Everyone is welcome at Handshake. We know diverse teams build better products and we are committed to creating an inclusive culture built on a foundation of respect for all individuals. We strongly encourage candidates from non-traditional backgrounds, historically marginalized or underrepresented groups to apply.

Your impact

Handshake is expanding into AI research and development, building a world-class network of expert Fellows - PhDs, researchers, and subject matter specialists - who contribute to cutting-edge AI through specialized research, model evaluation, and domain-specific applications. We’re looking for a Strategic Projects Lead to drive high-impact initiatives, working across product, operations, and customer engagement to scale and optimize our expert workforce.

This is a unique opportunity to play a pivotal role in a fast-growing space, working directly with leading AI labs and tech companies to deliver high-quality data solutions. You will work cross-functionally to execute large-scale projects, improve internal processes, and drive revenue growth by ensuring a seamless experience for both customers and Fellows.

This will be at our San Francisco location and this team is traditionally in the office five days a week. 

Your role

• Lead cross-functional projects, collaborating with Engineering, Operations, and Go-to-Market teams to execute high-priority initiatives.
• Own and drive large-scale projects for AI labs and tech companies, ensuring exceptional execution and customer satisfaction.
• Partner with product and engineering teams to optimize and enhance our workforce platform for scalability and efficiency.
• Develop and implement operational strategies to recruit, manage, and deploy high-skill talent (PhDs, domain experts) across AI data projects.
• Manage customer relationships, understanding their evolving needs and expanding project scope where possible.
• Provide regular progress updates and strategic insights to Handshake’s leadership team to refine our long-term data strategy.
• Identify opportunities for process automation and workflow improvements to increase efficiency in expert recruitment and deployment.

Your experience

• 2+ years of experience in a generalist or operational role, such as strategy & operations, product, management consulting, finance, or startups.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with experience tackling operational and scaling challenges.
• Ability to manage multiple high-priority projects simultaneously, balancing execution speed with quality.
• Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills, with experience interfacing with technical teams and customers.
• Entrepreneurial mindset - comfortable with ambiguity, self-directed, and excited to build and iterate quickly.

Bonus areas of expertise

• Technical background (CS degree or proficiency in SQL/Python for analytics).
• Experience in AI, ML, or data operations, particularly in workforce management, data labeling, or model evaluation.
• Previous experience in a high-growth startup or an AI-focused company.

Traits we are looking for

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Strong sense of ownership and pride in their work
• Ability to learn complex concepts rather quickly, bonus points for learning technical concepts
• High degree of agency - ideal candidate can thrive in ambiguity
• Passionate about / interested in AI (super user of LLMs, up-to-date on latest AI trends)
• Critical thinker / first principles approach to solving problems
• Data driven decision maker
• Thoughtful about making decisions - doesn’t jump to conclusions without considering all potential variables/curve balls

Compensation range

$110,000 - $140,000

For cash compensation, we set standard ranges for all U.S.-based roles based on function, level, and geographic location, benchmarked against similar stage growth companies. In order to be compliant with local legislation, as well as to provide greater transparency to candidates, we share salary ranges on all job postings regardless of desired hiring location. Final offer amounts are determined by multiple factors, including geographic location as well as candidate experience and expertise, and may vary from the amounts listed above.

About us

Handshake is the career platform for Gen Z. With a community of over 17 million students, alumni, employers, and career educators, Handshake’s network is where career advice and discovery turn into first, second, and third jobs. Nearly 1