Software Engineer I, RLE at Handshake

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

We’re hiring a Software Engineer to build our Reinforcement Learning Environments (RLE) platform—the interactive systems where frontier AI models learn to complete real-world work.This role owns meaningful components end-to-end and plays a key part in scaling systems that power model training and evaluation.

Location:

San Francisco, CA (in-office, 5 days/week)

What You’ll Do

Build and scale core components of RLE environments and infrastructure
Design and implement backend systems and data pipelines
Translate ambiguous product and research needs into production systems
Develop modular, reusable workflow domains
Improve reliability, observability, and system performance

What We’re Looking For

2–4 years of experience in backend, distributed systems, or ML-adjacent infrastructure
Strong proficiency in ReactJS and TypeScript
Solid experience with relational databases (PostgreSQL) and data modeling
Experience with cloud infrastructure (AWS/GCP) and CI/CD
Ability to independently drive projects from design to production

Nice to Have

Experience with simulation systems or evaluation platforms
Exposure to ML systems or working with research teams
Experience in fast-moving, operations-heavy environments

What Success Looks Like

Owns and delivers key RLE components end-to-end
Improves system scalability and developer velocity
Enables faster launch of new domains with high-quality data

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💻 Office: Commuting support, free lunch, and gym in our SF office🏝 Time Off: Flexible PTO, 15 holidays + 2 flex days🤝 Connection: Team outings & referral bonusesCompensation Range: $157.5K - $175K

Life at Handshake

Handshake is the college career network of the future, built to transform the recruiting experience for college students, career centers and employers. Our mission is to democratize access to opportunity: to help every college student find the right job for them, no matter where they go to school, what they're majoring in, or who they know.

We do this by connecting college students and young alumni to a comprehensive national network, all built on a fast, scalable, mobile infrastructure. Handshake's network gives students access to more career opportunities and insights, provides employers with more comprehensive and efficient access to talent, and gives colleges more tools to drive student engagement and increase student employment.

Launched in 2014, Handshake is the ultimate career network and recruiting platform for college students and young alumni. With 500+ U.S. universities, 9 million students and alumni, and 250,000 employers (including 100% of the Fortune 500), Handshake is designed to transform the recruiting experience for students, recruiters, and career centers.

Handshake, headquartered in San Francisco, CA, has raised $34 million in funding from Spark Capital, KPCB, Lightspeed Ventures, True Ventures, and Lowercase Capital. Read more about Handshake at www.joinhandshake.com.

Thrive Here & What We Value

Inclusive culture built on respect for all individuals

Emphasis on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)

Flexible remote work options

HubBased Remote Working strategy

Comprehensive benefits package

Opportunities for growth and career development

Collaborative and innovative environment

Commitment to providing reasonable accommodations in the recruitment process

Flexible time off policy for employees in fulltime positions

Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision policies including LGTBQ+ Coverage

Software Engineer I, RLE