Handshake Director of Communications, Careers at Handshake responsible for owning the communications strategy for the Careers business. Manages media relations, executive communications, and product launch communications.
Responsibilities
We're looking for a communications lead to own the story of our Careers business: the network 30 million students, graduates and professionals start on, the 1,600 institutions and million employers who rely on it, and the learning products we're building on top of it.
You'll report to the Chief Communications Officer and work directly with the President and COO, who runs Careers, and with our Chief Education and Workforce Officer, our research and economics team, and Careers product and marketing. You'll be the single owner of how Careers shows up in the press, in our executives' voices, in our research, and with the universities, employers and policymakers who work with us.
Own the Careers communications strategy integrated with the company-wide comms calendar and set the priorities each quarter, tied to the business unit's growth goals, and measure impact against clear KPIs
Run media relations for Careers: build relationships with reporters covering careers, workplace, higher education, workforce policy and AI's effect on jobs
Serve as executive communications partner to the President and COO and the Chief Education and Workforce Officer
Turn our research and data (Network Trends, the Class of 2026 series, monthly labor-market data) into stories, with our in-house economist and research team
Lead launch communications for Careers products and partnerships, with product marketing
Own communications to and about our university and employer partners, with the education and employer teams
Handle Careers inbound inquiries and issues with Legal and the CCO
Support the Careers story in international markets as the business grows
This is a senior individual-contributor role to start. It may grow into a people-manager role as the function scales.
Desired Capabilities
Qualification
Required
8–12 years in communications with substantial media relations and executive communications experience
