Fellow Experience Manager
Handshake
Location
San Francisco, CA; New York, NY
Employment Type
Full time
Location Type
On-site
Department
Global Support
Compensation
- $110K – $130K • Offers Equity
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 Handshake
Handshake is the career network for the AI economy. 20 million knowledge workers, 1,600 educational institutions, 1 million employers (including 100% of the Fortune 50), and every foundational AI lab trust Handshake to power career discovery, hiring, and upskilling, from freelance AI training gigs to first internships to full-time careers and beyond. This unique value is leading to unparalleled growth; in 2025, we tripled our ARR at scale.
Why Join Handshake Now
Shape how every career evolves in the AI economy, at global scale, with impact your friends, family and peers can see and feel
Work hand-in-hand with world-class AI labs, Fortune 500 partners and the world’s top educational institutions
Join a team with leadership from Scale AI, Meta, xAI, Notion, Coinbase, and Palantir, among others
Build a massive, fast-growing business with billions in revenue
About the Role
Handshake AI is scaling rapidly to support hundreds of thousands of Fellows working across high-volume, fast-evolving AI projects and frontier lab customers. The Fellow Experience (FEXP) team is the frontline engine that ensures Fellows receive timely, accurate, and high-quality support.
We are seeking a Fellow Experience Manager to lead a US-based team of Fellow Experience Specialists (support agents) responsible for reactive ticket support. This role owns team performance, quality, and health within a high-volume, SLA-driven environment.
FEXP operates across three geographies — the United States, India, and Guatemala — and requires tight coordination across time zones to ensure continuous coverage and consistent standards. This manager will play a critical role in maintaining operational stability, driving accountability, and leading through ambiguity as product changes and volume spikes occur.
This is a hands-on people leadership role in a fast-paced AI environment. You will ensure your team consistently meets SLAs, quality standards, and CSAT targets while maintaining morale and resilience during rapid change. This role requires 5 days a week onsite in our New York or San Francisco office.
What You’ll Own
Team Performance & SLA Accountability
Own your team’s delivery against SLAs, quality standards, and CSAT targets
Ensure tickets are handled accurately, efficiently, and with strong Fellow communication
Monitor productivity, quality scores, backlog, and coverage daily
Proactively adjust staffing and coverage during volume spikes
Maintain operational stability during incidents or product changes
Coaching, Development & Team Health
Coach Fellow Experience Specialists on performance fundamentals, documentation hygiene, and escalation judgment
Run consistent 1:1s, performance reviews, and structured feedback cycles
Identifies team health issues early and intervenes proactively
Manage underperformance, including structured improvement plans
Maintain morale and psychological safety within a high-intensity environment
Escalations & Incident Stabilization
Handle complex or high-risk Fellow escalations independently
Provide structured updates during operational disruptions
Stabilize team performance during periods of chaos or unclear product direction
Ensure escalation paths are clear and followed
Documentation & Change Readiness
Ensure SOPs, macros, and internal documentation are updated rapidly as product changes occur
Identify documentation gaps and close them quickly
Drive team adoption of new workflows within hours or days — not weeks
Reinforce documentation discipline as a core operating principle
Cross-Geo & Cross-Functional Collaboration
Coordinate closely with other FEXP managers in the US, India, and Guatemala to ensure global coverage continuity
Partner with other teams on training updates and workflow adjustments
Surface recurring Fellow pain points and product inconsistencies
Provide structured, actionable insights (not just updates) to stakeholders
What We’re Looking For
Experience
5+ years in high-volume customer support startup environments
3+ years managing frontline support agents (FTE and/or contractors)
Experience in fast-scaling, rapidly changing product environments (AI or technical experience preferred)
Calm and decisive in high-volume, high-pressure environments
Demonstrated ownership of SLAs, CSAT, and QA performance
Deep working knowledge of support tooling (Zendesk or similar)
Exceptional EQ with a strong sense of empathy with both team members and Fellows
Strong judgment under ambiguity
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Bias toward action and operational clarity
We Offer
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 atjoinhandshake.com/careers.
Compensation Range: $110K - $130K