Handshake

Data Scientist, Handshake AI at Handshake (San Francisco, CA)

Handshake· San Francisco, CA·

Role details

Employment
Full-Time

Handshake at a glance

Handshake is the career network for the AI economy, pairing a three-sided student-employer-school job marketplace with a fast-growing AI training-data business that supplies frontier labs.

Handshake runs a three-sided marketplace connecting job seekers, employers, and college career centers, with matching, profiles, and skill-building. In 2025 it launched Handshake AI, which turns its network of educated members into a contractor workforce that produces training data and evaluations for frontier AI labs.

$434M raised · latest: Series F · $200M · Jan 2022 · $3.5B valuation · backed by Coatue Management, Valiant Peregrine Fund, Kleiner Perkins, Spark Capital

Job description

About Handshake AI

Handshake AI is the fastest-growing, most critical, and most revenue-generating part of Handshake's business. We power expert-labeled data collection at scale, matching domain experts with leading AI companies to train frontier models—and we're already a top-three player in one of the fastest-growing sectors in AI: human data. We have the opportunity to do for the AI data economy what LinkedIn did for professional networking: become the default platform where the work happens. Why join Handshake now:

  • Shape how every career evolves in the AI economy, at global scale, with impact your friends, family and peers can see and feel
  • Work hand-in-hand with world-class AI labs, Fortune 500 partners and the world's top educational institutions
  • Join a team with leadership from Scale AI, Meta, xAI, Notion, Coinbase, and Palantir, among others
  • Build a massive, fast-growing business with billions in revenue

About the Role

We’re looking for a highly motivated Data Scientist with strong SQL expertise to support analytics, measurement, and operational insights across our human data training workflows. You’ll work with messy, fast-moving data related to expert performance, task quality, throughput, and overall operational efficiency. This is a hands-on role with real ownership, close partnership with product and operations, and a steep growth curve for someone who executes well.

What You’ll Do

  • Write advanced SQL to analyze large, complex datasets related to expert performance, task quality, and operational workflows.
  • Define, build, and maintain core metrics that measure data quality, throughput, productivity, and operational efficiency.
  • Partner with Product, Operations, and cross-functional stakeholders to answer high-impact business and product questions.
  • Conduct analyses that inform workflow design, task improvements, and operational decision-making.
  • Build dashboards, reporting, and self-serve analytics that enable fast, informed decisions.
  • Identify data gaps, inconsistencies, and quality issues, then partner with relevant teams to resolve them.
  • Translate ambiguous business questions into clear analyses and actionable recommendations.
  • Communicate findings and recommendations clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Desired Capabilities

  • 3–5 years of experience in Data Science, Product Analytics, Business Intelligence, or a related analytical role.
  • Expert-level SQL skills and experience working with large, complex datasets.
  • Strong analytical judgment and comfort working with imperfect, real-world data.
  • Experience defining metrics and using data to influence product or business decisions.
  • High ownership mindset and ability to independently drive complex work forward.
  • Strong communication skills and comfort partnering cross-functionally in a fast-paced environment.

Extra Credit

  • Python experience for data analysis, such as pandas and notebooks.
  • Experience supporting operational, marketplace, quality, or workforce-related analytics.
  • Experience with experimentation, A/B testing, or metrics-driven product development.
  • Exposure to AI data workflows, data labeling, or evaluation processes.
  • Experience with analytics engineering, including building and maintaining DBT models.

Perks

  • Handshake delivers benefits that help you feel supported—and thrive at work and in life. The below benefits are for full-time US employees. 🎯 Ownership: Equity in a fast-growing company 💰 Financial Wellness: 401(k) match, competitive compensation, financial coaching 🍼 Family Support: Paid parental leave, fertility benefits, parental coaching 💝 Wellbeing: Medical, dental, and vision, mental health support, wellness stipend 📚 Growth: Learning stipend, ongoing development 💻 Remote & Office: Internet, commuting, and free lunch/gym in our SF office 🏝 Time Off: Flexible PTO, 15 holidays + 2 flex days 🤝 Connection: Team outings & referral bonuses Explore our mission, values, and comprehensive US benefits at joinhandshake.com/careers.

Why work at Handshake

  • Culture: Values include “Students first,” “Leave nothing to chance,” “Own the outcome,” “Invent and reinvent,” and “Olympic pace.” Emphasis on ownership, urgency, and constant evolution.
  • Remote/Hybrid policy: Many roles are based in San Francisco or New York, but some positions (e.g., Trust & Safety Specialist, Support Specialist) are remote in the US. Recent openings show both office and remote options.
  • Benefits: Health & wellness support, financial support, time off, modern offices with meals, snacks, and social activities. Strong focus on career growth and learning.
  • Career growth: Rapid headcount growth suggests ample internal mobility; roles range from engineering (ML, AI, data) to customer success, partnerships, and product management.

Application questions