Your impact

Handshake is building the future of human data for AI.

We partner directly with top AI labs to power large language model (LLM) training and evaluation with high-quality, expert-generated data. As AI models become more sophisticated, the demand for specialized human input continues to grow—and Handshake is uniquely positioned to meet it. We power career platforms at 92% of the top U.S. universities, giving us direct access to verified expert talent across a wide range of domains.

Our AI team is rapidly building a new generation of human data products—from expert annotation platforms to AI interviewers and seamless payout infrastructure—all designed to accelerate research and improve model performance.

We’ve assembled a world-class team from YC, Notion, Scale, Coinbase, Palantir, and more, and we’re working directly with many of the world’s leading AI research labs. This is a unique opportunity to join a fast-growing team shaping the future of AI through better data, better tools, and better systems—for experts, by experts.

We’re growing our team and looking for Software Engineers to build high-impact products that support our Fellows in their work, ensuring they have the tools and infrastructure needed to drive AI innovation. 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 develop solutions that enhance research workflows, model evaluation processes, and domain-specific AI applications. You will build critical features for products from the ground up, collaborating closely with product, design, and engineering teams to create seamless and effective experiences.

Location: San Francisco, CA | 5 days/week in-office

Your role

• Collaborate on a cross-functional team with designers, product managers, and engineers to design, build, and maintain full-stack features and internal tools.

• Own core product areas end-to-end—from backend API design and database modeling to frontend implementation and UX polish.

• Contribute to architectural discussions, propose technical solutions, and participate in thoughtful code reviews.

• Ensure quality, performance, and scalability across both frontend and backend systems.

• Debug and resolve issues across the stack in collaboration with other team members.

• Help evolve best practices around testing, observability, CI/CD, and technical documentation.

• Work closely with users and stakeholders to understand requirements, gather feedback, and iterate quickly

Your experience

• 2–4 years of professional experience as a full-stack engineer, or frontend/backend engineer with demonstrable work across the stack.

• Proficiency with ReactJS and TypeScript, with a strong eye for detail, usability, and accessibility.

• Experience with backend development in Node.js, Python, or similar, and working with RESTful APIs or GraphQL.

• Solid understanding of relational databases (e.g., PostgreSQL) and basic data modeling.

• Familiarity with cloud infrastructure (e.g., AWS, GCP) and deployment pipelines.

• Passion for clean, maintainable code and building reliable, performant systems.

• Excellent communication and collaboration skills across technical and non-technical stakeholders.

• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, dynamic environment with a focus on continuous learning and improvement.

Bonus areas of expertise

• Experience with building production systems for LLM or AI-related products.

• Familiarity with component libraries and design systems.

• Exposure to performance optimization in frontend applications.