Staff Applied AI/ ML Engineer

About Gusto Gusto is a modern, online people platform that helps small businesses take care of their teams. On top of full-service payroll, Gusto offers health insurance, 401(k)s, expert HR, and team management tools. Today, Gusto offices in Denver, San Francisco, and New York serve more than 400,000 businesses nationwide. Our mission is to create a world where work empowers a better life, and it starts right here at Gusto. We are committed to building a collaborative and inclusive workplace, both physically and virtually. The Role Staff Machine Learning Engineer - Applied AI/ML at Gusto. Data team leverages Gusto’s rich dataset to guide product direction and decision-making by building the right AI/ML solutions at scale. We are looking for a technical leader (an individual contributor) to drive the scale and optimization of our customer experience and customer journey via AI and ML enabled experiences and services. You will build and optimize AI/ML solutions and infrastructure that power our customer journey related products. You’ll work with a strong AI/ML team and cross-functionally with Engineering, Product, Design, Data Science, Marketing, and Sales to build Platforms that span the unified service platform stack using ML/AI to personalize content for customers and enhance experience. Responsibilities Design and develop scalable, production-grade AI and machine learning models for complex business problems. Lead and mentor teams of ML scientists and engineers, fostering technical excellence and innovation. Collaborate cross-functionally with product, engineering, and business stakeholders to identify AI opportunities and translate them into actionable solutions. Stay current with latest AI research; prototype and implement new algorithms and advancements from academia and industry. Oversee model validation, deployment, and lifecycle management, ensuring robust monitoring, explainability, and performance. Guide technical strategy, roadmap, and architectural decisions for the ML/AI function. Communicate findings, roadmaps, and performance results clearly to executives and non-technical partners. Qualifications 8+ years’ hands-on experience building and deploying end-to-end ML/AI systems in industry or academia. Deep expertise in advanced ML methods (supervised, unsupervised, reinforcement learning, deep learning, NLP, etc.). Proven track record of delivering large, impactful ML projects into production environments. Proficient in modern ML frameworks (TensorFlow, PyTorch, etc.) and cloud platforms (AWS, GCP, or Azure). Strong programming skills in Python and familiarity with CI/CD, testing, and code review. Demonstrated leadership in cross-disciplinary teams and ability to mentor scientists and engineers. Excellent communication skills and business acumen. Ph.D. or Master’s degree in Computer Science, ML, Statistics, Mathematics, or related field is a plus. Compensation Our cash compensation is targeted at $200k-245k in Denver, and $240k-290k for San Francisco, New York, and Seattle, with 220k-270k CAD for Toronto. Final offers are determined by candidate experience and expertise and may vary from the listed ranges. Location & Office Gusto has offices in Denver, San Francisco, and New York City. Employees based in those locations are expected to work from the office on designated days, approximately 2-3 days per week (or more depending on role). The same office expectations apply to Gusto’s subsidiary Symmetry, located in Scottsdale. The San Francisco office includes the San Francisco and San Jose metro areas. When approved to work remotely, a secure, reliable internet connection is required. Equal Opportunity & Privacy Gusto is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate in hiring or employment decisions based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy-related conditions), marital status, ancestry, disability, genetic information, veteran status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or other protected characteristics. We consider qualified applicants with criminal histories in line with laws. We provide reasonable accommodations upon request during the application process. Personal information collected as part of your application will be subject to Gusto’s Applicant Privacy Notice. Security Gusto takes security and protection of personal information seriously. Please review our Fraudulent Activity Disclaimer. Seniorities & Employment Details Seniority level: Mid-Senior level Employment type: Full-time Job function: Engineering and Information Technology Industries: Software Development #J-18808-Ljbffr