Head of Brand Studio

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 300,000 businesses nationwide. Our mission is to create a world where work empowers a better life, and it starts right here at Gusto. That’s why we’re committed to building a collaborative and inclusive workplace, both physically and virtually. Learn more about our Total Rewards philosophy.

Job Summary

Gusto is hiring a visionary Head of Brand Studio to lead our in-house creative team and shape a world-class brand that champions small businesses. In this high-impact role, you’ll define our creative vision, scale systems for brand consistency, and produce bold, distinctive work that brings Gusto’s mission to life across every touchpoint.

You’ll oversee creative across key channels—brand advertising, website, digital campaigns, social, email—and collaborate closely with Product Design, especially our Growth Design team, to ensure a cohesive experience across marketing and product.

As a strategic partner to Marketing, Product, and company leadership (including our founders), you’ll drive a culture of creative excellence while staying hands-on in the work. Your blend of taste, executional rigor, and business acumen will ensure our brand not only inspires but delivers results.

We’re looking for a proven leader with a strong portfolio, exceptional judgment, and the ability to scale brand systems in fast-paced environments. If you’re passionate about design that moves people—and moves the needle—we’d love to meet you.

This role reports to and is empowered by our Chief Design Officer, Amy Thibodeau.

Here’s what you’ll do day-to-day :

Set the Creative Vision : Define and evolve our brand’s visual identity, voice, and storytelling across all platforms with a focus on our owned web properties like Gusto.com, and marketing channels

Lead & Inspire : Manage, mentor, and empower a team of designers, writers, and creatives, fostering a culture of collaboration, feedback, and innovation.

Ensure Brand Consistency : Oversee creative execution across website, digital, tv, social, product marketing, and events, ensuring every touchpoint is cohesive and impactful.

Be Hands-On : While leading strategy, roll up your sleeves when needed—whether it's concepting, reviewing work, or jumping in to refine a campaign.

Stakeholder Collaboration : Work closely with Marketing, Product, and Gusto Senior Leadership to align creative strategy with business objectives and internal client needs.

Operationally Excellent : deliver high quality creative on time, at a high velocity, aligned with stakeholder expectations and briefs

Client Service Mindset : Ensure internal teams—our clients—feel heard, supported, and excited by the creative process and outcomes.

Approve Final Assets : Provide clear, high-quality creative direction and sign off on final deliverables to maintain brand integrity.

Measure Creative Impact : Define and track KPIs for brand and creative success, ensuring we’re delivering measurable results.

Drive Innovation : Stay ahead of design, storytelling, and brand trends, pushing creative boundaries while maintaining brand integrity.

Here’s what we’re looking for :

15+ years of experience in brand design, advertising, or creative direction, preferably in startups, tech, or consumer brands.

Proven track record of leading and growing creative teams, with strong management and mentorship skills.

Expert-level design and brand craft—you have exceptional taste and can articulate what makes great creative work great.

Experience working across multiple mediums (digital, video, print, social, experiential, etc.).

Deep understanding of brand strategy, storytelling, and user experience.

Ability to balance creativity with business impact, aligning creative work with company objectives.

Strong stakeholder management and communication skills—you know how to advocate for great creative while bringing people along.

Resilient, adaptable, and excited to thrive in a fast-paced, get-sh

• t-done startup environment.

Nice to have :

Experience with TV advertising, commercial production, or high-impact brand campaigns.

Background in design systems and product marketing creative.

Knowledge of growth marketing and performance-driven creative.

Familiarity with AI and emerging creative technologies.

This is an exciting opportunity to shape and scale a brand with purpose—while leading a talented team that loves to create, collaborate, and push boundaries. If this sounds like you, reach out today—we’d love to talk!

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