Staff Product Designer, Consumer Money

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Staff Product Designer, Consumer Money Company: Gusto, Inc. Location: Denver, CO; San Francisco, CA; New York, NY; Los Angeles, CA; Seattle, WA; Toronto, Ontario, CAN - Remote Job Type: Full-Time Category: Product Design / Fintech Operations Date Posted: 2025-09-19 Experience Level: Senior (8+ years) / Staff Level Remote Status: Hybrid / Remote (with office presence required in certain locations)

🚀 Role Summary

• Spearhead the design of new, impactful 0-1 financial products within the Consumer Money team, focusing on enhancing worker financial well-being.
• Drive product strategy, roadmap definition, and team OKRs from a user-centered design perspective, ensuring alignment with Gusto's broader growth objectives.
• Conduct deep customer research and data analysis to uncover user needs and validate design solutions for financial services.
• Design and deliver high-quality, intuitive user experiences that balance rapid experimentation with thoughtful execution and raise the overall craft bar.
• Foster strong relationships with external partners, guiding their design efforts and ensuring cohesive customer journeys across digital and human touchpoints.
• Contribute actively to Gusto's design community through knowledge sharing, mentorship, and the evolution of the company's design system and standards.

📝 Enhancement Note: This role is positioned as a Staff Product Designer, indicating a significant level of autonomy, strategic influence, and expectation to lead design initiatives, often in ambiguous, new product spaces. The focus on "Consumer Money" and "financial services" suggests a need for understanding complex financial concepts and regulatory environments, which is typical for fintech operations. The requirement to guide external partners also implies strong stakeholder management and communication skills.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Define and champion a long-term UX vision for the Consumer Money product suite, ensuring it aligns with Gusto's overall business strategy and mission.
• Actively shape product strategy, roadmaps, team OKRs, and project priorities by providing expert design insights and user advocacy.
• Lead customer discovery efforts, leveraging qualitative research, quantitative data analysis, and direct user interaction to build a deep understanding of user needs and pain points.
• Design and oversee the end-to-end execution of new and iterative user experiences, ensuring they are intuitive, valuable, and meet Gusto's high standards for craft and quality.
• Establish and manage effective working relationships with external partners, providing design direction and ensuring their contributions align with our product vision and standards.
• Mentor junior designers and contribute to the growth and development of the broader Gusto Design team by sharing expertise, perspectives, and best practices.
• Champion and evolve Gusto's design system and platform standards, ensuring consistency and scalability across all product touchpoints through your design work.

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic product thinking and hands-on design execution, common for senior-level design roles in fast-growing tech companies. The emphasis on "0-1 products" and "partnerships" suggests a need for entrepreneurial thinking and the ability to navigate uncharted territory within the fintech space.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education:

• Bachelor's or Master's degree in Design, HCI, Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.

Experience:

• 8+ years of progressive experience in Product Design, with a demonstrated history of leading design direction across multiple product areas or teams.
• Proven track record of successfully designing and shipping complex, intuitive digital products, ideally within the fintech, platform, or service industries.
• Experience partnering closely with Product Management and Engineering to influence roadmaps and shape system-level decisions that lead to superior product outcomes.
• Demonstrated ability to maintain a high bar for design craft and execute thoughtful, high-impact solutions that directly benefit end-users.
• Experience designing cohesive customer journeys that span across digital interfaces and human-assisted support channels.

Required Skills:

• Product Design Expertise: Deep understanding of user-centered design principles, interaction design, visual design, and information architecture.
• Fintech Domain Knowledge: Familiarity with financial services, personal finance, and the unique design challenges and opportunities within the fintech sector.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Proven ability to work effectively with Product Managers, Engineers, Researchers, Data Analysts, and Marketing teams to achieve shared goals.
• Customer Research & Data Analysis: Proficiency in conducting user research (interviews, usability testing), analyzing user data, and translating insights into actionable design strategies.
• Design Strategy & Vision: Ability to define a long-term UX vision, influence product strategy, and connect design decisions to business objectives.
• Systemic Thinking: Capacity to design cohesive customer journeys and ensure consistency across various product touchpoints and platforms.
• Agility & Ambiguity Tolerance: Ability to thrive in fast-paced, ambiguous environments, lead through action, and drive tangible customer impact.
• Communication & Influence: Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to articulate design rationale, engage in constructive debate, and align stakeholders.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience designing and launching 0-1 financial products.
• Familiarity with Gusto's design system or experience contributing to design systems.
• Experience working with external partners and guiding their design processes.
• Strong understanding of business development and go-to-market strategies for new financial products.
• Mentorship experience and a passion for developing other designers.

📝 Enhancement Note: The "8+ years" requirement for a Staff Product Designer role aligns with industry standards for senior individual contributors who are expected to provide strategic leadership and mentorship. The emphasis on fintech, complex domains, and 0-1 product development indicates a need for designers who can operate with a high degree of autonomy and strategic foresight.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Case Studies Demonstrating Impact: Showcase 2-3 detailed case studies that illustrate your product design process from problem definition to shipped solution, emphasizing the impact on user behavior and business metrics.
• Fintech or Complex Domain Experience: Include projects specifically related to financial services, platforms, or other complex technical domains, highlighting your ability to simplify intricate concepts.
• 0-1 Product Development: Present examples of new products or features conceived and designed from inception, demonstrating your entrepreneurial spirit and ability to navigate ambiguity.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration Evidence: Detail how you partnered with Product, Engineering, and other stakeholders, showcasing your ability to influence strategy and drive alignment.
• User Research Integration: Clearly articulate how user research and data informed your design decisions throughout the process, including methods used and insights gained.

Process Documentation:

• Problem Definition & User Understanding: Document your approach to identifying user needs and defining product problems, including research methodologies and synthesis.
• Ideation & Iteration: Showcase your process for generating, evaluating, and iterating on design solutions, including wireframing, prototyping, and user testing.
• Systemic Design Approach: Illustrate how you consider the broader customer journey and ensure consistency across different touchpoints and platforms.
• Collaboration & Handoff: Detail your methods for collaborating with engineering and other teams, ensuring smooth implementation and product quality.

📝 Enhancement Note: For a Staff Product Designer role, a portfolio is critical. It should not only showcase design skills but also strategic thinking, problem-solving capabilities, and the ability to drive measurable impact. Including examples of working with external partners or on platform-level initiatives would be highly beneficial. The emphasis on 0-1 products suggests a need to demonstrate initiative and the ability to define new product spaces.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range:

• Denver & Most Remote Locations: $146,000 - $183,000 per year
• San Francisco, Seattle & New York: $177,000 - $222,000 per year

📝 Enhancement Note: Gusto provides competitive, location-adjusted salary ranges for this Staff Product Designer role. The variation reflects the differing cost of living and market rates across the specified locations. Candidates should consider their preferred work location when evaluating the compensation. The ranges provided are typical for senior or staff-level design positions in the tech industry, especially within the fintech sector.

Benefits:

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance plans.
• 401(k) retirement savings plan.
• Generous paid time off (PTO) and holidays.
• Stock options or equity grants.
• Professional development opportunities, including training, conferences, and workshops.
• Wellness programs and resources.
• Opportunities to work on impactful financial products that directly benefit small businesses and their employees.

Working Hours:

• Standard full-time work week, typically 40 hours.
• Flexibility is generally offered, but specific hours may vary based on team needs and project deadlines.

📝 Enhancement Note: Gusto offers a robust benefits package, common for established tech companies, designed to support employee well-being and long-term career growth. The inclusion of stock options is typical for senior roles, aligning with Gusto's growth trajectory.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Fintech / Human Resources Technology (HR Tech) Company Size: Over 400 businesses served nationwide, indicating a significant operational scale and market presence. The design team itself comprises over 70 individuals, suggesting a dedicated and substantial design function. Founded: Gusto was founded to modernize people operations for small businesses, emphasizing a mission-driven approach to empowering employers and employees.

Team Structure:

• The Consumer Money team is a key growth area within Gusto, focused on developing financial services for individuals paid through Gusto's platform. It has scaled from a startup team to a larger organization, contributing significantly to Gusto's ARR.
• The Product Design team is large and cross-functional, comprising over 70 individuals from Design, Research, Writing, Operations, and Front-end Development. This structure fosters deep collaboration and shared ownership.
• Designers operate closely with partners in Product, Engineering, Data, and Marketing, breaking down traditional "swim lanes" to ensure integrated and effective product development.

Methodology:

• User-Centricity: A strong emphasis on understanding and empathizing with users, driven by research and data.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: A philosophy of working together across disciplines to solve problems and build great products.
• Craftsmanship: A commitment to high-quality, thoughtful, and inclusive design execution.
• Data-Informed Decisions: Utilizing data analytics and experimentation to guide product development and measure impact.
• Agile Development: Embracing rapid experimentation and iterative development cycles.

Company Website: https://gusto.com/

📝 Enhancement Note: Gusto's culture appears to be collaborative, mission-driven, and focused on user impact. The significant size of the design team suggests a mature design practice with opportunities for specialization and mentorship. The Consumer Money team's focus on financial services for individuals paid via Gusto positions it as a critical growth engine for the company.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: Staff Product Designer. This level signifies a senior individual contributor role with significant influence on product strategy, design direction, and team output. It often involves mentoring junior team members and driving complex, ambiguous initiatives. Reporting Structure: The role reports to the Head of Design for New Revenue Streams, indicating a direct line of sight to leadership and strategic decision-making within a key growth area of the company. Operations Impact: As a Staff Product Designer on the Consumer Money team, your work will directly impact the financial lives of millions of workers and contribute significantly to Gusto's Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) through critical financial services offerings. You will be instrumental in developing new financial products that empower individuals and grow Gusto's market share in the fintech space.

Growth Opportunities:

• Strategic Leadership: Opportunity to shape the UX vision and product strategy for a rapidly growing financial services area.
• Product Innovation: Lead the design of 0-1 financial products, tackling complex challenges and creating meaningful new experiences.
• Mentorship & Influence: Mentor junior designers and contribute to the evolution of Gusto's design practice and design system.
• Industry Expertise: Deepen expertise in fintech and personal finance product design, working at the intersection of payroll, benefits, and financial services.
• Career Progression: Potential pathways to Principal Designer, Design Lead, or management roles within Gusto's expanding design organization.

📝 Enhancement Note: This Staff Product Designer role offers significant growth potential, not just in terms of design craft but also in strategic influence and leadership within a high-impact area of Gusto. The opportunity to build new financial products positions this role as highly strategic and integral to the company's future growth.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: Gusto maintains physical office spaces in Denver, San Francisco, and New York City. Employees based in these locations are expected to work from the office approximately 2-3 days per week. Office Location(s): Key hubs include Denver, CO; San Francisco, CA; and New York, NY. Remote work is also an option, particularly for roles based in the US and Canada (e.g., Toronto). Workspace Context:

• Collaborative Environment: The design team's structure emphasizes cross-functional collaboration, suggesting a dynamic and interactive workspace.
• Tools & Technology: Access to modern design and collaboration tools is implied, supporting efficient workflow and communication.
• Team Interaction: Opportunities for direct interaction with product managers, engineers, researchers, and fellow designers, fostering a learning and growth-oriented environment.

Work Schedule:

• Employees are expected to work approximately 2-3 days per week in an office location if based in Denver, San Francisco, or New York.
• Remote employees are expected to have a reliable internet connection.
• Standard full-time hours (approx. 40 hours/week) apply, with flexibility often available.

📝 Enhancement Note: The hybrid work model (2-3 days in office) is a common arrangement for companies seeking to balance in-person collaboration with remote flexibility. This structure is common in many tech companies, including those with significant operations functions that benefit from face-to-face interaction.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Initial Screen: A recruiter or hiring manager will likely conduct an initial phone screen to assess basic qualifications, cultural fit, and interest.
• Portfolio Review & Discussion: A dedicated session with design leadership and/or team members to walk through your portfolio, focusing on process, impact, and problem-solving skills. Expect to discuss your design philosophy and approach to complex problems.
• Cross-Functional Interviews: Interviews with Product Managers and Engineering leads to evaluate your collaboration skills, ability to influence strategy, and understanding of technical constraints.
• Design Challenge/Workshop: You may be asked to complete a take-home design exercise or participate in an on-site/virtual design workshop to assess your design thinking and execution in a simulated scenario.
• Staff-Level Discussion: Interviews focused on strategic thinking, leadership potential, mentorship capabilities, and your vision for the Consumer Money product space.
• Final Round: Potential interviews with senior leadership to confirm alignment with Gusto's mission, values, and the overall strategic direction.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Tell a Story: Structure your case studies to clearly articulate the problem, your process, the challenges faced, your solutions, and the measurable impact.
• Focus on Impact: Quantify your contributions whenever possible. Use metrics to demonstrate how your designs improved user experience, drove business outcomes, or solved specific problems.
• Showcase Your Process: Detail your thought process, including research methods, ideation techniques, iteration cycles, and how you collaborated with stakeholders.
• Highlight Ambiguity Navigation: For this role, emphasize how you tackled ambiguous problems and defined new product spaces, especially in fintech.
• Be Prepared to Defend Your Decisions: Articulate the rationale behind your design choices and how they align with user needs and business goals. Be ready for constructive debate.

Challenge Preparation:

• Understand Gusto's Business: Research Gusto's products, mission, and target audience (small businesses and their employees). Understand the competitive landscape in HR tech and fintech.
• Focus on Financial Services: If given a fintech-related challenge, think about common user pain points, security considerations, and regulatory aspects relevant to financial products.
• Demonstrate Strategic Thinking: Show how your design solutions align with broader business objectives and product strategy.
• Prioritize Clarity and Communication: Be prepared to clearly articulate your thought process and the reasoning behind your design decisions, both in written and verbal formats.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview process for a Staff Product Designer at Gusto will likely be rigorous, assessing not only design craft but also strategic thinking, leadership potential, and collaboration skills. A strong portfolio that demonstrates impact and process, particularly in complex or financial domains, is essential.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Design & Prototyping: Figma (highly probable, industry standard), Sketch, Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop).
• Prototyping & User Testing: InVision, Marvel, Framer, UserTesting.com.
• Collaboration & Project Management: Jira, Asana, Trello, Slack, Notion.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Product Analytics: Amplitude, Mixpanel, Google Analytics.
• Data Visualization: Tableau, Looker, Metabase.
• User Feedback Tools: Hotjar, SurveyMonkey.

CRM & Automation:

• While not directly a designer tool, understanding how CRM systems (like Salesforce) and marketing automation platforms integrate with product experiences can be beneficial for a holistic view.

📝 Enhancement Note: While specific tools are not listed, proficiency in industry-standard design and prototyping tools like Figma is almost certainly a requirement. Familiarity with product analytics and user feedback platforms is also highly beneficial for understanding user behavior and informing design decisions in a data-driven environment.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• Mission-Driven: A strong commitment to Gusto's mission of empowering small businesses and creating a better life through work.
• Customer Focus: Deep empathy for users and a dedication to solving their problems through thoughtful design.
• Collaboration: Valuing teamwork, open communication, and cross-functional partnerships to achieve shared goals.
• Craftsmanship & Quality: Maintaining a high standard for design execution, attention to detail, and creating delightful user experiences.
• Impact & Action: A bias towards action, driving tangible outcomes and focusing on real customer impact rather than just planning.
• Growth Mindset: Embracing learning, continuous improvement, and tackling challenges with an entrepreneurial spirit.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-Functional Integration: Designers work closely with Product, Engineering, Research, Data, and Marketing, actively participating in strategy and decision-making.
• Open Communication & Feedback: A culture that encourages constructive debate, open sharing of ideas, and receiving feedback to improve designs and processes.
• Design System Advocacy: Encouraging the use and evolution of the design system to ensure consistency and efficiency across products.
• Shared Ownership: A collective responsibility for product success, moving beyond silos to achieve common objectives.

📝 Enhancement Note: Gusto's values emphasize a people-first approach, both for its customers and its employees. The culture encourages ownership, collaboration, and a commitment to making a tangible difference, which is highly relevant for operations-oriented roles where process and impact are key.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Designing for Ambiguity: Creating new 0-1 financial products requires navigating uncharted territory, defining user needs, and establishing product-market fit.
• Complex Financial Domain: Designing intuitive experiences for financial services, which can be complex and involve sensitive user data, requires a deep understanding of user behavior and trust.
• Balancing Experimentation with Quality: The need to rapidly experiment and iterate while maintaining a high bar for design craft and a cohesive user experience.
• Partner Management: Effectively guiding and collaborating with external design partners to ensure alignment with Gusto's product vision and standards.
• Scaling Financial Services: Designing solutions that can scale effectively to serve a large and diverse user base as Gusto's financial offerings grow.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Fintech Product Leadership: Deepen expertise in designing and scaling financial products within a leading fintech company.
• Strategic Influence: Develop skills in shaping product strategy and influencing key business decisions at a senior level.
• Mentorship: Gain experience mentoring junior designers and contributing to the growth of a mature design organization.
• Cross-Functional Acumen: Enhance collaboration and communication skills by working closely with diverse teams across Product, Engineering, and Business Development.
• Design System Evolution: Contribute to and learn from the development of Gusto's robust design system.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges presented are typical for senior roles focused on innovation and growth within a rapidly evolving company. They offer significant opportunities for professional development, particularly in strategic product design and leadership within the fintech sector.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• Product Vision & Strategy: "How would you define the long-term UX vision for Gusto's Consumer Money products? How would you ensure this vision aligns with Gusto's overall business strategy?" (Preparation: Research Gusto's mission, target market, and competitive landscape. Think about how financial tools can empower workers.)
• Ambiguity & 0-1 Products: "Describe a time you had to design a product or feature with significant ambiguity or from scratch. What was your process, and what was the outcome?" (Preparation: Select a relevant case study from your portfolio that showcases initiative and problem-solving in an undefined space.)
• Collaboration & Influence: "How do you typically partner with Product Managers and Engineers to shape roadmaps and system-level decisions? Provide an example of a time you influenced a critical decision." (Preparation: Prepare examples demonstrating strong collaboration, communication, and negotiation skills. Highlight instances where your design input led to better product outcomes.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• Mission Alignment: "What excites you about Gusto's mission to empower small businesses and their employees? How does that resonate with your own values?" (Preparation: Research Gusto's "About Us" and "Careers" sections. Connect your personal motivations to their mission.)
• Design at Gusto: "Based on what you've learned, what do you think are the key aspects of the design culture at Gusto? How would you contribute to it?" (Preparation: Review Gusto's design blog or Notion page if available. Think about how your skills and approach align with their stated values.)
• Impact Measurement: "How do you measure the success of your designs? Can you share an example of how you used data to inform your design decisions or demonstrate impact?" (Preparation: Quantify the results of your past projects. Be ready to discuss specific metrics and how you tracked them.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Focus on Process, Not Just Polish: Clearly articulate the "why" and "how" behind your design decisions. Show your thinking, iterations, and problem-solving approaches.
• Quantify Impact: Use data and metrics to demonstrate the success of your projects. Highlight improvements in user satisfaction, conversion rates, efficiency, or other relevant KPIs.
• Tell a Compelling Narrative: Structure your case studies like stories, with a clear beginning (the problem), middle (your process and solutions), and end (the impact and learnings).
• Be Prepared for Deep Dives: Anticipate detailed questions about your contributions, design choices, and how you handled challenges or trade-offs.
• Showcase Strategic Thinking: Demonstrate how your designs align with business goals and contribute to the overall product strategy.

📝 Enhancement Note: Interview preparation for a Staff Product Designer role at Gusto should focus on demonstrating strategic thinking, leadership potential, and a deep understanding of user-centered design within the fintech context. Preparing specific examples for each question type, backed by your portfolio, will be crucial.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this Staff Product Designer position:

• Submit your application through the provided Greenhouse link.
• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your portfolio to highlight relevant fintech experience, 0-1 product development, and instances of cross-functional collaboration and strategic influence. Focus on case studies that demonstrate measurable impact.
• Resume Optimization: Ensure your resume clearly articulates your 8+ years of experience, your expertise in product design, and any specific achievements related to financial services or complex domains. Use keywords from the job description naturally.
• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process, sharing project stories, and explaining your strategic thinking. Be ready to discuss how you handle ambiguity and drive outcomes.
• Company Research: Thoroughly research Gusto's mission, values, products, and the Consumer Money team's objectives. Understand their approach to design and how you can contribute to their culture.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.