Senior Forward Deployed Engineer
Not Disclosed•Full-TimeOn-site
location_onFirst Drive West, San Francisco, California, 94129, United States
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 launched Handshake AI, building 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 have grown from $0 to a ~$1B run rate and pay ~$60M to over 30K individuals every month.
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.
As a Senior Forward Deployed Engineer, you will serve as a technical leader at the intersection of our engineering organization and our most strategic customers, including leading AI labs. You will own the end-to-end lifecycle of high-impact deployments—from scoping complex technical requirements to architecting, building, and scaling solutions that directly improve customer workflows and model performance.
You will operate across the stack in highly ambiguous, fast-changing environments, and your judgment will shape how we approach our most critical partnerships. This is a unique opportunity to combine deep technical leadership with direct customer engagement—driving not just the "what" and the "how," but setting the standard for how Handshake delivers at the highest level.
Location: San Francisco, CA | 5 days/week in-office
Handshake delivers benefits that help you feel supported—and thrive at work and in life. Full-time US employees receive equity in a fast-growing company, competitive compensation with 401(k) match, and comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage. We support family needs with paid parental leave and fertility benefits, and prioritize wellbeing with mental health support and a $500 wellness stipend.
We invest in your growth with a $2,000 learning stipend and ongoing development opportunities. Our office in San Francisco provides free lunch, gym access, and commuting support, while we offer flexible PTO, 15 holidays, and 2 flex days. We also foster connection through team outings and referral bonuses.
Explore our mission, values, and comprehensive benefits at joinhandshake.com/careers.
Work model: On-site
First Drive West, San Francisco, California, 94129, United States
San Francisco, California
Experience architecting and delivering production systems for LLMs or other AI-powered products in real-world, customer-facing environments. Background in building or contributing to component libraries, design systems, or reusable deployment frameworks. Proven experience with performance optimization and scaling of full-stack applications under real-world constraints and high-traffic conditions. Prior experience in a forward-deployed, solutions engineering, or technical consulting role at a high-growth company.
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Handshake operates as a specialized software development platform based in San Francisco, California, designed to connect talent with opportunities within the artificial intelligence sector. The company functions as a career network specifically tailored for the AI economy, facilitating the transition from education to professional roles across various stages of a worker's journey.
The platform serves a vast ecosystem comprising 20 million knowledge workers and 1,600 educational institutions. It also connects these groups with 1 million employers, a client base that includes every company listed on the Fortune 500. Additionally, every foundational artificial intelligence laboratory relies on the system to manage career discovery, hiring processes, and upskilling initiatives.
Services provided range from freelance artificial intelligence training gigs and first internships to full-time career placements and long-term professional development. By integrating these diverse user groups into a single network, Handshake supports the continuous growth and staffing needs of organizations operating in the rapidly evolving technology landscape.
Browse more roles: All Handshake jobs, it jobs on Recrutus.
Experience
5+ yrs (Senior)
Job Type
Full-Time