Operations Associate

About Handshake 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, we power 25 million job seekers, 1 million+ employers, and 1,600 educational institutions. In 2025, we started Handshake AI and built the fastest-growing AI data business in history. We work directly with frontier AI lab researchers to create evaluations, publish benchmarks, and push the boundary of data. We've grown from $0 to ~$1B run rate and pay ~$60M to over 30K individuals every month. 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 world's 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 About Handshake AI Human data is the core infrastructure to AI advancement. Frontier AI labs currently improve model capabilities with various data-intensive post-training techniques. We believe that data spend for AI training will increase by 3-5x in the next few years and continue for much longer as models take on new domains. Handshake AI supports all of the frontier AI labs, working on their most complex data at the largest scale. About The Role The Operations Associate drives execution of operational programs across Central Operations' core functions — Contractor Operations, Marketplace & Allocations, Trust & Safety, and Pay. This is an individual contributor role with real ownership over the workstreams you touch: you'll dig into the data, spot what's not working, and drive improvements forward, working closely with Operations Program Managers and cross-functional partners to keep programs running smoothly. Own execution of operational workstreams across Central Operations functions, using judgment on how best to get the work done Pull, organize, and analyze data to identify trends, gaps, and opportunities for improvement Monitor key metrics and operational queues , and drive resolution of issues within your scope — not just flagging them upward Identify and help implement process improvements , not just document existing ones Own day-to-day escalations and requests , using judgment on when to resolve directly versus loop in others Partner with cross-functional teams on ad hoc requests and initiatives You Have 1+ years of experience in operations, business support, or a similar analytical individual-contributor role Strong analytical skills, with the ability to use data to inform decisions and drive action Comfort operating with ambiguity, using judgment to figure out the right approach rather than relying on a fixed playbook Strong organizational skills and attention to detail Basic proficiency in SQL or similar data tools, or strong willingness to learn quickly Clear written communication skills for documenting work and driving alignment with stakeholders Bonus points: Prior exposure to one of Central Operations' core functions — Contractor Operations, Marketplace & Allocations, Trust & Safety, or Pay Experience using SQL or other data analysis tools A track record of taking ownership and driving improvements without heavy oversight 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 .