This role is designed for a heavyweight infrastructure expert with at least 12 years of experience, specifically focused on the evolution of database systems. Y
Work type: remote
Location: Denver, CO;San Francisco, CA;New York, NY;Los Angeles, CA;Seattle, WA
Salary: $200,000 – $230,000/yr
Type: Full-time
This role is designed for a heavyweight infrastructure expert with at least 12 years of experience, specifically focused on the evolution of database systems. You are the ideal candidate if you have moved beyond managing simple RDS instances and have successfully navigated the complexities of self-hosted, distributed databases like TiDB or CockroachDB within Kubernetes environments. The position offers a high level of technical ownership as the company migrates from monolithic architectures to vertically sharded, distributed systems. While the compensation is competitive—reaching up to $270,000 in major hubs like NYC or SF—keep in mind this is a hybrid role requiring 2–3 days in the office. You’ll be joining a team that values "AI-native" operations, meaning you’ll have the latitude to automate away the toil of traditional DBA work. **You might be a good fit if you...** * Have extensive experience with TiDB, Vitess, or CockroachDB at scale. * Can lead zero-downtime migrations that involve sharding production databases. * Are an expert in the AWS ecosystem (RDS, Aurora, Kafka, and Redis). * Enjoy mentoring other engineers on the nuances of distributed transaction management.
About Gusto
At Gusto, we're on a mission to grow the small business economy. We handle the hard stuff — payroll, health insurance, 401(k)s, and HR — so owners can focus on their craft and their customers. With teams in Denver, San Francisco, and New York, we support more than 400,000 small businesses nationwide and are building a workplace that reflects the people we serve.
All full-time employees receive competitive base pay, benefits, and equity (RSUs) — because everyone who helps build Gusto should share in its success. Offer amounts are determined by role, level, and location. Learn more about our[ Total Rewards philosophy](https://gusto.com/about/careers/total-rewards).
AI is a fundamental part of how work gets done at Gusto. We expect all team members to actively engage with AI tools relevant to their role and grow their fluency as the technology evolves. AI experience requirements vary by role and will be assessed during the interview process.
About the Role:
We're looking for an experienced engineer with deep expertise in distributed data systems to shape the future of Gusto's storage layer. You'll manage complex migrations, architect high-scale systems, and set standards for automation, resiliency, and security. This is a high-impact role where you'll implement distributed database solutions that enable Gusto's continued growth and scale.
About the Team:
The Datastores Infrastructure Engineering team designs, builds, and operates the data platforms that power Gusto's product: MySQL, Postgres, Redis, Kafka, and S3. We ensure our infrastructure is consistent, reliable, and ready to support Gusto's growing needs. As we transition to self-hosted distributed databases, the team is focused on reducing blast radius, improving operational resilience, and enabling sustainable scale.
Here’s what you’ll do day-to-day:
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 daysper 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](https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdEfl7Bp-Twz7LLlhGlha46CrxZ9Kacgakmarf3K2TbnaEgKQ/viewform) and a member of our team will get in touch with you.
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Personal information collected and processed as part of your Gusto application will be subject to [Gusto's Applicant Privacy Notice](https://gusto.com/about/careers/applicant-privacy-notice).