Handshake is the career network for the AI economy. 20 million knowledge workers, 1,600 educational institutions, 1 million employers (including 100% of the Fortune 50), and every foundational AI lab trust Handshake to power career discovery, hiring, and upskilling, from freelance AI training gigs to first internships to full-time careers and beyond. This unique value is leading to unparalleled growth; in 2025, we tripled our ARR at scale.
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
Work hand-in-hand with world-class AI labs, Fortune 500 partners and the world's top educational institutions
Join a team with leadership from Scale AI, Meta, xAI, Notion, Coinbase, and Palantir, among others
Build a massive, fast-growing business with billions in revenue
As Director, Product Marketing, you will own how the market sees Handshake on the employer side: not as a college job board, but as the career network employers rely on to find and hire talent in the AI economy. You will set the narrative and category strategy that puts Handshake in front of CHROs and talent leaders, and lead a team of product marketers who bring it to life across every launch and channel. You will report to the VP, Marketing and inherit a team of 3-4 product marketers, partnering closely with the EDU-side product marketing lead, Product, Sales, and the executive team.
Define and own the employer narrative and positioning that shows how the market sees Handshake, so that employers and CHROs see us as a strategic hiring partner rather than a college job board
Create and evolve the category story for the employer buyer, elevating our message beyond product features to win mindshare in a crowded HR tech landscape
Build thought leadership and content channels that put Handshake leaders in front of CHROs and senior talent decision-makers, growing executive awareness and pipeline influence
Lead, coach, and grow a team of 3-4 product marketers, setting a high bar for craft and strategic thinking across employer-side launches
Partner with Product, Sales, and Marketing leadership to translate roadmap and customer insight into launches and messaging that drive adoption and revenue
Align with product marketing on the EDU side and adjacent teams, including Handshake AI and our learning offerings, to keep one unified Handshake story across audiences
8+ years in B2B product marketing, including leading a team of product marketers
A track record of creating or evolving a category, with the vision to reposition a company or product in the market
Experience elevating a narrative beyond the product, rather than selling primarily on features and specs
Experience marketing a marketplace or employment-related product, where the value comes from connecting both sides
Experience building executive-level content and thought leadership that reaches senior buyers such as CHROs
Strong cross-functional partnership with Product, Sales, and executive leadership on launches and go-to-market
Exceptional strategic storytelling and writing, with a high bar for craft in your own work and your team's
Based in the San Francisco Bay Area and able to work from our SF office
Bonus points:
HR tech or recruiting technology background, or existing relationships with talent and HR leaders
Experience marketing to both a supply side and a demand side of a two-sided network
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.
Skills Required
- 8+ years of B2B product marketing experience
- Experience leading a team of product marketers
- Track record creating or evolving a category and repositioning a company or product
- Experience developing narratives beyond product features and specifications
- Experience marketing a marketplace or employment-related product
- Experience building executive-level content and thought leadership for senior buyers such as CHROs
- Strong cross-functional partnership with Product, Sales, and executive leadership on launches and go-to-market
- Exceptional strategic storytelling and writing skills
- Based in the San Francisco Bay Area and able to work from the San Francisco office
- HR technology or recruiting technology background, or relationships with talent and HR leaders
- Experience marketing to both supply and demand sides of a two-sided network
Handshake Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Handshake and has not been reviewed or approved by Handshake.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Time-off practices include flexible/unlimited PTO, companywide recharge weeks in summer and winter, plus additional volunteer and personal holiday time. Feedback suggests sabbaticals and coordinated breaks help people actually use rest time.
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Parental & Family Support — Parental leave is described as extended for primary and secondary caregivers, and family-oriented policies are highlighted. Fertility and family-support resources are referenced in public materials.
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Healthcare Strength — Core coverage spans medical, dental, and vision, with added mental-health resources and wellness programming. Feedback suggests these supports contribute meaningfully to overall wellbeing.
Handshake Insights
What We Do
Handshake is the #1 place to launch a career with no connections, experience, or luck required. The platform connects up-and-coming talent with 650,000+ employers - from Fortune 500 companies like Google, Nike, and Target to thousands of public school districts, healthcare systems, and nonprofits. Earlier this year, we announced our $200M Series F funding round. This Series F fundraise and new valuation of $3.5B will fuel Handshake’s next phase of growth and propel our mission to help more people start, restart, and jumpstart their careers.
Why Work With Us
How someone builds their career is foundational. We believe in working with the higher education community to help students build meaningful careers. We are at the nexus of universities, students and employers— and we’re able to connect the very best pieces of each side. We’re proud to create a community where students can be more successful.
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