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 position is located in either our San Francisco or NYC locations and this team is traditionally in the office five days a week.

Your role

• Develop and implement operational strategies to recruit, manage, and deploy high-skill talent (PhDs, domain experts) across AI data projects.
• 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.
• 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.
• Lead cross-functional projects, collaborating with Engineering, Operations, and Go-to-Market teams to execute high-priority initiatives.

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

$125,000 - $160,000

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 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.

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 5x a week.
• 🏋️ Free gym access in San Francisco office building.
• 🤝 Referral bonus to reward you when you bring great talent to Handshake.
• 🧗🏼Team outings throughout the year to stay connected to each other.
• 🏦 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.

Looking for more? Explore our mission, values and comprehensive US benefits at joinhandshake.com/careers.

Handshake is committed to providing reasonable accommodations in our recruitment processes for candidates with disabilities, sincerely held religious beliefs or other reasons protected by applicable laws. If you need assistance or reasonable accommodation, please let your recruiter know during initial communications.