Engineering Manager, Handshake AI

Handshake • San Francisco, CA

71d

About The Position

We’re expanding our team and seeking an Engineering Manager to lead the development of high-impact products that empower our Fellows in driving AI innovation. This is a unique opportunity to play a pivotal role in a fast-growing space, working directly with leading AI labs and tech companies to develop solutions that enhance research workflows, model evaluation processes, and domain-specific AI applications. As an Engineering Manager, you'll play a key role in shaping technical direction, fostering engineering excellence, and ensuring your team delivers reliable, scalable, and user-centric solutions. You’ll collaborate closely with product, design, and research stakeholders to prioritize work, unblock challenges, and drive execution.

Requirements

• 2–4+ years of experience in an engineering leadership role (team lead, tech lead, or manager), in addition to prior experience as a hands-on engineer.
• Strong technical background in full-stack development, particularly with ReactJS, TypeScript, and backend technologies like Node.js or Python.
• Experience leading teams building end-user products with a focus on quality, usability, and performance.
• Solid understanding of system architecture, relational databases (e.g., PostgreSQL), and cloud infrastructure (e.g., AWS, GCP).
• Proven track record of successfully shaping product direction and delivering results in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent communication skills, with an ability to influence across technical and non-technical audiences.

Nice To Haves

• Experience managing teams building AI or LLM-powered products.
• Familiarity with design systems and scalable frontend architecture.
• Deep focus on developer experience, tooling, and internal platform improvements.
• Passion for working on products that accelerate research and innovation.

Responsibilities

• Lead and grow a high-performing engineering team, fostering a culture of ownership, inclusion, and technical excellence.
• Partner with product and design teams to define roadmaps, scope projects, and deliver end-to-end solutions aligned with user needs.
• Drive technical architecture and decision-making, ensuring systems are scalable, maintainable, and performant.
• Mentor engineers across experience levels, supporting their growth through regular feedback, coaching, and development opportunities.
• Oversee day-to-day execution, ensuring high-quality code, effective reviews, and healthy team velocity.

Benefits

• Equity in a fast-growing company
• 401(k) match, competitive compensation, financial coaching
• Paid parental leave, fertility benefits, parental coaching
• Medical, dental, and vision, mental health support, $500 wellness stipend
• $2,000 learning stipend, ongoing development
• Stipends for home office setup, internet, commuting, and free lunch/gym in our SF office
• Flexible PTO, 15 holidays + 2 flex days, winter #ShakeBreak where our whole office closes for a week!
• Team outings & referral bonuses

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 501-1,000 employees