Product Specialist Jobs

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.
Your impact
As a Product Specialist, you are responsible for ensuring education partners you engage with are educated on full utilization of our product and adopt critical Handshake features as identified by account needs and Handshake priorities.
You will create repeatable strategies for driving engagement across our education partners' teams, driving product adoption via leading onsite training and 1:1 customer in-take meetings to assess needs, and promoting feature usage. In this role, you will be responsible for combining detailed product expertise with sales acumen to drive the success of our products in the market with Top 200 Education partners. You will serve as a key point of contact for both customers and internal teams, bridging the gap between technical specifications and customer needs.
You will report to the Director of Success and Education, working closely with customer success, product, sales, and marketing to deliver a world-class customer experience and drive our business through product adoption and increased partner competency in the platform functionality.
This role requires travel to onsites and trainings with partners, conferences and other Handshake events. You should expect 95% of your time to be travel, with additional variance based on seasonality and business need.
Your role
In-person services and custom solutioning

• Collaborate with internal teams, including product development and engineering, to ensure the feasibility and successful implementation of desired workflows
• Provide technical guidance and expertise to help customers understand how to use Handshake’s product to meet their goals and needs
• Provide 1:1 and group trainings and tailor product solutions as needed for specific customers (eg. student groups, employer relations teams, etc)
• Collaborate with internal teams (relationship managers/product) to build training offerings that uniquely meet customer needs/style/account health

Product, industry, and customer knowledge

• Gather, document, and share best practices on how university partners can better leverage the platform to drive student engagement
• Develop a deep understanding of our product portfolio, including its features, functionalities, and competitive advantages
• Stay updated on industry trends in EdTech and within career services (operations, structures and metrics) to provide insightful recommendations to customers
• Consult with university partners on their workflows to help them adapt their processes to the Handshake product and achieve student success
• Expand and deepen product adoption and usage amongst career center partners

Training

• Deliver engaging, dynamic, interactive, and curated training that helps increase customer segment and overall use of the product
• Effectively navigate a complex and nuanced set of relationships and workflows to successfully train on needs with respect to customer nuance, industry, and Handshake needs
• Develop deeply specific training programs that are accessible to a wide range of learnings styles and groups

Product positioning and influence

• Serve as a trusted advisor and build long-term partnerships to drive customer satisfaction and loyalty
• Create tailored product demonstrations, presentations, and proposals that address customer requirements and showcase the value proposition of our product
• Cultivate strong relationships with key customers, understanding their evolving needs and proactively addressing any technical or product-related concerns
• Understand trends within the career services space via data reporting and dashboards and taking appropriate observations during in-person engagements

Your Experience

• Willingness and ability to travel 95% of the time
• Demonstrated ability to deliver persuasive presentations that drive customer action/change
• Ability to think critically and empathetically about the customer’s needs and strategically problem solve
• Deep understanding of the higher education/career services landscape and/or in depth product knowledge of Handshake and competitor tools preferred
• Proven experience with SaaS and/or ability to quickly learn tech stack
• Analytical, methodical approach to identifying challenges and measuring impact
• Excellent communication skills and strong executive presence
• Highly curious with a “discovery” mindset
• Proven ability to successfully train others on utilization of complex SaaS tools/products
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment
• Experience handling multiple simultaneous priorities
• Experience building relationships with customers and navigating complex or difficult conversations

As a Product Specialist, you will play a pivotal role in driving the success of our products by combining technical expertise with product-driving skills. If you thrive in a dynamic, customer-focused environment and possess a passion for technology and product optimization, we would love to hear from you.
Bonus areas of expertise

• In depth Handshake product knowledge
• EdTech customer success, sales engineering or implementation specialist experience a plus
• 2+ years of in-depth experience with a complex SaaS platform
• 4+ years of career services/higher education leadership experience

Compensation Range

• $102,876 - $133,000 per year

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.

• 🍼 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.
• 📚 Generous learning & development opportunities and an annual $2,000/£1,500 stipend for you to grow your skills and career.
• 💰 Equity and ownership in a fast-growing company.
• 💻 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.

(US Handshakers)

• 🏝 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.
• 🏦 401k Match: Handshake offers a dollar-for-dollar match on 1% of deferred salary, up to a maximum of $1,200 per year.

(UK Handshakers)

• 🏝 Up to 25 days of vacation to encourage people to reset, recharge, and refresh, in addition to 8 bank holidays throughout the year.
• 🏦 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.

For roles based in Berlin, Poland, 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.