Senior Human Resources Business Partner

Handshake

Handshake

People & HR

San Francisco, CA, USA

USD 148k-185k / year + Equity

Posted on May 2, 2026

Location

San Francisco, CA

Employment Type

Full time

Location Type

On-site

Department

General & Administrative

Compensation

  • $148K – $185K • Offers Equity

For cash compensation, we set standard ranges for all U.S.-based roles based on function, level, and geographic location, benchmarked against similar stage growth companies. In order to be compliant with local legislation, as well as to provide greater transparency to candidates, we share salary ranges on all job postings regardless of desired hiring location. Final offer amounts are determined by multiple factors, including geographic location as well as candidate experience and expertise, and may vary from the amounts listed above.

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

The Role

We’re hiring a Senior HR Business Partner to support our Sales, Marketing, and Education teams across both of Handshake’s business units - Careers and Handshake AI. You’ll work closely with leaders and employees to help scale our culture, processes, and people programs as we grow. This role will be part traditional HRBP work (performance management, HR support, etc.) and part building processes and systems to help scale the business. We're looking for someone who is comfortable with ambiguity, rapidly changing priorities, and intense operational cultures.

Partnering & Advisory

  • Act as a trusted partner to managers on day-to-day people topics — performance, growth, engagement, and team dynamics

  • Support business leaders in building high-performing, inclusive teams through thoughtful people programs and data-driven insights

  • Help identify org design and talent needs as the team scales

  • Develop the leadership bench across Sales, Marketing, and EDU

People Programs & Operations

  • Drive execution of core people processes (performance, compensation, promotions, headcount planning)

  • Support onboarding, learning, and development initiatives

  • Collaborate with People Ops, Recruiting, and Total Rewards to ensure smooth employee experiences

Employee Experience

  • Help managers and employees navigate employee relations topics with judgment and care

  • Gather feedback and insights to inform improvements to our people programs and tools

  • Design and manage in-person programs and events for the team

You Have

  • 4+ years of HR experience, ideally in a tech or growth-stage environment

  • Strong foundation in core HRBP functions (employee relations, performance, org changes, comms planning, manager coaching)

  • Comfort operating in ambiguity and shifting priorities

  • Clear, empathetic communication and an instinct for balancing people and business needs

  • Strong independent judgement - makes the right calls for the team and business the majority of the time

  • Collaborative working style - enjoys partnering across teams

Bonus Points

  • Experience supporting a high-intensity, operational environment

  • Experience working with Sales or go-to-market orgs

  • Familiarity with compensation frameworks and people analytics tools

  • Exposure to scaling teams and org change

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, 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 joinhandshake.com/careers.

Compensation Range: $148K - $185K