Senior Associate, Strategy & Operations

About Handshake

Handshake is building the career network for the AI economy, backed by the largest and most trusted job network on the internet. As the only three-sided job marketplace connecting 18 million knowledge workers, 1,500 educational institutions, and 1 million employers, Handshake powers career discovery, hiring, and upskilling—from first internships to full-time roles, freelance work to gig work, and beyond.

Founded in 2014, we’ve built the most trusted platform for early talent—owning the college-to-career market and powering nearly every career center. Today we’re building on that foundation to help students and early professionals upskill or reskill for the future.

Now’s a great time to join Handshake. Here’s why:

• Category Leader: Over 92% coverage across US universities & 77% of total US university student population.

• Proven Market Demand: Deep employer partnerships across Fortune 500s and the world’s leading AI research labs.

• World-Class Team: Leadership from Scale AI, Open AI, xAI, Notion, Coinbase, and Palantir, just to name a few.

• Capitalized & Scaling: $434M raised with a $175M+ run rate.

About the Role

As a Senior Associate, Strategy & Operations in the Product team at Handshake, you’ll be at the center of product execution—turning bold ideas into high-velocity launches while instrumenting the systems that help us move faster and smarter. You’ll partner with Product, Design, Engineering, Data, and Go-to-Market teams to orchestrate strategy, streamline operations, and apply the latest in AI tooling to reduce friction and increase clarity across the organization.

This is a unique opportunity for an ambitious operator to get inside the engine room of a high-growth, multi-sided marketplace. You’ll learn what it takes to scale systems, tools, and teams—and make a tangible impact on students’ careers and employer success.

In this role, you’ll drive execution by building integrated delivery plans, aligning cross-functional teams on priorities, and running execution checkpoints and OKR reviews to keep launches on track. You’ll proactively manage risks and dependencies using signals from tools like Linear, while piloting AI solutions that automate reporting, dashboards, and routine workflows. Through clear, data-driven communication, you’ll help leadership and teams stay informed, focused, and continuously improving how they operate.

Desired Capabilities

• 2–4 years in consulting, banking, or a fast moving startup environment.

• Familiarity with workflow tooling (e.g., Linear) and project management practices.

• Strong communicator that is clear, concise, and async-friendly.

• Hands-on builder mindset, ready to quickly prototype and iterate to improve how teams work.

• Knowledge and familiarity with AI tools deployed in product development organizations.

• Experience coordinating work and programs across engineering, product, and design teams on product launches, experimentation programs, or similar initiatives.

• Deep experience with AI tools and agentic workflows.

Extra Credit

• Operational experience supporting launch readiness, OKRs, or process improvements.

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, $500 wellness stipend

📚 Growth: $2,000 learning stipend, ongoing development

💻 Remote & Office: Stipends for home office setup, internet, commuting, and free lunch/gym in our SF office

🏝 Time Off: Flexible PTO, 15 holidays + 2 flex days, winter #ShakeBreak where our whole office closes for a week!

🤝 Connection: Team outings & referral bonuses

Explore our mission, values, and comprehensive US benefits at joinhandshake.com/careers.