PEO Sales, Account Executive

Gusto, Inc.•Atlanta, GA

5d•$102,855 - $165,000

About The Position

Gusto is seeking a quota-carrying seller to join its newly formed PEO sales organization as an early individual contributor. The Account Executive will help establish and scale Gusto’s PEO sales motion by selling its co-employment solution to new prospects and existing Gusto customers. The role owns a personal book of business and the full sales cycle, and works directly with the Head of PEO Sales to shape the sales playbook, tools, and pipeline architecture. The seller will guide prospects through complex co-employment decisions and partner with HR, benefits, payroll, and other teams to provide a seamless customer experience. The role also involves developing referral pipelines through broker, GA, and accountant channels, planning around the concentrated September–December selling season for January 1 starts, and using AI tools in daily sales workflows. Gusto has offices in Denver, San Francisco, and New York City. Employees based in those locations are expected to work from the office approximately two to three days per week or more depending on the role. The posting does not specify a required location for this position. A secure, reliable, and consistent internet connection is required when approved to work away from a Gusto office, and regular, predictable attendance is expected.

Requirements

At least 4 years of experience in a closing sales role, ideally in PEO, HCM, or benefits.
Consistent, demonstrable record of meeting and exceeding individual sales targets.
Proven ability to own complex consultative sales from prospecting and discovery through multi-stakeholder navigation and close.
Strong working knowledge of inbound and outbound sales methodologies in SMB SaaS or HCM/PEO environments.
Ability to collaborate effectively across HR, Benefits, Product, and Marketing, with excellent interpersonal skills.
Day-to-day experience integrating AI into work, including writing, research, preparation, and summarization, and providing useful feedback to improve tools and processes.
Salesforce.com (SFDC) experience.

Nice To Haves

Direct PEO selling experience is strongly preferred.
Familiarity with the PEO January 1 selling cycle, including September–December pipeline building and renewal dynamics.
Experience selling into or converting an existing customer base to a higher-tier or adjacent product.
Understanding of broker, GA, and accountant referral channels in the PEO or benefits space.
Familiarity with HCM platforms and benefits administration tools.

Responsibilities

Own the full sales cycle, including prospecting, qualification, discovery, demonstrations, navigating complex buying groups, and closing.
Close business with both net-new prospects and existing Gusto payroll customers converting to PEO.
Guide prospects through co-employment, benefits, compliance, and the practicalities of transitioning to a PEO; maintain knowledge of applicable regulations and employment law.
Build pipeline early and manage the sales funnel around the September–December selling window and January 1 business start dates.
Develop pipeline through broker, GA, and accountant referral sources and share insights about channel conversion.
Maintain accurate Salesforce records, forecast reliably, and follow established sales stages, routing, and reporting processes.
Use AI tools for prospecting, call preparation, follow-up, and forecast hygiene; share feedback and effective practices with the team.
Collaborate with Marketing, Product, HR, Benefits, Payroll, and the broader Sales organization to surface market signals, refine positioning, and improve the customer experience.
Work with the Head of PEO Sales to share field insights that inform the sales playbook, tooling, and pipeline architecture.