Director of Communications, Careers

Handshake•San Francisco, CA

20d•$192,000 - $255,000

About The Position

Handshake is seeking a communications lead to own the story of its Careers business, including its network of 30 million students, graduates, and professionals; the 1,600 institutions and more than one million employers that rely on it; and its learning products. The role owns how Careers appears in the press, in executive communications and research, and in communications with universities, employers, and policymakers. The Director reports to the Chief Communications Officer and works directly with the President and COO, who leads Careers, as well as the Chief Education and Workforce Officer, research and economics team, and Careers product and marketing teams. This is initially a senior individual-contributor position that may grow into a people-manager role as the function scales.

Requirements

8–12 years of experience in communications.
Substantial media relations and executive communications experience.
Working relationships with reporters covering careers, workplace, higher education, and the future of work.
Record of tier-one media placements.
Exceptional writing and editing skills, including the ability to write in an executive's voice across formats.
Comfort with data.
Sound judgment under pressure.
Ability to build systems, not just stories.
AI-native working style, using AI to research, draft, and measure while owning all outgoing content.

Nice To Haves

Background in consumer, marketplace, education, workforce, or HR technology.
Higher-education or workforce-policy background.

Responsibilities

Own the Careers communications strategy, integrate it with the company-wide communications calendar, set quarterly priorities tied to business growth goals, and measure impact against clear KPIs.
Lead Careers media relations and build relationships with reporters covering careers, workplace, higher education, workforce policy, and AI's effect on jobs.
Serve as executive communications partner to the President and COO and the Chief Education and Workforce Officer.
Turn research and data, including Network Trends, the Class of 2026 series, and monthly labor-market data, into stories in partnership with the in-house economist and research team.
Lead launch communications for Careers products and partnerships with product marketing.
Own communications to and about university and employer partners with the education and employer teams.
Handle Careers inbound inquiries and issues in partnership with Legal and the Chief Communications Officer.
Support the Careers story in international markets as the business grows.