About Handshake
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
The Role
We’re hiring a Strategic Account Executive to join our Strategic New Business team, focused on landing net new Fortune 500 and Fortune 100 employers that do not yet partner with Handshake. This is a pure hunter role, built for a seller who thrives in high-visibility deal cycles, creates pipeline through proactive outreach, and can close complex six-figure partnerships with senior HR and business leaders.
You will inherit a defined book named accounts and own the full sales cycle end to end, from account planning and first meetings through executive alignment, negotiation, and close. You will operate with high autonomy and minimal support, and you will be expected to travel, host customers, and win in the room.
You Have
Must-Haves:
4+ years of SaaS closing experience, including 2+ years selling into enterprise or strategic customers
Proven track record of net new logo acquisition and consistent quota attainment (President’s Club strongly preferred)
Experience closing complex six-figure deals with multiple stakeholders and longer sales cycles
Strong outbound and account planning skills, with comfort owning a defined book and building pipeline proactively
Ability to lead executive-level conversations, position value, and run a disciplined sales process end to end
High ownership and scrappiness, with comfort creating your own materials and running your own demos without heavy support
Strong forecasting hygiene and deal management discipline across monthly and quarterly rhythms
Willingness to travel regularly and engage in in-person selling, customer events, and relationship-building
Bonus Points:
Experience selling HR tech, recruiting software, or workforce solutions into Fortune 500 employers
Background as an enterprise AE with 2 to 5 years tenure looking to step up into strategic new business
Existing relationships with senior HR, TA, or early talent leaders at large employers
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.
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.
-
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.
-
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.
-
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
Similar Jobs
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.
Gallery
