Program Manager

Handshake; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 108,000 - 135,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

401(k) match

Parental leave

Medical, dental, and vision coverage

Wellness stipend

Learning stipend

Remote & Office

Job summary

Handshake is seeking a Program Manager to support our Employer Customer Success team in driving adoption, retention, and expansion of our platform. You will collaborate with Account Managers and Customer Success Managers to help premium employer partners achieve their hiring goals and provide data-driven insights.

You will develop recruiting campaigns, analyze trends, build relationships with end users, and work with sales, product, and marketing to maximize ROI.

Qualifications

• 4+ years of experience in customer-facing SaaS, recruiting, implementation or professional services.
• Ability to align client goals with adoption strategies and measurable ROI.
• Thrives in ambiguity and moves quickly without rushing.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder presentation skills.
• Proven project management and cross-functional collaboration experience.

Responsibilities

• Drive customer success by executing projects that boost adoption, retention, and expansion.
• Develop targeted recruiting campaigns and messaging to connect with entry‑level talent.
• Analyze hiring trends and performance metrics through custom reporting.
• Build strong relationships with end users to maximize platform value and ROI.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to enhance the employer experience and product adoption.

Skills

Project management

Customer-facing SaaS

Data-driven decision making

Stakeholder communication

Cross-functional collaboration

Training and enablement

Relationship management

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

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 hiring a Program Manager to support our Employer Customer Success team in driving adoption, retention, and expansion of our platform. In this role, you will collaborate closely with Account Managers and Customer Success Managers to help our premium employer partners achieve their early talent hiring goals. You will execute strategic projects, develop recruiting campaigns, and provide data-driven insights that empower employers to attract and hire top entry-level talent.

• Drive employer success by executing project-based work that supports adoption, retention, and expansion efforts across the platform.
• Develop targeted recruiting campaigns by crafting messaging, identifying relevant audiences, and executing outreach to help employers connect with entry-level talent.
• Analyze hiring trends and performance metrics through custom reporting, school strategy insights, and ongoing audits of employer activity.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with end users, ensuring they maximize platform value and achieve measurable ROI.
• Create and maintain best practices and training materials focused on diversity and inclusion, sourcing strategies, and platform optimization.
• Serve as a Handshake product expert, advising employer partners on how to maximize their recruiting success within the platform.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with internal teams to enhance the employer experience and drive product adoption.

Must be based in San Francisco or New York City and available to work in office 5 days a week.

Desired Capabilities

• 4+ years relevant work experience, preferably in customer facing SaaS, recruiting, implementation, or professional services roles.
• The ability to understand customer business goals and recommend new approaches, strategies and ways to drive adoption and help them hit their hiring targets or solve complex challenges.
• An understanding of ever‑evolving needs of a dynamic, growing start‑up organization
• The ability to thrive in ambiguity and work quickly, but not rush
• Excellent communication and relationship management skills, including experience presenting to stakeholders and leading training sessions.
• Strong communication and relationship management skills
• Strong project management skills and experience owning and driving projects end to end
• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills
• Experience collaborating cross-functionally across teams such as sales, product, and marketing.

We Offer

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: 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.

Compensation Range: $108K - $135K