Handshake · 1 month ago
Head of Strategic Projects, Handshake AI
San Francisco, CA
Full-time
Onsite
Director/Executive
$200K/yr - $250K/yr
7+ years expHandshake is building a career network for the AI economy, connecting millions of students, academic institutions, and employers. The Head of Strategic Projects will lead a team to drive execution across high-priority AI data initiatives, ensuring quality delivery and operational excellence within a fast-paced environment.
College RecruitingData Collection and LabelingEmploymentHuman ResourcesRecruiting
Responsibilities
Own and lead an AI Delivery Pod consisting of 8+ team members (managers + individual contributors) across complex, high-stakes data projects
Run Weekly Business Reviews tracking pod-level performance, driving alignment on metrics, and setting clear priorities
Operate as a GM of your pod, responsible for business outcomes, throughput, quality, and operational P&L
Partner cross-functionally with Product, Growth, and Research teams to execute against evolving data strategies
Ensure high quality delivery of AI training datasets by scoping projects, designing systems
Drive systems-level improvements to increase pod efficiency, quality, and scalability
Experiment, iterate, and problem-solve in ambiguity, bringing structure and clarity to complex operational challenges
Develop the team through active coaching, building upon strengths and providing developmental feedback and opportunities to advance their professional careers
Foster a high-performing culture built on close collaboration, transparency, and a commitment to operational excellence that elevates team standards
Qualification
Required
7+ years of professional experience in operationally intensive or execution-heavy environments
At least 2+ years of leadership experience managing teams; ideally including managing multi-layered teams (managers + ICs)
Proven success driving cross-functional outcomes in ambiguous, fast-paced settings
Metrics-driven operator who can scale systems, improve throughput, and maintain high-quality standards at speed
Ability to zoom in and out - comfortable with hands-on operational detail as well as strategic, systems-level thinking
Strong cross-functional fluency - you've worked closely with product, engineering, or growth teams to deliver on shared business goals
Entrepreneurial mindset, with experience either as a founder, early-stage startup operator, or someone who has taken ownership of end-to-end outcomes in a high-growth environment
Technical fluency or a STEM background is a strong plus
Preferred
Excellent written and verbal communication skills
Strong sense of ownership and pride in their work
Technical background with fluency in programming languages and/or SQL
High degree of agency - ideal candidate can thrive in ambiguity
Passionate about / interested in AI (super user of LLMs, up-to-date on latest AI trends)
Critical thinker / first principles approach to solving problems
Data driven decision maker
Thoughtful about making decisions - doesn't jump to conclusions without considering all potential variables/curve balls
The drive and competitiveness to win in a rapidly growing market
Benefits
Equity in a fast-growing company
401(k) match, competitive compensation, financial coaching
Paid parental leave, fertility benefits, parental coaching
Medical, dental, and vision, mental health support, $500 wellness stipend
$2,000 learning stipend, ongoing development
Internet, commuting, and free lunch/gym in our SF office
Flexible PTO, 15 holidays + 2 flex days
Team outings & referral bonuses
Company
Handshake
Handshake is a college career network that helps students and recent graduates find their next opportunity.
501-1000 employees
H1B Sponsorship
Handshake has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (24)
2024 (14)
2023 (7)
2022 (15)
2021 (6)
2020 (4)
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageTotal Funding
$434MKey Investors
Notable CapitalEQT VenturesSpark Capital
2022-01-19Series F· $200M
2021-05-12Series E· $80M
2020-10-20Series D· $80M
Leadership Team
Garrett Lord
CEO - Co-Founder
Ben Christensen
Co-Founder
Recent News
Company data provided by crunchbase