Handshake
Senior Software Engineer, Operator Tooling
Edtech.com's Summary
- Build and architect internal tools, automations, and workflows to enhance operational throughput and accuracy.
- Partner directly with operators to understand processes and translate requirements into technical deliverables.
- Lead projects from discovery through rollout and iterative improvements.
- Collaborate with cross-functional teams including engineering, product, and operators to drive adoption and measurable impact.
- Mentor engineers and establish strong engineering practices for internal tools.
- Requires 5+ years of software engineering experience with ownership of end-to-end systems.
- Strong communication skills and ability to work empathetically with non-engineering teams.
- Experience building internal tooling or automation for operations-heavy teams.
- Equity ownership, competitive compensation, 401(k) match, and comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and mental health benefits.
- Additional perks include paid parental leave, wellness stipend, learning stipend, flexible PTO, and team outings.
Senior Software Engineer, Operator Tooling Full Description
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
As a Senior Software Engineer on Operating Tooling, youâll build internal products and automation that help Handshakeâs operators run the business at high quality and speed. This team functions like an embedded/consulting engineering group: youâll partner directly with operators, learn their workflows deeply, and deliver pragmatic solutions that remove friction, improve quality, and enable new operational capabilities.
This role is highly collaborative and communication-heavy. Success requires strong technical fundamentals plus high EQâsomeone who can translate ambiguous operational needs into reliable systems, and iteratively ship improvements that stick.
In this role, you will:
Embed with operators to understand processes, pain points, and success metrics; translate them into clear technical requirements and deliverables.
Architect and build internal tools, automations, and workflows that improve operational throughput, accuracy, and visibility.
Lead projects end-to-end: discovery, scoping, technical design, implementation, rollout, and iteration.
Balance speed and quality by making thoughtful tradeoffs, ensuring maintainability, and building with operational reliability in mind.
Collaborate closely with cross-functional partners (operators, engineering, product) to drive adoption and measurable impact.
Mentor other engineers and help establish strong engineering practices for an internal-tools environment.
Desired Capabilities
5+ years of software engineering experience, with comfort owning systems end-to-end (from requirements through production support).
Strong communication skills and stakeholder management; able to partner deeply with non-engineering teams and operate with high empathy/EQ.
Experience building internal tools, workflow systems, or automation for operations-heavy teams (or analogous customer-embedded roles like FDE / solutions engineering).
Strong engineering judgment: can design scalable systems, pick the right level of abstraction, and avoid over-building.
Track record of delivering iterative, high-leverage improvements in ambiguous environments.
Extra Credit
Experience with workflow/backlog systems, intake processes, and operational analytics (instrumentation, dashboards, QA).
Comfort operating in a âplayer-coachâ environment (mix of hands-on building plus lightweight coordination/mentorship as the team grows).
Background building tooling for knowledge-work operations (e.g., case management, review/approval flows, data quality tooling).
Perks
Handshake delivers benefits that help you feel supportedâand thrive at work and in life.
The below benefits are for full-time US employees.
ð¯ Ownership: Equity in a fast-growing company
ð° Financial Wellness: 401(k) match, competitive compensation, financial coaching
ð¼ Family Support: Paid parental leave, fertility benefits, parental coaching
ð Wellbeing: Medical, dental, and vision, mental health support, wellness stipend
ð Growth: Learning stipend, ongoing development
ð» Remote & Office: Internet, commuting, and free lunch/gym in our SF office
ð Time Off: Flexible PTO, 15 holidays + 2 flex days
ð¤ Connection: Team outings & referral bonuses
Explore our mission, values, and comprehensive US benefits at joinhandshake.com/careers.
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