Director of Communications

Handshake

San Francisco (CA)

Hybrid

USD 180,000 - 240,000

Full time

14 days+

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Benefits offered by this job

Equity

401(k) match

Parental leave

Mental health support

Learning stipend

Remote & Office stipend

Flexible PTO

Team outings

Referral bonuses

Job summary

Handshake in San Francisco is seeking a senior communications leader to own and evolve our corporate communications strategy across the company, Careers, EDU, AI, and future-of-work themes. You’ll shape external narrative, build strong press relationships, and partner with the CEO and leadership team to craft executive narratives, speeches, op-eds, and talking points for high-profile moments.

This is a Senior IC role focused on strategic storytelling, rapid execution, and cross-functional

Qualifications

7+ years in corporate communications, PR, or media relations in tech or agencies.
Strong executive communications with founders/CEOs and media strategy.
Proven ability to secure earned media across business/tech/workplace/AI press.
Excellent writing and messaging for complex topics.

Responsibilities

Own Handshake’s corporate communications strategy and external narrative across themes.
Build and manage press relationships within workforce and AI industries.
Proactively pitch stories and thought leadership that align with business priorities.
Partner with CEO and leadership to develop executive narratives, speeches, op-eds, and talking points.
Guide social content: voice, tone, messaging, branding alignment.
Prepare executives for high-visibility speaking engagements and media interviews.
Lead reactive communications with legal, policy, and leadership teams during sensitive moments.
Build scalable press intake, approvals, and reporting processes.
Oversee external communications agencies to ensure high-quality work.

Skills

Corporate communications

Public relations

Executive communications

Media relations

Writing & storytelling

Strategic thinking

Cross-functional collaboration

Agency management

Crisis communications

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.