Staff Recruiter, Design & Specialized Tech

San Francisco, CA - Hybrid · USD 168,000-190,000 · 8+ years experience · Hybrid · Posted Oct 12, 2026

At a glance

At Gusto, we're on a mission to grow the small business economy. We handle the hard stuff — payroll, health insurance, 401(k)s, and HR — so owners can focus on their craft and their customers. With teams in Denver, San Francisco, and New York, we support more than 500,000 small businesses nationwide and are building a workplace that reflects the people we serve.
All full-time employees receive competitive base pay, benefits, and equity (RSUs) — because everyone who helps build Gusto should share in its success. Offer amounts are determined by role, level, and location. Learn more about our Total Rewards philosophy.
AI is a fundamental part of how work gets done at Gusto. We expect all team members to actively engage with AI tools relevant to their role and grow their fluency as the technology evolves. AI experience requirements vary by role and will be assessed during the interview process.

This role brings in builder-minded design talent across Product Design, Design Systems, Content Design, UX Research, Service Design, Brand Studio and Creative, and Design Operations.
The Staff Design Recruiter brings the versatility and eagerness to flex into Product Management, Data, or other technical hiring areas.

Recruiting end to end by running specialized, req-based searches from pre-search strategy through offer acceptance, across levels and craft areas.
Talent advisory by running tailored outbound, building bar-raiser pipelines from the start, and mapping the market.
Work cross-functionally to achieve the goal by building working relationships across Compensation, People Partners, Executive Operations and Candidate Experience.
Guide candidates through an experience that resonates, maintaining high touch, honesty, and care held to real SLAs.
Build with AI, not just use it, by leveraging AI to give superpowers across top-of-funnel sourcing, market analysis, and the entire interview process.
Flex into other technical searches when priorities shift, picking up specialized Product Management, Data, or other technical searches when the business needs coverage.
Build an in-market design community in San Francisco by bringing designers together in person, showing up at and hosting local events.

Full-cycle recruiting depth, typically 8+ years across specialized tech, including meaningful time specializing in design recruiting.
Data fluency to read, research, and interpret data across multiple tools.
Sourcing as a craft with a knack for spotting bar raisers and building always-on pipelines.
Cross-functional partnership with a proven ability to work across Compensation, People Partners, Executive Ops, and Finance.
Executive presence with a history of partnering with senior leaders.

Hybrid role based in San Francisco, CA.
Employees based in San Francisco are expected to work from the office on designated days approximately 2-3 days per week (or more depending on role).
Reliable, consistent presence is expected for regular and predictable attendance.