Partnerships Lead (Integrations & Ecosystem)

Handshake; United States; On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health Insurance

401k Match

Sabbatical

Paid time off

Parental leave

Flexible work

Job summary

Handshake is seeking a senior IC to lead integrations and ecosystem partnerships, owning a multi-year strategy and execution for ATS/data partnerships. You will define which integrations to build, buy, or partner with, while ensuring healthy growth with top partners and measurable adoption.

You’ll translate partner needs to product/engineering, drive co-marketing and data-licensing deals, and align with GTM to turn partnerships into revenue, all in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment.

Qualifications

• Track record owning integrations or ecosystem-partnerships end to end, ideally in HR tech or CRM-related spaces.
• History of sourcing, negotiating, and closing large, complex partnerships: API integrations, marketplace listings, co-marketing or data licensing.
• Ability to set strategy, then execute with ambiguity and without a team.
• Judgment to align product, engineering, and GTM leadership and influence without authority.
• Strong network at ATS vendors, HCM platforms, and data providers for day-one activation.
• Working knowledge of ATS and CRM integrations: APIs, webhooks, data mapping, and sync failures.
• Clear writing and sharp judgment on commercial terms, data privacy, and compliance.
• Experience structuring data licensing or data-sharing agreements.

Responsibilities

• Set our ATS integration strategy and map the landscape to decide build, buy, or partner and order.
• Source, negotiate, and close integration and data partnerships end to end (marketplaces, API access, co-marketing, data licensing).
• Own existing ATS and data partners; run QBRs, track health and adoption, resolve issues early.
• Grow third-party data partnerships to enrich employer and candidate data for product and GTM teams.
• Translate partner needs for product/engineering; write requirements, scope API/data-sharing work, keep launches on schedule.
• Turn partnerships into a revenue lever; enable sales/CS to sell integrations and measure partner-influenced pipeline.

Skills

Partnerships leadership

Sourcing & negotiating

APIs integration

Data mapping

Executive influencing

Tools

ATS integrations

CRM integrations

Marketplace partnerships

Job description

• Handshake only works for employers if it fits the stack they already run — their ATS, their CRM, and the data that powers both
• As Partnerships Lead - Integrations & Ecosystem, you’ll be the single-threaded owner of that ecosystem: setting our multi-year integration and data-partnership strategy, deciding which ATS integrations we build next, keeping existing partners healthy and growing, and bringing on the data partners that make our employer products smarter
• You’ll operate as the senior-most partnerships voice in the room — shaping the product roadmap with engineering and product leaders, aligning go-to-market, and representing Handshake to our most important partners
• You’ll turn “we should integrate with X” into a signed deal, a shipped integration, and measurable adoption. This is a hands‑on senior IC role — equal parts strategy and execution
• Set our ATS integration strategy — map the landscape (Workday, Greenhouse, iCIMS, SuccessFactors, Oracle, Lever, Ashby) against our customers and pipeline to decide where to build, buy, or partner, and in what order
• Source, negotiate, and close integration and data partnerships end to end — marketplace listings, API access, co‑marketing, rev share, and data licensing
• Own our existing ATS and data partners — run QBRs, track integration health and adoption, and resolve issues before customers feel them
• Grow third‑party data partnerships that make our employer and candidate data richer and more reliable for product and go‑to‑market teams
• Translate partner needs for product and engineering — write clear requirements, scope API and data‑sharing work, and keep integration launches on schedule
• Turn partnerships into a revenue lever — equip sales and CS to sell integrations and measure partner‑influenced pipeline

Benefits

• Health Insurance: Comprehensive medical , dental, and vision coverage
• Fertility and family forming: Through a partnership, Handshake offers comprehensive family benefits, including infertility treatments and a $15K stipend, to its employees.
• LGTBQ+ coverage: All medical plans cover transgender services.
• Mental health: Discounts on a variety of wellness apps and an Employee Assistance Program with access to five free counseling sessions.
• Tax savings: Tax-advantaged benefits to save money on healthcare, dependent care, and other expenses.
• Life & disability insurance: Essential benefits and automatic coverage with basic life insurance, plus short-term and long-term disability coverage.
• 401k match: Dollar-for-dollar match up to 1% of pay, with a max of $1,200 per year.
• Equity: Our equity program includes grants at hire, refresher grants after two years of tenure, and grants alongside promotions.
• Financial management: Handshake partners to provide free professional financial planning services.
• Learning & development: Employees are provided with an annual stipend to use towards professional development, career development workshops, manager trainings, and 1‑on‑1 coaching through external partnerships
• Community leader support: Employee Resource Group leaders are compensated with a quarterly bonus for the high‑impact work the role requires
• Parental leave: Leaves of 16 weeks for birth‑giving parents and 10 weeks for non‑birth‑giving parents; the policy applies to adoptions as well. Handshake also partners to provide one‑on‑one coaching on preparing for leave and coming back from leave
• Flexible time off: No accrued time off or waiting period to take vacation. Two paid flexible holiday days off to observe holidays that closely align with religious, cultural, and personal needs
• Sabbatical: Paid six‑week sabbatical to recharge and reset beginning at six years of continuous, full‑time employment, and every four years thereafter
• Volunteer time off: Two days off for social and civil activism, volunteer work, and/or any related activities, including attending and participating in protests

A track record of owning an integrations or ecosystem-partnerships area end to end — ideally having built or scaled it — in HR tech (ATS, HCM, recruiting software) or sales tech (CRM, sales engagement, sales intelligence)A history of sourcing, negotiating, and closing large, complex, strategic partnerships: API integrations, marketplace listings, co‑marketing, or data licensing dealsComfort operating with ambiguity — you build the strategy and do the work, without a team under youThe judgment and executive presence to align senior product, engineering, and go‑to‑market leaders and influence without authorityA strong existing network at ATS vendors, HCM platforms, and data providers you can activate on day oneWorking knowledge of how ATS and CRM integrations work in practice — APIs, webhooks, unified‑API providers (Merge, Kombo), data mapping, and sync failuresClear writing and sharp judgment on commercial terms, data privacy, and complianceExperience structuring data licensing or data‑sharing agreements, from either side of the tableTime at an ATS vendor, a unified‑API company, or a marketplace teamFamiliarity with early‑career or university recruiting