Gusto

Staff Data Scientist, Risk

Gusto$186K — $230K *
Finance & Insurance
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 5-7 years of experience in data science at a product-focused software company.
  • Strong SQL skills and comfort with Python.
  • Proven ability to apply statistical methods, causal inference, and experimental design to real business problems.
  • Excellent communication skills for influencing cross-functional stakeholders and leadership.
  • Demonstrated experience leading technically complex projects with clear business impact.
  • Proactive problem-solver who can structure ambiguous problems into actionable insights.
  • Passion for mentoring others and enhancing data science practices across the team.

Responsibilities

  • Partner with stakeholders to translate vague questions into clear analyses.
  • Utilize statistical reasoning and experimentation to analyze performance data.
  • Design and interpret experiments, defining success metrics and measuring impact.
  • Communicate data-driven insights that align with business strategy for various audiences.
  • Own the delivery of analyses and metrics for specific product areas.

Benefits

  • Flexible working conditions with a hybrid model of 2-3 days in the office.
  • Commitment to diversity and equal opportunity in hiring.
  • Support for reasonable accommodations during the candidate journey.
Full Job Description
About the Role:

As a Staff Data Scientist supporting Risk, you will play a crucial role in leveraging experimentation, statistical inference, and causal analysis to drive strategic decision making that contributes to the overall success of our organization. The ideal candidate is a trusted data storyteller with strong statistical and coding skills, and a passion for applying these skills to help small businesses thrive.

In this role you'll be working with an established team and risk leaders in Engineering, Product, Design, Operation, Identity and Compliance. You'll define and track metrics that help us understand our business performance, and dive deep into our risk stack data to deliver insights and answer questions. You'll also integrate AI-assisted practices to accelerate analysis, enhance rigor, and expand the reach of insights across Gusto.

Here's what you'll do day-to-day:
  • Partner and Execute: Translate ambiguous stakeholder questions into clear, testable analyses. Structure complex business problems, identify drivers of performance, and communicate actionable insights to influence product or business decisions.
  • Analytical Depth: Use sound statistical reasoning and experimentation frameworks to separate signal from noise. Select appropriate analytical techniques that balance rigor and speed, and leverage AI-assisted analytics to surface drivers of product performance, separating signal from noise.
  • Experimentation & Measurement: Design and interpret experiments within your domain. Work with stakeholders to define success metrics, measure impact, and communicate trade-offs.
  • Communication: Tell clear, data-driven stories that connect findings to business strategy. Adapt communication for technical and non-technical audiences.
  • Execution: Own end-to-end delivery of analyses and metrics for your product area. Collaborate with cross-functional peers to scope, prioritize, and deliver insights that inform decisions.

Here's what we're looking for:
  • 7-10 years of experience in Data Science at a product-focused software company.
  • Experience with Risk DS and risk modeling is strongly preferred.
  • Strong SQL skills and comfort with Python.
  • Proven ability to apply statistical methods, causal inference, and experimental design to real business problems.
  • Excellent communication skills, with a track record of influencing cross-functional stakeholders and leadership.
  • Demonstrated experience leading technically complex projects with clear business impact.
  • A proactive, resilient problem-solver who independently structures ambiguous problems into actionable insights.
  • Passion for mentoring others and raising the bar for data science craft across the team.

Our cash compensation amount for this role is targeted at $154,000/yr - $189,000/yr in Denver, and $186,000/yr - $230,000/yr for San Francisco and New York. 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.

About Gusto

Gusto is a cloud-based human resources software platform that provides payroll, benefits, and HR management services to small businesses. The company was founded in 2011 and is headquartered in San Francisco, California. Gusto's platform automates many of the administrative tasks associated with HR, such as payroll processing, tax filings, and benefits administration. The company also offers a range of HR services, including compliance support, employee onboarding, and time tracking. Gusto is committed to helping small businesses succeed by providing them with the tools and resources they need to manage their HR operations more efficiently.
Learn more about Gusto
Size
1,000 employees
Industry
Founded
2012

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