---
title: 'Director of Communications at Handshake'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/director-of-communications-handshake-san-francisco-fmzrz40rbqzs'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-16'
---

# Director of Communications at Handshake

- **Company:** [Handshake](https://feeny.ai/companies/handshake)
- **Location:** San Francisco, CA
- **Employment:** full-time
- **Work type:** onsite
- **Posted:** 2026-07-29
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-16
- **Apply:** https://jobs.ashbyhq.com/handshake/fcd727f8-6390-4aef-9052-818ff710b013

## 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 the Role

Handshake is looking for a senior communications leader to own and evolve our corporate communications strategy. This is not a typical comms role. Handshake operates a complex three-sided marketplace connecting students, employers, and universities, and sits at the center of two of the most consequential conversations in technology today: the future of work and the future of AI. We’re looking for someone who can help shape those narratives, elevate Handshake’s voice in the market, and build trusted relationships with the media, executives, and cross-functional leaders across the company. In this role, you’ll own corporate positioning, press strategy, inbound media inquiries, and executive visibility. You’ll work closely with our CEO, leadership team, marketing, product, policy, legal, and people teams to tell Handshake’s story with clarity, credibility, and ambition. The ideal candidate is a strategic storyteller and experienced operator: someone who can craft nuanced narratives, manage high-stakes moments, build strong press relationships, and execute with speed and judgment in a fast-moving environment.

- Own Handshake’s corporate communications strategy and help sharpen our external narrative across company, Careers, EDU, AI, and future-of-work themes.
- Build and manage press relationships within the workforce and AI Industries.
- Proactively pitch stories, announcements, data insights, and thought leadership that build Handshake’s brand and support business priorities.
- Partner closely with the CEO/co-founder and leadership team to develop executive narratives, media opportunities, speeches, op-eds, and talking points.
- Partner with the social team on Handshake’s corporate LinkedIn presence, providing strategic guidance, content review, approvals, and counsel on voice, tone, messaging, and brand alignment.
- Prepare executives for high-visibility speaking engagements, media interviews, panels, podcasts, and industry events, including narrative development, talking points, briefing materials, Q&A prep, and message coaching.
- Lead reactive and issues communications, partnering with legal, policy, people, product, and leadership teams on sensitive or high-stakes moments.
- Build scalable communications processes for press intake, approvals, messaging, executive prep, launches, and reporting.
- Oversee external communications agency partners and ensure their work is focused, high-quality, and aligned with company priorities.

Please note, this is a Senior IC role and does not manage a team.

Desired Capabilities

- 7+ years corporate communications, public relations, executive communications, or media relations, ideally in high-growth tech or a top communications agency.
- Strong executive communications experience, including partnering with founders, CEOs, or senior leaders on external narrative, media strategy, and thought leadership.
- Proven ability to build press relationships and secure meaningful earned media coverage across business, technology, workplace, education, or AI press.
- Excellent writing and messaging skills, with the ability to translate complex topics into clear, compelling narratives.
- Strong judgment under pressure, especially in reactive, sensitive, or ambiguous communications moments.
- Ability to operate both strategically and hands-on, from setting the communications strategy to drafting statements, pitches, briefs, and social content.
- Experience managing external communications agencies or consultants.
- Comfort working cross-functionally with leadership, marketing, product, legal, policy, people, and sales teams.
- Bonus: experience with AI, future of work, labor markets, education, marketplaces, HR tech, or enterprise technology.

## 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/)

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