AI Research Engineer, Handshake AI
Handshake
Software Engineering, Data Science
San Francisco, CA, USA
USD 330k-370k / year + Equity
Location
San Francisco, CA
Employment Type
Full time
Department
HAI Research
Compensation
- Tier 1$330K – $370K
For cash compensation, we set standard ranges for all U.S.-based roles based on function, level, and geographic location, benchmarked against similar stage growth companies. In order to be compliant with local legislation, as well as to provide greater transparency to candidates, we share salary ranges on all job postings regardless of desired hiring location. Final offer amounts are determined by multiple factors, including geographic location as well as candidate experience and expertise, and may vary from the amounts listed above.
About Handshake
Handshake is the career network for the AI economy. 20 million knowledge workers, 1,600 educational institutions, 1 million employers (including 100% of the Fortune 50), and every foundational AI lab trust Handshake to power career discovery, hiring, and upskilling, from freelance AI training gigs to first internships to full-time careers and beyond. This unique value is leading to unparalleled growth; in 2025, we tripled our ARR at scale.
Why join Handshake now:
Shape how every career evolves in the AI economy, at global scale, with impact your friends, family and peers can see and feel
Work hand-in-hand with world-class AI labs, Fortune 500 partners and the world’s top educational institutions
Join a team with leadership from Scale AI, Meta, xAI, Notion, Coinbase, and Palantir, among others
Build a massive, fast-growing business with billions in revenue
About the Role
Design and implement post-training systems and methodologies in close partnership with research scientists and domain experts
Build and maintain infrastructure that supports large-scale model training, specialized data processing, and benchmark evaluation
Develop robust frameworks for verifying the quality and integrity of highly specialized domain datasets
Create next-generation LLM benchmarks that push the boundaries of model evaluation and capabilities assessment
Optimize performance across software and hardware layers to accelerate post-training experimentation and deployment
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Collaborate across disciplines to ensure rigorous validation of model improvements and benchmark reliability
Desired Capabilities
Strong Python programming skills with attention to clean, efficient, and scalable code
Experience building and operating large-scale systems for model post-training, specialized data processing, or benchmark evaluation
Deep familiarity with PyTorch and modern post-training techniques (RLHF, constitutional AI, etc.)
A background in applied machine learning, model evaluation, or large-scale data quality assessment
Experience with benchmark design, evaluation methodologies, and performance measurement frameworks
Clear communication skills and a collaborative mindset for cross-functional research teams
Extra Credit
Experience optimizing deep learning models for performance (e.g., memory usage, training speed)
Interest in the societal and ethical impacts of AI technologies
Contributions to open-source ML infrastructure or tools
Perks
Handshake delivers benefits that help you feel supported—and thrive at work and in life.
The below benefits are for full-time US employees.
🎯 Ownership: Equity in a fast-growing company
💰 Financial Wellness: 401(k) match, competitive compensation, financial coaching
🍼 Family Support: Paid parental leave, fertility benefits, parental coaching
💝 Wellbeing: Medical, dental, and vision, mental health support, $500 wellness stipend
📚 Growth: $2,000 learning stipend, ongoing development
💻 Remote & Office: Internet, commuting, and free lunch/gym in our SF office
🏝 Time Off: Flexible PTO, 15 holidays + 2 flex days
🤝 Connection: Team outings & referral bonuses
Explore our mission, values, and comprehensive US benefits at joinhandshake.com/careers.
Compensation Range: $330K - $370K