---
title: 'Director, Central Operations at Handshake'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/director-central-operations-handshake-san-francisco-06qyp36sb5ym'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-16'
---

# Director, Central Operations at Handshake

- **Company:** [Handshake](https://feeny.ai/companies/handshake)
- **Location:** San Francisco, CA
- **Compensation:** $224k–$280k
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-09-14
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-16
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/handshake/d16ea7e8-805b-4595-a025-85196c205413

## Job description

## About Handshake

Handshake was founded on a simple belief that everyone deserves a path to a great career, regardless of where they went to school or who they know. Today, we power 25 million job seekers, 1 million+ employers, and 1,600 educational institutions. In 2025, we started Handshake AI and built the fastest-growing AI data business in history. We work directly with frontier AI lab researchers to create evaluations, publish benchmarks, and push the boundary of data. We've grown from $0 to ~$1B run rate and pay ~$60M to over 30K individuals every month. 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
- Partner hand-in-hand with world-class AI labs, Fortune 500 partners and the world's top educational institutions
- Work together with engineers, scientists, operators, and more from Palantir, Meta, Scale AI, and former YC founders
- Build a massive, fast-growing business with billions in revenue

## About Handshake AI

Human data is the core infrastructure to AI advancement. Frontier AI labs currently improve model capabilities with various data-intensive post-training techniques. We believe that data spend for AI training will increase by 3-5x in the next few years and continue for much longer as models take on new domains. Handshake AI supports all of the frontier AI labs, working on their most complex data at the largest scale.

## About The Role

The Director, Central Operations will help lead Central Ops — the team responsible for Marketplace & Allocations, Trust & Safety, Payments, and Contractor Operations at Handshake AI. Today, none of these four functions has a dedicated leader; a lean team of ~10 flexes across all of them based on wherever the most urgent need is. This role exists to bring structure and durable leadership to that org as it scales, while staying hands-on with the highest-priority work in the moment. Reporting to the VP, Central Ops, you'll combine hands-on program leadership with people management, and, over time, take ownership of one or more of the four core functions as the team matures. Much of the near-term work is operational build-out — automating largely manual processes in close partnership with Product and Engineering. You'll partner cross-functionally with Legal, Finance, Product, Engineering, Data Science, Delivery, Growth, and Exec Leadership to bring structure to ambiguity and elevate operational maturity across the function(s) you own.

- Define and own the strategy and roadmap for core Central Operations functions
- Build, lead, and develop a high-performing team, including hiring, coaching, and performance management
- Analyze performance data to identify trends, gaps, and opportunities for improvement
- Build and optimize processes to improve efficiency, quality, and scalability
- Partner cross-functionally to launch and iterate on operational initiatives
- Track and report on key metrics, ensuring programs meet performance targets
- Drive continuous improvement through structured problem-solving and experimentation

You Have

- 6+ years of experience, ideally as a decision maker in a fast-paced work environment
- Prior people management experience, with a track record of building and developing teams
- Strong analytical skills, with the ability to use data to inform decisions
- Experience using SQL to pull and analyze data
- Demonstrated ability to manage cross-functional projects and influence senior stakeholders
- Comfort operating in ambiguous environments and driving clarity
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail

Bonus points:

- Experience in one of Central Operations' core functions — Marketplace & Allocations, Trust & Safety, Payments, or Contractor Operations
- Background as an engineer earlier in your career before transitioning into an operating/strategy role — useful for bridging the gap when partnering closely with Product and Engineering
- Background in Business Operations, Strategy & Operations, Management Consulting, or an MBA
- Excellent communication skills, with the ability to clearly articulate insights and recommendations to senior stakeholders

## We Offer

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, $500 wellness stipend 📚 Growth: $2,000 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](http://joinhandshake.com/careers).

## About Handshake

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Handshake is the career network for the AI economy, connecting job seekers with internships, full-time roles, freelance gigs, and AI training work through a three-sided marketplace.
- **Entity Type**: Private (Series F; total funding $434M across 6 rounds)
- **Headquarters**: San Francisco, California, USA
- **Founded**: 2014
- **Founders**: Garrett Lord (CEO), Ben Christensen, Scott Ringwelski

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Career platform / Job marketplace / AI workforce infrastructure
- **Target customers**: B2C (job seekers, from students to experienced professionals) and B2B (employers including 100% of Fortune 500 and all foundational AI labs; also educational institutions)
- **Mission**: Expand access and improve outcomes for job seekers, helping the workforce stay ahead in the AI economy.

## Products & Services
- **Handshake Core Platform**: A three-sided marketplace connecting 25 million knowledge workers, 1,600+ schools, and 1 million employers. Features dynamic profiles, intelligent job matching, and interactive skill-building.
- **Handshake AI Enterprise**: AI-powered tools for employers and job seekers, including AI-driven matching, safety features, and pay management.
- **AI Trainer Gigs**: Paid, flexible, remote work for individuals to train and evaluate AI models (e.g., AI Evaluation Specialist, up to $40/hr) – no prior AI experience required.
- **Handshake Network**: Community events, career advice, and networking for students, experts, and professionals in AI and other fields.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation/Market Cap**: Not publicly disclosed
- **Key Metric**: Total funding $434M (6 rounds); annual revenue $56.5M (LinkedIn estimate)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Board includes representatives from General Catalyst, Kleiner Perkins, EQT Ventures, True Ventures, and Niantic. Strategic partners include 100% of the Fortune 500 and foundational AI labs.
- **Growth Signals**: Headcount at 5,272 employees (+708.8% YoY per LinkedIn); 1M+ companies on platform; 25M users; expansion into AI trainer gig economy; new roles in HAI (Handshake AI Enterprise) such as Applied AI Engineer, AI Platform Engineer, and Forward Deployed Engineer.

## Competitive Advantages
- **Network effects**: The only three-sided marketplace linking students, employers, and educational institutions at scale.
- **AI-first positioning**: Deep integration of AI into job matching, skill-building, and new freelance training roles – creating a unique ecosystem for the AI economy.
- **Trusted by elite institutions**: 1,600+ partner schools and every Fortune 500 company provides unparalleled reach into early-career talent.

## Strategic Focus
- **AI economy expansion**: Building the “career network for the AI economy” – expanding beyond college students to all knowledge workers, and adding AI training gigs as a new revenue and engagement stream.
- **Product innovation**: Heavy investment in Handshake AI Enterprise (HAI), including AI matching, safety, and pay infrastructure.
- **Global scaling**: Offices in San Francisco, New York, UK, and Bangalore; operating in 32 countries.

## Why Work Here
- **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.

## Sources
1. [joinhandshake.com/about](https://joinhandshake.com/about/)
2. [joinhandshake.com/careers](https://joinhandshake.com/careers/)
3. [linkedin.com/company/team-handshake](https://www.linkedin.com/company/team-handshake)
4. [joinhandshake.com](https://joinhandshake.com/)

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