About the role
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 As a Strategic Project Associate (SPA) , you will be a key driver in making sure Handshake AI delivers flawlessly for our customers. This role blends execution, analysis, and problem-solving with a unique opportunity to contribute to projects that directly impact the training of state-of-the-art AI models. You will work hand-in-hand with Strategic Project Leads, Delivery Leads, and Operations leadership gaining a front-row seat to how the human data layer of AI is being built. This is a launchpad role with significant growth potential, designed to prepare you for higher-impact leadership roles in project delivery and client strategy. We work 5 days in-office. Key Responsibilities Run the Core Engine: Drive the day-to-day execution of projects from setting up operational workflows to ensuring deadlines are met and deliverables exceed client expectations. Build and Maintain Expert Networks: Support onboarding of hundreds of domain experts across diverse industries, keeping pipelines healthy and engagement high. Own Project Visibility: Track KPIs, maintain dashboards, and provide regular updates to leadership, ensuring stakeholders always have a clear view of project health. Partner with Senior Leaders: Work closely with Strategic Project Leads to translate client requirements into action plans and unblock execution bottlenecks. Elevate Quality & Efficiency: Propose and implement process improvements and automations that scale our ability to deliver at speed and quality. Support Client Impact: Help prepare updates and progress reports that showcase results to clients and highlight opportunities for expansion and upsell. Desired Capabilities Bachelor’s degree in STEM, business or a related field. Early-career experience in operations, consulting, research, or project management preferred (internships count). Analytical mindset with comfort using spreadsheets (Excel/Google Sheets) and project management tools (Notion, Asana, Jira, etc.). Clear communicator with excellent written and verbal English. Highly organized, detail-oriented, and driven to deliver outcomes rather than just complete tasks. You’ll Thrive Here If You: Are motivated by solving operational problems that have direct, measurable impact. Want to be part of a company shaping the future of AI through human data. Can navigate ambiguity, act with urgency, and keep multiple workstreams moving in parallel. Are ambitious and looking for a stepping stone into leadership roles in operations or client strategy Perks Generous Equity Grant vested over 4 years Housing Bonus: 1.3 Lakhs spread throughout the first year Well Defined Performance Bonus ranging between 10 - 100% of base Medical Insurance Coverage Food credit for every in person day that should cover for lunch and dinner