CX AI & Automation Internship

About Gusto

At Gusto, we're on a mission to grow the small business economy. We handle the hard stuff—like payroll, health insurance, 401(k)s, and HR—so owners can focus on their craft and customers. With teams in Denver, San Francisco, and New York, we’re proud to support more than 400,000 small businesses across the country, and we’re building a workplace that represents and celebrates the customers we serve. Learn more about our Total Rewards philosophy.

About the Role:

Our CX AI & Automation Internship is a 12-week hybrid summer experience focused on helping Gusto’s Customer Experience (CX) organization automate jobs-to-be-done, scale smartly, and design systems that deliver service customers love.

As a CX Intern, you’ll work at the intersection of AI, automation, and operational design. You’ll take on a scoped project focused on identifying and automating recurring workflows across our CX teams, contributing directly to Gusto’s AI-Native Transformation.

You’ll experiment with tools, build prototypes, test automations, and help us redesign how work gets done — freeing up time for teams while elevating customer quality. You’ll collaborate closely with cross-functional partners across CX, Product, Engineering, and Finance, and be mentored by leaders shaping the future of customer operations.

Please note: We’ll be offering only one cohort start and end date (May 18 - August 7, 2026).

Deadline to Apply: January 2, 2026

About the Team:

This role sits within Gusto’s Customer Experience (CX) organization — the team responsible for helping hundreds of thousands of small businesses every day.

Within CX, our Operations group builds the systems, insights, and processes that make customer support simple, efficient, and proactive. We combine data, automation, and human-centered design to build scalable, intelligent operations. Our goal: make change predictable, elevate customer trust, and create an AI-Native CX that blends automation with human expertise.

If you're excited to explore AI, rethink old processes, and build the future of customer work, we’d love for you to join us.

Here’s what you’ll do day-to-day:

• Identify high-volume recurring “jobs to be done” across CX teams and design automations or workflows to simplify or eliminate them

• Prototype AI-assisted solutions (e.g., process automations, workflow helpers, copilots, routing logic, SOP generators) using tools like ChatGPT, Cursor, Notion AI, or internal systems

• Analyze CX data (efficiency, quality, customer sentiment) to spot patterns and opportunities for automation

• Document and improve current-state processes, SOPs, and tooling flows with an eye toward scalability and clarity

• Partner cross-functionally with Product, Engineering, Finance, and CX teams to test, validate, and launch improvements

• Experiment with AI and productivity tools, share learnings, and contribute to CX’s AI-Native playbook. Bring research and insights on emerging trends in AI, automation, and customer operations to inform Gusto’s transformation roadmap

Here’s what we're looking for:

• Students pursuing a BS or MS in Business, Operations Management, Information Systems, Computer Science, Industrial Engineering, or related fields (expected graduation Dec 2026–Jun 2029)

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with attention to detail, creativity, and speed of learning

• Familiarity with Excel/Google Sheets, BI tools (e.g., Tableau), and collaboration platforms (e.g., Notion, Asana, or similar)

• Demonstrated interest or hands-on experience with AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Cursor, Notion AI)

• A mindset for using technology to improve human work — you enjoy experimenting, prototyping, and teaching others

• Strong communication and collaboration skills; comfortable working cross-functionally

• No advanced degree (MBA/MS) required — we’re looking for someone intellectually curious, unconstrained, and excited to build

• U.S. work authorization required (no sponsorship available)

• Hybrid role requiring 2+ days/week in one of our offices (relocation assistance provided)

Our cash compensation amount for this role is $28.37/hr for undergraduate students to $31.11/hr for graduate students in Denver and $36.30/hr for undergraduate students to $39.42/hr for graduate students in San Francisco & New York.

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.

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 and a member of our team will get in touch with you.

Gusto takes security and protection of your personal information very seriously. Please review our Fraudulent Activity Disclaimer.

Personal information collected and processed as part of your Gusto application will be subject to Gusto's Applicant Privacy Notice.