Why This Job is Featured on The SaaS Jobs
SaaS companies that handle payroll and payments operate at the intersection of recurring revenue, regulated financial flows, and high expectations for reporting accuracy. This role stands out because it sits where finance operations meets platform controls, with direct influence on how risk is identified and managed across payment systems and financial reporting as the business scales.
For a SaaS career path, the work builds durable fluency in control design and automation, data integrity across integrated systems, and the practical application of frameworks such as COSO and SOX-adjacent ICFR disciplines. The remit also reflects a common SaaS inflection point: moving from manual oversight to repeatable, auditable processes that can support new products, higher volumes, and more complex revenue and treasury mechanics. Experience translating risk posture into executive-ready reporting is especially portable across mature SaaS and fintech-adjacent platforms.
The strongest fit is for professionals who prefer cross-functional problem solving over narrow compliance execution, and who can move between detailed analysis and stakeholder alignment. It will suit someone comfortable operating in ambiguity, prioritising competing risks, and partnering with technical and finance teams to embed controls into systems rather than documenting them after the fact.
The section above is editorial commentary from The SaaS Jobs, provided to help SaaS professionals understand the role in a broader industry context.
Job Description
About the Role:
We are seeking a proactive and analytical Financial Risk Manager to join our Finance, BizOps & Strategy (FBOS) team. This critical role will be instrumental in identifying, assessing, and mitigating financial risks across Gusto's growing operations, with a particular focus on areas impacting financial reporting integrity and payment systems. You will work closely with various teams, including Platform Controls, Accounting, and FinTech, to embed robust risk management practices into our processes and systems, ensuring the financial resilience of the company as we continue to scale.
About the Team:
The Finance, BizOps & Strategy team plays a vital role in Gusto's success by providing financial stewardship, strategic insights, and operational excellence. We are a collaborative and dynamic group committed to supporting Gusto's mission to empower small businesses. This role will contribute directly to safeguarding Gusto's financial health and ensuring compliance in a fast-paced fintech environment.
Here’s what you’ll do day-to-day:
- Lead the identification, assessment, and monitoring of financial risks across Gusto's operations, with an emphasis on revenue recognition, payment processing, treasury, and financial reporting.
- Develop and implement a comprehensive financial risk management framework, including risk appetite statements, policies, and procedures.
- Collaborate with the Head of Platform Controls and other stakeholders to integrate financial risk considerations into the design and effectiveness of internal controls over Financial Reporting (ICFR).
- Perform deep-dive analysis on potential financial exposures, including operational, credit, liquidity, and market risks, and propose mitigation strategies.
- Perform operational audits to identify organizational efficiencies and accelerate workflows.
- Support accounting, finance, and business partners in optimizing and implementing robust Internal Controls over Financial Reporting (ICFR), focusing on control automation, system configurations, data integrity, and integration within financial and operational systems.
- Prepare and present regular reports on financial risk posture, emerging risks, and mitigation efforts to executive management and relevant committees.
- Stay abreast of industry best practices, regulatory changes (e.g., US GAAP, COSO, PCAOB Auditing Standards), and emerging threats relevant to financial risk management in the fintech space.
Here’s what we're looking for:
- 7+ years of progressive experience in financial risk management, internal audit, or SOX compliance, ideally within a fintech, payments, or high-growth technology company.
- Demonstrated experience in identifying, assessing, and mitigating financial risks across complex business processes and proprietary systems.
- Strong understanding of financial accounting principles (US GAAP), internal control frameworks (COSO), and risk management methodologies.
- Proven ability to analyze large volumes of financial and operational data to identify trends, anomalies, and potential risks.
- Excellent project management skills with a track record of leading cross-functional initiatives.
- Exceptional communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills, with the ability to articulate complex financial risks to both technical and non-technical audiences, including executive management.
- Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Risk Management, or a related field; relevant professional certifications (e.g., FRM, CPA, CFA, CIA) are a plus.
Our cash compensation amount for this role is targeted at $132,000-$156,000/year in San Francisco & New York City, and $109,000- $129,000/year in Denver. Final offer amounts are determined by multiple factors, including candidate experience and expertise, and may vary from the amounts listed above.
