Product Counsel, Payroll and Fintech

Gusto, Inc.•San Francisco, CA

3d•$199,150 - $272,906•Hybrid

About The Position

Gusto is seeking a Product Counsel to join its Product Commercial Legal team and advise on payroll, fintech, tax, payments, benefits, and HR products. The role will provide end-to-end legal support for product development, review, updates, and advancement in partnership with product, engineering, design, business development, commercial, privacy, security, risk, and other stakeholders. The counsel will help the company manage legal and regulatory risks while enabling responsible product development and business growth. The role also focuses on transforming how product legal work is delivered. The Product Counsel will lead adoption of AI-driven review tools, develop standards, playbooks, processes, and tooling, and determine appropriate review thresholds and human-in-the-loop controls. They will test and recommend AI solutions, educate legal, compliance, and business teams on emerging practices, and help scale the product legal function. The position calls for a collaborative, business-oriented lawyer who can balance legal risk with business needs and sees Product Legal as a driver of innovation and business impact.

Requirements

JD degree and active license to practice law as a member of a state bar.
7+ years of combined legal experience, including experience in an in-house legal department at a technology company.
Experience supporting development, launch, and scaling of payroll, fintech, tax, and payment products, including highly regulated domestic and global products.
Demonstrated ability to build consensus and strong relationships.
Ability to work collaboratively with business clients so they understand and own risk-based decisions.
Experience creatively solving problems and balancing legal risk with business needs.
Attention to detail and ability to follow through in a fast-paced environment.
Ability to work collaboratively, independently, cross-functionally, and under pressure.
Experience working closely with Commercial or Contracts Counsel to support deal closure.
Experience with AI review tools, such as GCAI or similar.
Demonstrated success building and improving processes.

Nice To Haves

Passion for AI and technology as drivers of legal transformation.
Familiarity with regulated industries such as financial services, payroll or tax SaaS, and healthcare.
Creative problem-solving skills and confidence taking smart risks.
Energy, curiosity, and a drive to contribute to groundbreaking work.
A team-first approach and willingness to take on varied work.

Responsibilities

Advise on complex regulatory frameworks and the design and maturation of payroll, fintech, tax, and payments products.
Help define business strategy as Gusto expands products and functionality for U.S. businesses hiring or preparing to hire employees and contractors.
Counsel Product, Engineering, Design, and Business teams on payroll products and partnerships, domestic and international payments, data privacy, and tax matters.
Contribute to scalable processes that manage legal risk and accelerate product expansion.
Partner with the Commercial team to advise on product risk, work through redlines, and negotiate with counterparties.
Own end-to-end legal advisory support for product development, review, updates, and advancements in collaboration with cross-functional stakeholders.
Lead adoption of AI-driven review tools and establish standards, playbooks, tooling, and review thresholds for scalable product legal work.
Test, pilot, and recommend next-generation AI solutions, with appropriate human-in-the-loop controls.
Educate legal, compliance, and business teams on new industry practices and advances in product development and counseling.