Gusto is looking to hire a Staff Software Engineer, Infrastructure to shape the future of their compute and networking platforms, including Kubernetes and service mesh technologies, enabling hundreds of engineers to innovate faster and more safely.
Requirements
- Proven hands-on coding experience in production environments, with the ability to contribute directly to system development and automation
- Deep expertise in Kubernetes and service mesh technologies such as Istio, Envoy, or Cilium, including deployment, scaling, and security hardening
- Strong background in designing highly available, reliable, and observable systems that balance performance and developer velocity
- Mastery of Infrastructure as Code tools such as Terraform or Crossplane, with experience managing complex state for large organizations
- Experience managing 24/7 SaaS infrastructure, including monitoring, alerting, and performance analysis
- Demonstrated leadership in incident response, resilience engineering, and security best practices
- Resilience in ambiguity, with a bias toward action and transforming big ideas into impactful systems
Responsibilities
- Define and drive the strategic vision for Gusto’s compute and networking platforms, including Kubernetes and service mesh systems
- Lead architecture design, performance optimization, and security hardening initiatives for distributed systems at scale
- Partner with engineering leaders to translate organizational goals into concrete technical strategies and measurable outcomes
- Treat infrastructure as a product by focusing on developer experience, workflow simplification, and delivery acceleration
- Mentor and coach mid-level engineers, fostering skill development and best practices through pairing and knowledge sharing
- Communicate complex technical concepts clearly and build alignment across multiple teams and functions
- Lead incident response efforts, ensuring high system availability and resiliency
Other
- 12 or more years of experience in Infrastructure, Platform, or Site Reliability Engineering roles operating large-scale distributed systems
- Exceptional communication skills with the ability to simplify complex technical concepts and foster alignment across teams
- A systems thinking mindset capable of identifying small levers that create organizational impact
- Flexible work arrangements and supportive remote work policies
- Inclusive and diverse workplace culture that values innovation and collaboration
