---
title: 'Director of Communications, Careers at Handshake'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/director-of-communications-careers-handshake-san-francisco-66qa3155e7wg'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-10-28'
---

# Director of Communications, Careers at Handshake

- **Company:** [Handshake](https://feeny.ai/companies/handshake)
- **Location:** San Francisco, CA
- **Compensation:** $192k–$255k
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-10-21
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-10-28
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/handshake/05a34725-3340-4cbe-a83b-2537de8eef38

## Job description

## About Handshake

Handshake was founded on a simple belief: everyone deserves a path to a great career, regardless of where they went to school or who they know. Today Handshake is the career network for the AI economy, connecting 30 million job seekers, more than a million employers and 1,600 educational institutions. Handshake AI puts the expertise of that network to work with leading AI labs and enterprises, and Handshake's learning products help people build the skills the AI economy demands. 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 the Role

We're looking for a communications lead to own the story of our Careers business: the network 30 million students, graduates and professionals start on, the 1,600 institutions and million employers who rely on it, and the learning products we're building on top of it. You'll report to the Chief Communications Officer and work directly with the President and COO, who runs Careers, and with our Chief Education and Workforce Officer, our research and economics team, and Careers product and marketing. You'll be the single owner of how Careers shows up in the press, in our executives' voices, in our research, and with the universities, employers and policymakers who work with us.

- Own the Careers communications strategy integrated with the company-wide comms calendar and set the priorities each quarter, tied to the business unit's growth goals, and measure impact against clear KPIs
- Run media relations for Careers: build relationships with reporters covering careers, workplace, higher education, workforce policy and AI's effect on jobs
- Serve as executive communications partner to the President and COO and the Chief Education and Workforce Officer
- Turn our research and data (Network Trends, the Class of 2026 series, monthly labor-market data) into stories, with our in-house economist and research team
- Lead launch communications for Careers products and partnerships, with product marketing
- Own communications to and about our university and employer partners, with the education and employer teams
- Handle Careers inbound inquiries and issues with Legal and the CCO
- Support the Careers story in international markets as the business grows

This is a senior individual-contributor role to start. It may grow into a people-manager role as the function scales.

Desired Capabilities

- 8–12 years in communications, with substantial media relations and executive communications experience; consumer, marketplace, education, workforce or HR-technology background is a plus
- Working relationships with reporters on the careers, workplace, higher-education and future-of-work beats, and a record of tier-one placements
- Exceptional writer and editor who can write in an executive's voice across formats, from a short LinkedIn post to a 1,200-word op-ed to an all-hands script
- Comfortable with data
- Judgment under pressure
- Builds systems, not just stories
- AI-native working style, using AI to research, draft and measure, while owning every word that leaves the building
- Bonus: higher-education or workforce-policy background

## 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](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/)

## Other roles at Handshake

- [Strategic Insights Lead](https://feeny.ai/job/strategic-insights-lead-handshake-san-francisco-b22enpvc91qw) — San Francisco, CA
- [Senior Enterprise Customer Success Manager](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-enterprise-customer-success-manager-handshake-new-york-q5m58yt5zhgh) — New York, NY
- [Senior Recruiter, India](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-recruiter-india-handshake-india-90f737k03hp3) — India
- [Senior Sales Compensation Analyst](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-sales-compensation-analyst-handshake-san-francisco-hq1nq8rdmvjj) — San Francisco, CA
- [Workplace Experience Coordinator, India (Contract)](https://feeny.ai/job/workplace-experience-coordinator-india-contract-handshake-india-ns5vj37d2txc) — India
- [Manager, Strategic Projects (Safety)](https://feeny.ai/job/manager-strategic-projects-safety-handshake-seattle-bbhcp3bp3txa) — Seattle, WA
- [Strategic Account Executive](https://feeny.ai/job/strategic-account-executive-handshake-united-states-1nyc1b80454d) — United States
- [Senior Software Engineer, Growth](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-software-engineer-growth-handshake-san-francisco-e9xnk0k0mt19) — San Francisco, CA
- [Senior Software Engineer, Coding](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-software-engineer-coding-handshake-india-ywjxwgbv16yw) — India
- [Data Partnerships Representative](https://feeny.ai/job/data-partnerships-representative-handshake-nashville-tacv4vd39520) — Nashville, TN