Channel Partnerships Manager (VC, Accelerator & Community)

About the Role:

Gusto is looking for an VC Partnerships Manager to own and scale our relationships across venture capital firms, accelerators, and founder communities. 

This role sits at the intersection of partnerships, community, and go-to-market strategy. You’ll be responsible for shaping how Gusto engages with the startup ecosystem in a way that is thoughtful, scalable, and aligned with long-term business priorities. Rather than managing a broad set of one-off relationships, this role focuses on building high-leverage, programmatic ecosystem partnerships that consistently show up early in a founder’s journey. 

You’ll partner closely with teams across various Partnerships teams, Marketing, Events, and Sales to define the right portfolio, engagement model, and success metrics for this motion.

About the Team:

The Channel Partnerships function sits within Gusto’s broader Partnerships organization. We work cross-functionally to extend Gusto’s reach through trusted partners and communities, while ensuring our motions scale sustainably over time.

This team acts as a connective layer between the startup ecosystem and Gusto’s go-to-market engine—balancing long-term relationship building with clear ownership, guardrails, and outcomes.

Here’s what you’ll do day-to-day:

• Own and manage Gusto’s ecosystem partnerships across VC firms, accelerators, and founder communities
• Define and maintain a clear partner portfolio, including which partners warrant 1:1 investment versus scaled engagement
• Build repeatable, programmatic partnership motions (e.g., accelerator cohorts, founder education, marketplace or platform integrations)
• Serve as the Tier 1 point of contact for a core group of high-impact ecosystem partners
• Collaborate closely with Partner Marketing and Events to design scalable programs and moments of engagement
• Partner with Recruit and other internal teams to align on net-new partner sourcing over time
• Track and evaluate ecosystem impact across metrics such as ARR, pipeline influence, and founder reach
• Represent Gusto externally within the startup ecosystem with credibility and authenticity

Here’s what we're looking for:

• 5+ years of experience in partnerships, ecosystem development, venture programs, or adjacent roles
• Deep familiarity with the startup ecosystem, including founders, operators, investors, or accelerators
• Experience building or managing partnerships in a way that balances relationship depth with scalability
• Strong judgment around where to invest time and where to say “not now”
• Comfort working cross-functionally and influencing without direct authority
• Ability to translate ambiguous inputs into clear strategy and execution plans

Our cash compensation amount for this role is $113,060 to $145,500 for Denver metro areas and $146,120 to $175,000 for San Francisco & New York. Final offer amounts are determined by multiple factors including candidate location, experience and expertise and may vary from the amounts listed above.