Director of Internal Communications
San Francisco, CA$174.4k - $255kFull-timePosted 3w ago
About the role
Senior individual contributor responsible for building and leading Handshake's internal communications function across Careers and Handshake AI, aligning leadership messaging, culture programs, and cross-functional collaboration without a pre-existing playbook.
Responsibilities
- Own the internal communications strategy, calendar, and operating rhythm across Careers and Handshake AI
- Serve as the C-suite internal communications partner
- Run All Hands on one standard across the company and extend it to the departmental tier
- Partner with the People team on people communications and key lifecycle moments
- Design and run recognition and culture programs with the People team
- Build and edit the company's core internal channels and select the tools to run them
- Translate technical work into clear, plain-language stories every employee can follow
- Connect the internal and external narrative so employees hear Handshake's news first
- Measure understanding, not just reach, and report the results back to leadership
Qualifications
- 8–12 years in internal/employee or executive communications, including a tour scaling internal comms through rapid company growth
- Exceptional writer, able to write convincingly in a founder-CEO's voice
- Proven ability to build communications systems and processes from scratch
- Skilled at translating complex, technical work into clear, plain-language narratives
- Trusted advisor to senior leadership, comfortable giving candid counsel
- AI-native working style, using AI to gather, draft, and measure communications work
- Strong judgment and discretion with sensitive or high-stakes material
- Data-literate, comfortable setting benchmarks and reporting results to executives
- Comfortable working cross-functionally across People, Legal, Marketing, and Product/Engineering
- Bonus: experience at an AI company, post-acquisition integration, employer brand, or event production
Skills
Required:Internal communications strategyExecutive communicationChange/m organizational storytellingMeasurement and analytics
Benefits
- 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, wellness stipend
- Growth: 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
Last updated Oct 1, 2026. Interested? Apply on the company site.
About Handshake
Careers start here
The better career platform for Gen Z changing how, where, and why the next generation of talent builds their career.
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