Chief Economist
$216k - $260k USD
About Gusto
At Gusto, we're on a mission to grow the small business economy. We handle the hard stuff—like payroll, health insurance, 401(k)s, and HR—so owners can focus on their craft and customers. With teams in Denver, San Francisco, and New York, we’re proud to support more than 400,000 small businesses across the country, and we’re building a workplace that represents and celebrates the customers we serve. Learn more about our Total Rewards philosophy.
About The Role
Delivering on Gusto’s mission requires us to have a strong understanding of key economic, workplace, business and societal trends – and an ability to harness the latest tools and technologies to generate knowledge that is faster, more rigorous, and more impactful than ever before.
We're currently hiring a Chief Economist to lead the Gusto Insights Group, a team of high-performing economists and data scientists, in defining and executing a research agenda that generates new, insightful, and relevant knowledge about small businesses, their workforce, and what they need to succeed.
You will leverage Gusto’s platform data from over 400,000 US-businesses alongside external data sources to produce research on entrepreneurship, innovation economics, labor markets, and the future of work. The result is research that shapes public policy, informs Gusto's strategy, and elevates the conversation about the SMB economy. You relish the opportunity to use your voice to advocate on behalf of others; and share our passion to raise awareness for the importance of SMBs in America and empowering entrepreneurs.
A key part of this role is AI leadership. You will be at the forefront of identifying, testing, and implementing AI tools and capabilities that allow Gusto Insights Group to scale its research output, deepen its analytical rigor, and amplify its influence. You will champion a culture of experimentation and continuous improvement.
What you’ll do day-to-day:
- Partner with Gusto's Data Science, Policy, Marketing, and Communications teams to develop and execute a research agenda on entrepreneurship, small business trends, and labor and workforce trends.
- Conduct quantitative analysis of platform and external data using everything from basic analysis to advanced econometrics and data science techniques.
- Identify the data and methods needed to produce robust, unbiased research that addresses knowledge gaps and informs new policy supporting small businesses and company strategy.
- Design and author regular and special topics reports and analysis that are aligned with the research agenda.
- Proactively research, evaluate, and implement emerging AI tools and workflows that increase the speed, scale, and impact of Gusto Insights Group's research output.
- Collaborate closely with the Communications team and represent Gusto research and analysis externally to media, policy, customer, and partner audiences.
- Serve as one of the company’s primary external spokespeople at events, and present research findings to legislators, trade groups, as well as broadcast, print and online media.
- Identify opportunities where AI can augment or automate research processes — from data collection and cleaning to analysis, writing, and dissemination — and lead the team in adopting these workflows.
- Stay current on academic literature and public research related to entrepreneurship, small business, employment, and labor market dynamics — serving as the team's foremost subject matter expert.
- Form research partnerships with academic institutions, industry trade groups, and other external organizations.
- Serve as an advocate for the rest of the business to develop the ability to collect and use data, research, and analysis for greater long-term growth.
What we’re looking for:
- Graduate degree in Economics or related quantitative discipline. Ph.D. preferred.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to tailor communication to business, media/press, academic, technical and political audiences.
- Demonstrated past experience with print, radio and/or TV media interviews.
- Strong quantitative analysis skills, including advanced skills in Python and SQL.
- Experienced with AI-powered coding and writing workflows using tools like Claude Code and Cursor; a genuine enthusiasm for staying at the cutting edge of AI capabilities as they apply to research and analysis.
- Ability to evaluate AI tools critically — identifying where they create real efficiency and impact versus where they introduce risk — and translate that judgment into team-wide practices and technical strategy.
- Curious mind with a strong ability to develop, shape and execute a forward-looking research strategy on entrepreneurship, innovation economics, labor markets, and future or work.
- Experience with quantitative research and analysis in the area of labor economics, or entrepreneurship/ small business dynamics.
- Understanding of publicly available data sources and how they can be paired with platform data or used to conduct research and derive insights.
- Experience leading and developing a high-performing team of economists, data scientists and/or analysts.
- Enthusiasm for helping to grow the small businesses economy.
- Knowledge/experience with survey design and/or qualitative methods is a plus.
- Knowledge/experience with manipulating and analyzing administrative data.
What’s in it for you:
- The opportunity to lead a high-performing, agile, and supportive team, and influence the direction of the business.
- Shape the conversation about issues that affect the SMB economy and its workforce.
- Build and wield AI capabilities that allow a world-class research team to punch well above its weight.
- Develop research and data that are used by government, non-profits, and the private sector for decision-making.
- Diverse work. This role includes research, partnership and relationship-building, communicating with media and external audiences, and shaping/influencing business decisions.
- Build credibility and authoritative voice on topics of vital interest to the US economy.
- Support the success of small businesses and promote entrepreneurship as a path to prosperity for owners and their workforce.
- Build relationships with world-class research and academic organizations.
Our annual salary range for this role is targeted at $216,000 - $260,000 for San Francisco & New York, and $184,000 - $220,000 in Denver, Atlanta, Phoenix, and Las Vegas. Final offer amounts are determined by multiple factors including candidate experience and expertise and may vary from the amounts listed above.
Gusto has physical office spaces in Denver, San Francisco, and New York City. Employees who are based in those locations will be 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 all Symmetry roles, Gusto's subsidiary, whose physical office is in Scottsdale.
Note: The San Francisco office expectations encompass both the San Francisco and San Jose metro areas.
When approved to work from a location other than a Gusto office, a secure, reliable, and consistent internet connection is required. This includes non-office days for hybrid employees.
Our customers come from all walks of life and so do we. We hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds, not just because it's the right thing to do, but because it makes our company stronger. If you share our values and our enthusiasm for small businesses, you will find a home at Gusto.
Gusto is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate in hiring or any employment decision based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), marital status, ancestry, physical or mental disability, genetic information, veteran status, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, or other applicable legally protected characteristic. Gusto considers qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state and local law. Gusto is also committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities and disabled veterans in our job application procedures. We want to see our candidates perform to the best of their ability. If you require a medical or religious accommodation at any time throughout your candidate journey, please fill out this form and a member of our team will get in touch with you.
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