Talent Sourcing Specialist (Contract)

About Handshake

Handshake is built on the conviction that everyone should have access to excellent career opportunities regardless of their educational background or connections. Currently, we serve over 25 million job seekers, more than 1 million employers, and 1,600 educational institutions. In 2025, we launched Handshake AI, which quickly became the fastest-growing AI data enterprise globally. Collaborating directly with leading AI researchers, we generate evaluations, release benchmarks, and push data boundaries. We've rapidly expanded from inception to a nearly $1 billion run rate, distributing around $60 million monthly to more than 30,000 individuals.

Why Join Us Now

• Influence career development worldwide within the evolving AI economy, creating visible impact for communities.
• Collaborate closely with premier AI research labs, Fortune 500 companies, and top educational organizations.
• Work alongside experts from Palantir, Meta, Scale AI, and former Y Combinator founders.
• Contribute to a rapidly scaling enterprise generating multibillion-dollar revenues.

Role Overview

As a Talent Sourcing Specialist on the Handshake AI team in San Francisco, you will lead the initial candidate sourcing efforts for the Growth team focusing on the Handshake AI Fellowship. This fast-paced, high-volume role demands creativity and precision in identifying and engaging exceptional talent from varied domains, particularly technical and STEM candidates.

Key Responsibilities

• Manage the top-level sourcing initiation for Growth roles, collaborating closely to understand job requirements, hiring intake, and pipeline management.
• Employ innovative outreach, boolean searches, market research, and mapping to identify passive candidates especially in technical and STEM fields.
• Deliver insights and guidance on market trends and sourcing effectiveness to optimize recruiting strategies through partnerships with the Growth team.
• Conduct preliminary candidate screenings and facilitate smooth transitions to project teams for further evaluation.
• Maintain accurate recruiting data in ATS systems like Ashby, monitor key metrics, and refine sourcing tactics accordingly.

Required Qualifications

• Approximately 2 to 4 years of experience in recruiting or talent sourcing, preferably with agency or in-house exposure.
• Demonstrable expertise in locating and engaging specialized, niche talent pools.
• Background in sourcing candidates with STEM, data, or technical expertise.
• A strong sense of urgency and ability to thrive in dynamic, fast-paced settings with evolving priorities.
• Excellent communication skills for effective engagement with candidates and hiring managers.
• Analytical mindset that leverages recruitment data and metrics (such as source-to-hire conversions) to enhance outcomes.
• Proficiency with applicant tracking systems (ATS) — familiarity with Ashby preferred — and other sourcing platforms like LinkedIn Recruiter, along with the agility to learn new technologies quickly.
• Availability to work during Pacific Standard Time hours.
• Comfort operating in flexible, sometimes ambiguous situations and contributing to process improvements.

Preferred Attributes

• Previous agency or executive search experience especially in high-volume or challenging hiring environments is advantageous.
• Experience recruiting for sales, go-to-market, or growth teams is a plus.
• Local candidates willing to work onsite at the San Francisco office will have additional consideration.

Additional Information

Explore our mission and values at our careers page.