Channel Partnerships Manager, Investor Ecosystems (VC & PE)
Gusto is a payroll and HR platform that helps small businesses pay domestic and international employees, manage benefits, and automate compliance.
Projects
About Gusto
Gusto serves small and mid-sized businesses with payroll processing, employee benefits administration, and HR tools in one platform. Users can run payroll, manage health insurance, hire globally, and pay international contractors in local currency or USDC stablecoins. The platform automates payroll tax filings across multiple states and integrates with tools like QuickBooks and Xero.
Skills
About the Role
You will own the VC & PE partnership strategy end to end and be accountable for results across the function. You will define and maintain a clear partner portfolio, deciding which partners warrant one-to-one investment versus scaled engagement. You will build repeatable, programmatic partnership motions such as portfolio company programs, founder and operator education, and marketplace or platform integrations. You will serve as the Tier 1 point of contact for a core group of high-impact ecosystem partners and collaborate closely with Partner Marketing and Events to design scalable programs and moments of engagement. You will partner with Recruit and other internal teams to align on net-new partner sourcing, track and evaluate ecosystem impact across metrics such as ARR, pipeline influence, and founder reach, and represent the company externally as a credible, recognized voice in the VC & PE ecosystem while providing thought leadership to internal teams and external partners.
Requirements
- 10+ years of experience in partnerships, ecosystem development, venture or growth programs, or adjacent roles, with a track record of function-level impact
- 4+ years of experience with the venture capital and private equity ecosystem, including founders, operators, and investors
- Proven ability to independently lead complex, cross-functional partnership initiatives that balance 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
- Experience working at or closely with a VC or PE firm, high-growth company, or ecosystem platform
- Background in program design, portfolio engagement, or platform partnerships
- Experience evaluating partnership impact beyond direct revenue attribution
Responsibilities
- Own the VC & PE partnership strategy end to end, accountable for results across the function
- Define and maintain a clear partner portfolio, including which partners warrant 1:1 investment versus scaled engagement
- Build repeatable, programmatic partnership motions such as portfolio company programs, founder and operator education, and 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 the company externally as a credible, recognized voice in the VC & PE ecosystem and provide thought leadership to internal teams and external partners
Benefits
- Health insurance
- 401(k)
- Equity (RSUs)
