Manager of R&D Strategy & Operations

• The Strategy & Operations Manager for R&D will extend Handshake’s S&O function into the frontier of AI development. Primarily deployed in Handshake AI (HAI), this person works at the intersection of the most consequential and fast-moving work in the company: scalable reinforcement learning environments, systematic quality frameworks for training frontier models, and large-scale coding projects pushing the boundaries of what AI can do on a massive, real-world problem set
• This is not a program management role and it’s not a permanent execution owner. It’s a force multiplier: someone who deploys to wherever the business problem is most urgent, builds the operating system to make it self-sustaining, and moves on. They work alongside the R&D S&O leader to extend strategic reach across two business units with different operational needs and up level how teams across R&D operate with AI in their toolkit
• Deploy to the highest-priority initiatives across R&D, build the operating structure for each sprint, and hand off when it’s self-sustaining
• Build trusted relationships with engineering and product leads; be informed enough to push back and credible enough to be heard
• Identify process and tooling friction across R&D and own the playbooks to fix it, including agentification of manual workflows
• Run org-wide operating rhythms, including quarterly planning, execution rhythms, org comms, and cross-team reporting
• Escalate to the S&O lead with context and a point of view, and a plan

Benefits

• Health Insurance: Comprehensive medical , dental, and vision coverage
• Fertility and family forming: Through a partnership, Handshake offers comprehensive family benefits, including infertility treatments and a $15K stipend, to its employees.
• LGTBQ+ coverage: All medical plans cover transgender services.
• Mental health: Discounts on a variety of wellness apps and an Employee Assistance Program with access to five free counseling sessions.
• Tax savings: Tax-advantaged benefits to save money on healthcare, dependent care, and other expenses.
• Life & disability insurance: Essential benefits and automatic coverage with basic life insurance, plus short-term and long-term disability coverage.
• 401k match: Dollar-for-dollar match up to 1% of pay, with a max of $1,200 per year.
• Equity: Our equity program includes grants at hire, refresher grants after two years of tenure, and grants alongside promotions.
• Financial management: Handshake partners to provide free professional financial planning services.
• Learning & development: Employees are provided with an annual stipend to use towards professional development, career development workshops, manager trainings, and 1-on-1 coaching through external partnerships
• Community leader support: Employee Resource Group leaders are compensated with a quarterly bonus for the high-impact work the role requires
• Parental leave: Leaves of 16 weeks for birth-giving parents and 10 weeks for non-birth-giving parents; the policy applies to adoptions as well. Handshake also partners to provide one-on-one coaching on preparing for leave and coming back from leave
• Flexible time off: No accrued time off or waiting period to take vacation. Two paid flexible holiday days off to observe holidays that closely align with religious, cultural, and personal needs
• Sabbatical: Paid six-week sabbatical to recharge and reset beginning at six years of continuous, full-time employment, and every four years thereafter
• Volunteer time off: Two days off for social and civil activism, volunteer work, and/or any related activities, including attending and participating in protests- Proven track record deploying across complex, multi-team organizations and building operating systems that outlast their involvement
• AI-fluent operator who uses the latest tools and is excited to build the agentification playbook for others
• 6–8+ years 6 to 8 years in strategy & operations, chief of staff, or a hybrid role in a fast-moving R&D driven environment
• High judgment under ambiguity: goes to where the problem is, not where the job description points
• Strategic range to move fluidly between a technical AI research environment and a consumer marketplace without losing effectiveness
• Executive presence to operate alongside senior leaders and push back when something is at risk
• Relationship-builder who earns trust quickly across engineering, product, and design stakeholders