Fast Facts

We are seeking a Senior Engineering Manager for Growth Engineering at Handshake to lead and develop a high-performing team responsible for user acquisition and retention systems. This role involves close collaboration with cross-functional teams to drive growth at scale in the AI economy.

Responsibilities: Lead and grow the Growth Engineering team, oversee the activation and retention systems, build a scalable growth platform, and partner with other teams to align on growth strategy.

Skills: Experience in managing engineering teams, solid background in user acquisition or retention systems, and strong people leadership capabilities are essential.

Qualifications: Preferred qualifications include experience with experimentation platforms, lifecycle marketing infrastructure, and familiarity with growth analytics.

Location: This position is based in San Francisco, California, and is in-office 5 days a week, with no remote or hybrid options.

Compensation: $230000 - $300000 / Annually

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

About the Role

The Senior Engineering Manager of Growth Engineering at Handshake owns one of the most strategically important growth levers and platforms in the company — the systems that power how we acquire, activate, and retain users across the entire Handshake ecosystem.

This isn't a single-product role. You'll lead a platform that cuts across every surface of Handshake, serving as a foundational lever for company growth. You'll partner closely with Product, Data, and Marketing to define what the growth loop looks like at scale — and then build the infrastructure and product capabilities to make it real. You'll lead a growing team of engineers and are expected to build leadership capacity (including an EM layer) as the team scales.

Location: San Francisco, CA. This is an in-office role, 5 days/week (no remote/hybrid).

What You'll Do

• Lead and grow a high-performing Growth Engineering team — hire, develop, and retain strong engineers; build the leadership layer needed to scale
• Own the full growth funnel (post-acquisition) — activation, engagement, and retention systems that move the needle on Handshake's core growth metrics
• Build a scalable, extensible growth platform — modular infrastructure that enables rapid experimentation, personalization, and lifecycle targeting across the product
• Drive architecture and technical strategy — design systems for reliability, performance, and speed-to-ship, balancing platform investments with high-impact product bets
• Partner cross-functionally — work shoulder-to-shoulder with Product, Data Science, Marketing, and the Acquisition team to align on growth strategy and execution
• Raise the engineering bar — champion strong fundamentals: observability, experimentation rigor, data integrity, and engineering quality at scale
• Operate with ownership and velocity — set the standard for a team culture that moves fast, takes accountability, and delivers in ambiguous, high-stakes environments

What We're Looking For

• Engineering leader + builder: 3+ years managing engineering teams, 5+ years of hands-on engineering experience
• Growth or platform background: Experience owning systems that drive user acquisition, activation, or retention — or platform infrastructure that powers growth at scale
• Strong people leadership: Track record of developing senior engineers; experience managing an EM or equivalent scope is a strong plus
• Execution in ambiguity: Able to align cross-functionally, build clarity from ambiguity, and deliver iteratively in fast-moving environments
• Balanced product + systems mindset: Can translate business and growth goals into technical roadmaps, ship with urgency, and measure outcomes rigorously

Nice to Have

• Experience building experimentation platforms, A/B testing infrastructure, or personalization systems
• Background in lifecycle marketing infrastructure (notifications, email, push, in-app messaging)
• Familiarity with growth analytics, funnel instrumentation, or event tracking at scale
• Experience in two-sided marketplace or consumer/prosumer products

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, $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.