Machine Learning Engineer

HandshakeSan Francisco, CAEngineering

Apply on company site

Opens the official Handshake careers page

Salary

$150K – $189K

Job type

Full-time

Experience

Entry · 1+ yrs

Posted

8 Oct 2026

Status

Open · checked 7d ago

About this role

Based in San Francisco, CA, this full-time Machine Learning Engineer position is suited for professionals looking to build machine learning systems for lifecycle optimization, personalized notifications, and monetization. The role involves joining the Growth Relevance team to support AI-driven career solutions for students.

Role Overview

Handshake is seeking a Machine Learning Engineer I to join the Growth Relevance team in San Francisco, CA. The person in this position will build, release, and improve machine learning systems dedicated to monetization strategies, personalized notifications, and lifecycle optimization. This position involves working with infrastructure that includes Graph Neural Networks, multi-stage rankers, and embedding-based retrieval.

Key Responsibilities

Build and refine machine learning models and features affecting user experience across monetization, notifications, and lifecycle under the direction of senior engineers.

Collaborate alongside product managers, data scientists, and senior engineers to iterate on models that enhance product features.

Expand technical capabilities by collaborating with machine learning practitioners and learning industry standards for experimentation, production deployment, and model creation.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Data Science, Computer Science, or a related discipline.

1 to 3 years of professional background in data science, machine learning, or a related domain.

Proficiency in Python along with practical usage of frameworks like PyTorch, TensorFlow, or scikit-learn.

Background in deploying and assessing agentic workflows.

Solid understanding of fundamental machine learning principles such as regression, classification, ranking, and model evaluation.

Nice to Have

Master's degree or current enrollment in an advanced degree program within a relevant field.

Exposure to deep learning, natural language processing, large language models, personalization, recommendations, or explainable artificial intelligence.

Knowledge of the machine learning lifecycle including feature pipelines, model monitoring, and experiment tracking.

Background using cloud environments such as Azure, AWS, or GCP.

Strong communication abilities to explain technical concepts to various stakeholders.

Team-oriented approach with cross-functional experience alongside engineering, analytics, and product groups.

Skills and Tools

Python

PyTorch

TensorFlow

scikit-learn

Graph Neural Networks

GCP

AWS

Azure

Salary and Benefits

Salary range of $150,000 to $189,000 with equity offerings.

Financial wellness benefits including a 401(k) match, competitive pay, and financial coaching.

Family support offerings including paid parental leave, fertility benefits, and parental coaching.

Health benefits covering medical, dental, and vision care, alongside mental health support and a $500 wellness stipend.

Growth provisions including a $2,000 learning stipend and continuous development.

Office and remote perks including internet reimbursement, commuting support, and free lunches and gym access at the San Francisco office.

About the Company

Handshake operates a platform connecting millions of job seekers, employers, and educational institutions. The organization launched Handshake AI in 2025, partnering with frontier AI lab researchers to publish benchmarks, build evaluations, and expand data boundaries.

How to Apply

Interested candidates should apply on the official company careers page.

Skills and tech stack

Python PyTorch TensorFlow scikit-learn GCP AWS Azure LLMs NLP Deep Learning Machine Learning

Questions candidates ask

What is the location of this job?

The role is located in San Francisco, CA.

What is the experience requirement?

Candidates need 1 to 3 years of experience in machine learning, data science, or a related area.

What programming language is required?

Proficiency in Python is required.

What is the salary range for this position?

The salary ranges from $150K to $189K with offers of equity.

What educational background is needed?

A Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Data Science, or a related field is required.

Ready to apply?

The application is on the official Handshake careers page.

Apply on company site