Senior Engineering Manager, Growth Engineering
Role Overview
This senior-level role involves leading a Growth Engineering team to build and scale infrastructure for user acquisition, activation, and retention across Handshake's ecosystem. Day-to-day responsibilities include managing engineers, driving technical strategy, and partnering with Product, Data, and Marketing to execute growth initiatives with high impact on core metrics. The hire will operate in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment, focusing on platform reliability, experimentation, and cross-functional collaboration.
Perks & Benefits
The role is based in San Francisco, CA, requiring in-office work 5 days a week with no remote or hybrid options. Benefits include equity, a 401(k) match, competitive compensation, medical/dental/vision coverage, mental health support, a $500 wellness stipend, a $2,000 learning stipend, flexible PTO, and parental leave. The culture emphasizes ownership, fast execution, and team connection, with perks like free lunch and gym access in the office.
Full Job Description
About the Role
The Senior Engineering Manager of Growth Engineering at Handshake owns one of the most strategically important growth levers and platforms in the company — the systems that power how we acquire, activate, and retain users across the entire Handshake ecosystem.
This isn't a single-product role. You'll lead a platform that cuts across every surface of Handshake, serving as a foundational lever for company growth. You'll partner closely with Product, Data, and Marketing to define what the growth loop looks like at scale — and then build the infrastructure and product capabilities to make it real. You'll lead a growing team of engineers and are expected to uplevel and build leadership capacity as the team scales.
Location: San Francisco, CA. This is an in-office role, 5 days/week (no remote/hybrid).
What You'll Do
Lead and grow a high-performing Growth Engineering team — hire, develop, and retain strong engineers; build the leadership layer needed to scale
Own the full growth funnel — acquisition, activation, retention, and notification systems that move the needle on Handshake's core growth metrics
Build a scalable, extensible growth platform — modular infrastructure that enables rapid experimentation, personalization, and lifecycle targeting across the product
Drive architecture and technical strategy — design systems for reliability, performance, and speed-to-ship, balancing platform investments with high-impact product bets
Partner cross-functionally — work shoulder-to-shoulder with Product, Data Science, and Marketing to align on growth strategy and execution
Raise the engineering bar — champion strong fundamentals: observability, experimentation rigor, data integrity, and engineering quality at scale
Operate with ownership and velocity — set the standard for a team culture that moves fast, takes accountability, and delivers in ambiguous, high-stakes environments
What We're Looking For
Engineering leader + builder: 4+ years managing engineering teams, 5+ years of hands-on engineering experience
Growth or platform background: Experience owning systems that drive user acquisition, activation, or retention — or platform infrastructure that powers growth at scale
Strong people leadership: Track record of developing senior engineers; experience managing managers or equivalent scope is a strong plus
Execution in ambiguity: Able to align cross-functionally, build clarity from ambiguity, and deliver iteratively in fast-moving environments
Balanced product + systems mindset: Can translate business and growth goals into technical roadmaps, ship with urgency, and measure outcomes rigorously
Nice to Have
Experience building experimentation platforms, A/B testing infrastructure, or personalization systems
Background in lifecycle marketing infrastructure (notifications, email, push, in-app messaging)
Familiarity with growth analytics, funnel instrumentation, or event tracking at scale
Experience in two-sided marketplace or consumer/prosumer products
Perks
Handshake delivers benefits that help you feel supported—and thrive at work and in life.
The below benefits are for full-time US employees.
🎯 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, $500 wellness stipend
📚 Growth: $2,000 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
Explore our mission, values, and comprehensive US benefits at joinhandshake.com/careers.
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