Director of Internal Communications
San Francisco, CA - USA
Department:
Job Summary
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 that belief has a bigger job. We think intelligence comes from people and weve built a company around it.
Handshake is the career network for the AI economy connecting 25 million job seekers more than a million employers and 1600 educational institutions.
Handshake AI puts the expertise of that network to work at the frontier of AI. We work directly with frontier lab researchers to author evaluations publish benchmarks and build the training environments models cant create on their a year weve gone from $0 to a $1B run rate and pay $60M a month to more than 30000 experts. Now were bringing that same expertise to enterprises building AI on their own knowledge.
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 worlds 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
Handshake is looking for a builder to own and run our internal communications function.
This is not a typical comms role. Handshake has grown from one business into two Careers and Handshake AI which spans human data Labs and Enterprise AI in under two years tripling headcount opening offices in New York and India and acquiring companies along the way. That growth creates a real opportunity to build a clear consistent internal story from the ground up in close partnership with our leadership team.
Youll report to our Chief Communications Officer and work daily with Careers and Handshake AI business unit leadership and our People team. Your job is to make sure every employee in San Francisco New York Bangalore or remote hears one Handshake story on a rhythm they can predict in a voice that still sounds like us.
There is no existing playbook team or tooling for this function today. Youll design the systems select the tools and earn a seat at the leadership table as an embedded partner rather than a service desk. Youll be measured first on whether leadership communication is clearer more consistent and more trusted because you exist and second on whether the company stays one company as it scales.
Own the internal communications strategy calendar and operating rhythm across Careers and Handshake AI
Serve as the C-suite internal communications partner
Run All Hands on one standard across the company and extend it to the departmental tier
Partner with the People team on people communications and key lifecycle moments
Design and run recognition and culture programs with the People team
Build and edit the companys core internal channels and select the tools to run them
Translate technical work into clear plain-language stories every employee can follow
Connect the internal and external narrative so employees hear Handshakes news first
Measure understanding not just reach and report the results back to leadership
Please note this is a Senior IC role and does not manage a team.
812 years in internal/employee or executive communications including a tour scaling internal comms through rapid company growth
Exceptional writer able to write convincingly in a founder-CEOs voice
Proven ability to build communications systems and processes from scratch
Skilled at translating complex technical work into clear plain-language narratives
Trusted advisor to senior leadership comfortable giving candid counsel
AI-native working style using AI to gather draft and measure communications work
Strong judgment and discretion with sensitive or high-stakes material
Data-literate comfortable setting benchmarks and reporting results to executives
Comfortable working cross-functionally across People Legal Marketing and Product/Engineering
Bonus: experience at an AI company post-acquisition integration employer brand or event production
Handshake delivers benefits that help you feel supportedand 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 Experience:
Director
About Company
The better career platform for Gen Z changing how, where, and why the next generation of talent builds their career.