Staff Product Designer (Student Experience)
Everyone is welcome at Handshake. We know diverse teams build better products and we are committed to creating an inclusive culture built on a foundation of respect for all individuals. We strongly encourage candidates from non-traditional backgrounds, historically marginalized or underrepresented groups to apply.
Design at Handshake
At Handshake we create opportunities for all students and recent graduates to have equal access to meaningful jobs and internships, and we believe design plays a crucial role in the pursuit of this mission. Under the umbrella of our Chief Design Officer, we are a unified team of product designers, content designers, user experience researchers, brand designers, and design ops folks, all working collaboratively to help students, employers, and career centers.
We take a student-first approach to how we design and build products, and we strive to deeply understand our users and their true goals. We believe that great products and experiences are made great by the combination of how they work and how they look. One without the other is not enough, and while we're not perfect, we strive to excel in both and are committed to going the extra mile.
Great products are built by teams — and teams are built by people who communicate and collaborate well. A culture of openness, honesty, and the ability to provide and receive constructive feedback is important to us.
We also believe that great teams are inclusive. Being surrounded by a diversity of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives brings out the best in everyone, and leads to higher quality products and experiences.
Your impact
Handshake is hiring a Staff Product Designer for the Core Experience (student) and Channels teams. This role will require you to span from strategy to surface, bringing a talent for systems thinking, simple data-driven design, and seamless user experiences to support Handshake’s student products. You will be part of a design team that focuses on designing and shipping 0-to-1 products alongside improving our current experiences. The product areas will span the home feed, profiles, onboarding, new initiatives, and the channels we use to activate, onboard, and engage our students.
Your role
Work from concept to delivery to inform product strategy and shape how students engage with employers, universities, and each other
Lead with user empathy for students but also employers and universities
Partner with product, research, content, data science and engineering to ensure projects are well-defined, high impact, and successfully executed
Develop and improve a shared product design language across all student surfaces reflective of our brand
Up level the entire team through commitment to growth and mentorship
Drive up-leveling the student product to be the top way college students get jobs
Establish design processes so we can scale efficiently and effectively
Your experience
Minimum of 10 years of experience in product design
Experience designing web and native mobile products
Demonstrated experience leading design
Comprehension of human centered / user centered design methodology and techniques
Experience working with engineers and product managers to drive strategy, vision, and execution
A collaborative, no ego, approach to working with others
A portfolio of impeccably executed product design
Compensation range
- $185,000-$205,000
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 us
Handshake is the #1 place to launch a career with no connections, experience, or luck required. The platform connects up-and-coming talent with 750,000+ employers - from Fortune 500 companies like Google, Nike, and Target to thousands of public school districts, healthcare systems, and nonprofits. In 2022 we announced our $200M Series F funding round. This Series F fundraise and valuation of $3.5B will fuel Handshake’s next phase of growth and propel our mission to help more people start, restart, and jumpstart their careers.
When it comes to our workforce strategy, we’ve thought deeply about how work-life should look here at Handshake. With our Hub-Based Remote Working strategy, employees can enjoy the flexibility of remote work, whilst ensuring collaboration and team experiences in a shared space remains possible. Handshake is headquartered in San Francisco with offices in Denver, New York, London, and Berlin and teammates working globally.
Check out our careers site to find a hub near you!
What we offer
Benefits below apply to employees in full-time positions.
At Handshake, we'll give you the tools to feel healthy, happy and secure.
- 💰 Equity and ownership in a fast-growing company.
- 🍼 16 Weeks of paid parental leave for birth giving parents & 10 weeks of paid parental leave for non-birth giving parents.
- 💝 Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision policies including LGTBQ+ Coverage. We also provide resources for Mental Health Assistance, Employee Assistance Programs and counseling support.
- 💻 Handshake offers $500/£360 home office stipend for you to spend during your first 3 months to create a productive and comfortable workspace at home.
- 📚 Generous learning & development opportunities and an annual $2,000/£1,500 stipend for you to grow your skills and career.
(US Handshakers)
- 🏦 401k Match: Handshake offers a dollar-for-dollar match on 1% of deferred salary, up to a maximum of $1,200 per year.
- 🏝 All full-time US-based Handshakers are eligible for our flexible time off policy to get out and see the world. In addition, we offer 8 standardized holidays, and 2 additional days of flexible holiday time off. Lastly, we have a Winter #ShakeBreak, a one-week period of Collective Time Off.
(UK Handshakers)
- 🏦 Pension Scheme: Handshake will provide you with a workplace pension, where you will make contributions based on 5% of your salary. Handshake will pay the equivalent of 3% towards your pension plan, subject to qualifying earnings limits.
- 🏝 Up to 25 days of vacation to encourage people to reset, recharge, and refresh, in addition to 8 bank holidays throughout the year.
For roles based in Berlin and Romania: Please ask your recruiter about region specific benefits.
Looking for more? Explore our mission, values and comprehensive US benefits at joinhandshake.com/careers.