PEO Sales, Account Executive

Gusto•Phoenix, AZ

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

Gusto is building its PEO sales organization and is hiring an early, quota-carrying seller to help establish and scale its PEO sales motion. The Account Executive will sell Gusto’s co-employment solution to both new prospects and existing Gusto customers, carrying a personal book of business and owning the full sales cycle from prospecting through signed agreement. The role reports to the Head of PEO Sales and will help shape the sales playbook, tools, and pipeline architecture through feedback from the field. The seller will serve as a subject matter expert for prospects navigating co-employment, benefits, compliance, and the transition to a PEO. The role involves partnering with HR, benefits, payroll, marketing, product, and sales teams, as well as broker, GA, and accountant referral sources. Selling activity must account for the PEO selling season, with pipeline built from September through December for business that largely begins January 1. Gusto expects employees to use AI tools relevant to their roles. This position requires incorporating AI into daily sales workflows and sharing useful feedback to improve tools and processes. The role is based in locations that may include Denver, Phoenix, Atlanta metro areas, or the San Francisco Bay Area. Employees based in Gusto office locations are expected to work in-office on designated days approximately two to three days per week or more depending on the role. When working from another approved location, employees must have a secure, reliable, consistent internet connection and maintain regular, predictable attendance.

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 deals end to end, including prospecting, discovery, multi-stakeholder navigation, and closing.
Strong working knowledge of inbound and outbound sales methodologies in SMB SaaS or HCM/PEO environments.
Excellent interpersonal skills and ability to collaborate effectively across HR, Benefits, Product, and Marketing.
Day-to-day experience integrating AI into work across writing, research, preparation, and summarization, with a track record of providing useful feedback to improve tools and processes.
Salesforce.com (SFDC) experience.

Nice To Haves

Direct PEO sales experience is strongly preferred.
Familiarity with the PEO January 1 selling cycle, 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.
Sell to net-new prospects and convert existing Gusto payroll customers to PEO.
Guide prospects through co-employment, benefits, compliance, and the practicalities of moving to a PEO.
Build and maintain knowledge of PEO compliance, co-employment regulations, and applicable state and federal employment law.
Plan around the PEO selling season by building pipeline early and managing the funnel toward the September–December sales window and January 1 business start.
Develop pipeline through broker, GA, and accountant referral channels and share insights about what converts.
Maintain accurate, current Salesforce records, forecast accurately, and follow team sales stages, routing, and reporting processes.
Use AI tools for prospecting, call preparation, follow-up, and forecast hygiene, and share feedback about tools and workflows.
Collaborate with Marketing, Product, HR, Benefits, payroll, and the broader Sales organization to share market signals, refine positioning, and improve the customer experience.
Provide field feedback to help shape the team’s playbook, tooling, and pipeline architecture.