Associate Machine Learning Engineer

Handshake•San Francisco, CA

About The Position

Handshake is hiring an Associate Machine Learning Engineer for the Growth Relevance team. AI is transforming how students navigate their careers, and we're committed to providing innovative, responsible AI-powered solutions that guide students from educational aspirations to meaningful career opportunities. In this role, you will contribute directly to this mission by developing, deploying, and enhancing machine learning systems focused on lifecycle optimization, personalized notifications, and monetization strategies. You'll join a high-impact team leveraging cutting-edge ML infrastructure, including embedding-based retrieval, Graph Neural Networks, and multi-stage rankers built upon a robust data platform with billions of data points. Your work will drive critical marketplace metrics, enhance user engagement, and contribute to responsible AI practices around explainability, fairness, and quality.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Data Science, or a related field
0–2 years of experience in machine learning, data science, or a related area
Proficient in Python, with hands-on experience in frameworks such as scikit-learn, PyTorch, or TensorFlow
Strong foundation in core ML concepts, including classification, regression, ranking, and model evaluation

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree or currently pursuing an advanced degree in a relevant field
Exposure to areas such as recommendations, personalization, NLP, deep learning, LLMs, or explainable AI
Familiarity with the ML lifecycle (e.g., experiment tracking, model monitoring, feature pipelines)
Experience with cloud platforms (GCP, AWS, or Azure)
Clear communicator, able to translate technical work for diverse audiences
Collaborative mindset with experience working cross-functionally with product, analytics, and engineering teams

Responsibilities

Develop and iterate on machine learning models and features that directly influence user experience across lifecycle, notifications, and monetization — with guidance from senior engineers.
Partner with senior engineers, data scientists, and product managers to develop and iterate on machine learning models that improve product features and user experience.
Grow your technical depth by working alongside experienced ML practitioners, picking up best practices in model development, experimentation, and production deployment.