
• Identify and collaborate with key influencers to amplify Gusto's presence within relevant communities
• Oversee the creation and curation of valuable content, resources, and educational materials to support the community's needs and interests
• Partner closely across our Integrated Communications team to ensure alignment of messaging
• Collaborate closely with marketing, product, sales, and other teams to integrate community initiatives into broader company objectives
• Build and maintain relationships with vendors, sponsors, and partners to enhance event offerings and ensure a high level of service
• Utilize data-driven insights to measure community engagement, identify trends, and adjust strategies for continuous improvement
• Develop and manage event budgets, ensuring optimal allocation of resources and cost-effective execution

Here’s what we're looking for:

• 10+ years of experience building and leading a community relations strategy at the local and national level
• You have a track record of scaling community teams and engagement
• Experience in organizing and executing virtual and physical events : managing relationships with vendors, sponsors, and partners, as well as budget
• Ability to build and own complex programs that involve multiple business partners - from Marketing to Legal - in a high-growth organization
• You prioritize measuring both program and business impact 
• Creative thinking to develop innovative community programs and memorable experiences 
• Excellent communication skills to work with cross-functional partners and engage community members
• You’re a trusted counselor and advisor to stakeholders across the company
• Proficiency in social media platforms, community management tools, event management tools, and data analytics tools
• Resourceful, highly curious, and passionate about bringing communities together to drive greater impact
• Bonus for experience building and scaling small business focused community programs and events

Our cash compensation amount for this role is targeted at $169,000/year - $189,000/year for San Francisco & New York, and $144,000/year - $161,000/year in Denver & most remote locations. Final offer amounts are determined by multiple factors including candidate experience and expertise and may vary from the amounts listed above.

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