Product Counsel - AI

About Handshake

Handshake is the leading career platform for Gen Z, connecting over 17 million students and alumni with employers, career educators, and opportunity. Nearly 1 million organizations—from Fortune 500s and federal agencies to startups and school districts—use Handshake to build their future workforce. We power career services at 92% of top U.S. colleges and universities, making Handshake the most trusted place for early career talent to discover, explore, and launch their careers.

With Handshake AI, we partner directly with top research labs to power LLM training and evaluation using high-quality, expert-generated data. Our unique access to verified domain experts enables us to build next-generation human data products—from expert labeling platforms to AI interviewers and seamless payout infrastructure—designed to accelerate frontier AI development. Backed by a world-class team from YC, Notion, Scale AI, Coinbase, Palantir and more, we’re shaping the future of AI through better data, better tools, and better systems—for experts, by experts.

About the Team

Handshake’s Legal team is a strategic and collaborative partner across the company, helping to build and deploy trusted products and services that advances our mission. We’re a small but growing team that thrives on tackling complex issues at the intersection of technology, education, and the workforce. We support every part of the business—from product development and AI governance to commercial partnerships, data privacy, and employment. As the first counsel dedicated to AI, you’ll join a tight-knit group that values practical judgment, intellectual curiosity, bias for action and a deep commitment to Handshake’s goal of democratizing access to opportunity.

Your Impact

In this role, you will work on diverse legal and regulatory issues across Handshake’s human data products and core career platform, including emerging AI regulations, data protection and privacy, IP, and employment.

Your Role

• Serve as trusted legal partner to product teams building AI-powered products and platform features, including human data infrastructure, job recommendations, career services tools, and more.

• Advise on a wide range of legal and regulatory issues related to AI development and deployment, including intellectual property, privacy, fairness, safety, transparency, and global AI regulations.

• Support and help structure strategic relationships with leading AI labs, enterprise customers, and universities.

• Partner cross-functionally across product, engineering, security, sales, finance and people to provide practical, risk-calibrated advice on product and business initiatives.

• Develop and operationalize scalable legal review, product counseling, and AI governance processes that enable rapid innovation while ensuring compliance and trust.

• Stay on the forefront of emerging legal frameworks—including the EU AI Act, Colorado AI Act, and NYC Local Law 144—and translate evolving standards into actionable guidance for internal teams.

Your Experience

• JD and membership in at least one U.S. state bar.

• 8+ years of legal experience, with significant in-house experience supporting product, platform, or emerging technology teams.

• Deep familiarity with laws and regulations governing AI, privacy, IP, consumer protection, and/or platform products.

• Demonstrated ability to lead and scale product counseling and legal review programs in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.

• Strong technical fluency and curiosity—you’re excited to partner with engineers and data scientists to understand how things work under the hood.

• Exceptional communication skills and business judgment—you know how to balance legal risk with strategic goals and move quickly with cross-functional teams.

• Passion for Handshake’s mission to democratize access to opportunity—and a deep interest in responsible AI.

Bonus Points

• Prior experience supporting AI, ML, or data platform products

• Familiarity with AI risk management frameworks, bias audit practices, or AI safety and transparency issues

• Experience working in marketplace platforms

What we offer

At Handshake, we'll give you the tools to feel healthy, happy and secure.

Benefits below apply to US employees in full-time positions.

💰 Equity and ownership in a fast-growing company.

🍼 16 Weeks of paid parental leave for birth giving parents & 10 weeks of paid parental leave for non-birth giving parents.

💝 Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision policies including LGTBQ+ Coverage. We also provide resources for Mental Health Assistance, Employee Assistance Programs and counseling support.

📚 Generous learning & development opportunities and an annual $2,000 stipend for you to grow your skills and career.

💰 Financial coaching through Origin to help you through your financial journey.

🛜 Monthly internet stipend and a brand new MacBook to allow you to do your best work.

🚃 Monthly commuter stipend for you to expense your travel to the office (for office-based employees).

🥗 Free lunch provided 3x a week across all offices.

🤝 Referral bonus to reward you when you bring great talent to Handshake.

🏦 401k Match: Handshake offers a dollar-for-dollar match on 1% of deferred salary, up to a maximum of $1,200 per year.

🏝 All full-time US-based Handshakers are eligible for our flexible time off policy to get out and see the world. In addition, we offer 13 standardized holidays, and 2 additional days of flexible holiday time off. Lastly, we have a Winter #ShakeBreak, a one-week period of Collective Time Off.

💻 Handshake offers $500 home office stipend for you to spend during your first 3 months to create a productive and comfortable workspace at home.

🍼 Family support: Parental leave coaching and support provided by Parentaly. We partner with Maven Clinic to provide a lifetime coverage up to $15K for expenses related to fertility and family forming!

💰 Lifestyle Savings Account: We offer you an annual stipend of $500 to use for purchases such as fitness classes, gym memberships, work-from-home setup, and more.