Software Engineer II, Handshake AI

Your impact

Handshake is building the future of human data for AI.

We partner directly with top AI labs to power large language model (LLM) training and evaluation with high-quality, expert-generated data. As AI models become more sophisticated, the demand for specialized human input continues to grow—and Handshake is uniquely positioned to meet it. We power career platforms at 92% of the top U.S. universities, giving us direct access to verified expert talent across a wide range of domains.

Our AI team is rapidly building a new generation of human data products—from expert annotation platforms to AI interviewers and seamless payout infrastructure—all designed to accelerate research and improve model performance.

We’ve assembled a world-class team from YC, Notion, Scale, Coinbase, Palantir, and more, and we’re working directly with many of the world’s leading AI research labs. This is a unique opportunity to join a fast-growing team shaping the future of AI through better data, better tools, and better systems—for experts, by experts.

We’re growing our team and looking for Software Engineers to build high-impact products that support our Fellows in their work, ensuring they have the tools and infrastructure needed to drive 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. You will build critical features for products from the ground up, collaborating closely with product, design, and engineering teams to create seamless and effective experiences.

Location: San Francisco, CA | 5 days/week in-office

Your role

• Collaborate on a cross-functional team with designers, product managers, and engineers to design, build, and maintain full-stack features and internal tools.

• Own core product areas end-to-end—from backend API design and database modeling to frontend implementation and UX polish.

• Contribute to architectural discussions, propose technical solutions, and participate in thoughtful code reviews.

• Ensure quality, performance, and scalability across both frontend and backend systems.

• Debug and resolve issues across the stack in collaboration with other team members.

• Help evolve best practices around testing, observability, CI/CD, and technical documentation.

• Work closely with users and stakeholders to understand requirements, gather feedback, and iterate quickly

Your experience

• 2–4 years of professional experience as a full-stack engineer, or frontend/backend engineer with demonstrable work across the stack.

• Proficiency with ReactJS and TypeScript , with a strong eye for detail, usability, and accessibility.

• Experience with backend development in Node.js , Python , or similar, and working with RESTful APIs or GraphQL .

• Solid understanding of relational databases (e.g., PostgreSQL ) and basic data modeling.

• Familiarity with cloud infrastructure (e.g., AWS , GCP ) and deployment pipelines.

• Passion for clean, maintainable code and building reliable, performant systems.

• Excellent communication and collaboration skills across technical and non-technical stakeholders.

• Comfortable working in a fast-paced, dynamic environment with a focus on continuous learning and improvement.

Bonus areas of expertise

• Experience with building production systems for LLM or AI-related products.

• Familiarity with component libraries and design systems.

• Exposure to performance optimization in frontend applications.