Partner Account Executive

Gusto, Inc.•Atlanta, GA

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

As a Partner Account Executive for GustoPro, you will play a critical role in expanding Gusto's footprint within the accounting market by recruiting new accounting firm partners, enabling them to succeed on the platform, and driving them to a healthy, self-sufficient state before transitioning them to an Account Manager. Working directly with our Head of Sales and Head of GustoPro Sales, you will shape our new partner sales motion while owning the full arc of partner activation — from first conversation to a successful handoff. The benchmark that tells us activation is working: 10 net new clients added and the firm's 30-day enablement plan complete. 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.

Requirements

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).

Responsibilities

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.