Engagement Management Lead

About Handshake AI

AI is reshaping how skills are built, how work gets done, and how careers begin. Static credentials and résumé-based hiring no longer reflect how people actually learn or contribute.

Handshake is bridging that gap.

Built on a trusted SaaS platform connecting 22M+ students and alumni, 1,600+ universities, and 1M employers, Handshake is expanding into AI-native work through Handshake AI—partnering with frontier AI labs and leading technology companies to build the human data that powers modern AI systems.

Why join Handshake

• Shape how careers work in the AI economy—at global scale

• Work with world-class AI labs and Fortune 500 partners

• Join a team with leadership from Scale AI, Meta, xAI, Notion, Coinbase, and Palantir

About the Role

As an Engagement Management Lead, Handshake AI, you will own our most critical Frontier AI lab customer relationships from first scope through production deployments, expansions, and renewals. You are the person these customers call first, in both high stakes moments and day to day decision making, and you are comfortable operating in environments with high expectations, high visibility, and high pressure.

You will sit at the intersection of customers, operations, product, and engineering, turning ambiguous, high stakes problems into clear programs, making hard tradeoffs at speed, and orchestrating cross functional teams to deliver outsized results while maintaining exceptional, executive level relationships.

You will be responsible for:

• Owning a high impact book of business for Handshake AI, leading strategic implementations for flagship accounts from scope and milestones through on time, successful go live.

• Running the full engagement lifecycle (onboarding, delivery, QBRs, expansions, renewals) as the single threaded owner of value for a portfolio of strategic, often multi million dollar customers.

• Turning messy, evolving customer goals into sharp programs and requirements, pushing back where needed, and influencing product, operations, and roadmap decisions.

• Defining and reporting on success metrics (business KPIs, SLAs, model quality) and using data to make fast, high conviction calls on where to double down, pivot, or sunset.

• Partnering with Sales on aggressive expansion strategies, identifying, shaping, and helping close upsell and cross sell opportunities across your accounts.

What success looks like in the first 6–12 months:

• Multiple high priority implementations are live in production with clear, referenceable wins and expansion in motion.

• Your accounts show deep adoption and material revenue growth, with Handshake AI embedded in core model development and evaluation workflows.

• Sales, Ops, and Product leaders consistently treat you as the owner of outcomes for your accounts and pull you into the most strategic, time sensitive opportunities.

You will work closely with:

• Sales on deal shaping, scoping, handoffs, and expansion strategy.

• Operations on aggressive yet realistic resourcing, training, and quality for Fellows and domain experts.

• Product and Engineering on roadmap, integrations, and new capabilities needed to unlock step function value for your customers.

What You Will Bring

Experience:

• 6+ years in customer facing, high ownership roles (engagement management, management consulting, customer success, strategy and operations, or similar) with AI, data, or complex operational products.

• 4+ years at a top tier management consulting firm (for example McKinsey, BCG, Bain, or equivalent) and/or a mix of that background plus startup operating experience in high intensity environments.

• Proven track record leading complex, multi stakeholder implementations and driving measurable business outcomes for demanding enterprise customers.

• Experience working directly with senior stakeholders (VP or C level) and navigating complex, political organizations while still getting to an answer fast.

This role works well for people who:

• Want to own a book of business and are comfortable being directly accountable for customer outcomes and revenue

• Can make high judgment decisions with incomplete information and move fast without perfect data

• Enjoy switching between executive level relationship management and detailed project and data reviews

• Are comfortable working directly with senior leaders at Handshake and demanding VP and C level customers

It is not a good fit if you need fixed hours, narrow scope, or heavy structure. There are periods of high intensity, including occasional early or late calls across time zones. Priorities can change quickly and you will often be the person asked to solve the hardest customer problems.

People in this role often come from:

• Management consulting at top tier firms, with significant client leadership and project ownership

• Strategy and operations or bizops roles at early stage or high growth startups

• Customer facing leadership roles in SaaS or AI / data companies (engagement management, customer success, solutions, or similar)

• Investment banking or private equity backgrounds that transitioned into operating or client facing roles

Prior experience in AI is helpful but not required.

Perks

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, wellness stipend

📚 Growth: 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.