Your Impact
As a Compensation Analyst at Handshake, you will play a crucial role in shaping and optimizing our compensation philosophy and practices. Your work will directly impact how we attract, retain, and reward top talent. From ensuring data accuracy and equity compliance to implementing compensation cycles and building scalable programs, your contributions will drive fairness, transparency, and competitiveness in our total rewards strategy.

Your Role

• Conduct job evaluations and market pricing using salary survey tools (e.g., Pave, Radford).

• Benchmark roles, build compensation ranges, and maintain salary structures.

• Support compensation cycles, including implementation, auditing, and data uploads in Pave and Workday.

• Partner with HRBPs and Talent Acquisition to guide compensation decisions for hires and promotions.

• Review job descriptions to ensure accurate leveling and titling.

• Run equity data audits (grants, approvals, vesting terms) and ensure alignment with Ashby and offer letters.

• Analyze compensation data and prepare reports, presentations, and metrics for leadership and compensation committees.

• Ensure compensation programs are compliant with laws (e.g., FLSA, pay equity).

• Define and analyze peer groups and new market datasets, and support range development with variance analysis.

• Contribute to the development of a compensation transparency roadmap.

• Help define merit and promotion formulas aligned with market best practices.

• Participate in special modeling projects as needed.

Your Experience

• Strong background in compensation analysis, market benchmarking, and salary structures.

• Proficiency with compensation survey platforms such as Pave and Radford.

• Familiarity with HR systems (e.g., Ashby, Workday) and experience running compensation cycles.

• Analytical skills with experience in data audits, variance analysis, and compensation metrics reporting.

• Experience partnering with HR, recruiting, and leadership on compensation strategies.

• Knowledge of relevant legal and compliance topics (FLSA, pay equity laws).

• Experience developing frameworks and models for merit, promotion, and bonus programs.

• Strong communication and presentation skills, especially with senior stakeholders.

Compensation Range

• $144,000 - $180,000 + RSUs
  
  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 career platform for Gen Z. With a community of over 17 million students, alumni, employers, and career educators, Handshake’s network is where career advice and discovery turn into first, second, and third jobs. Nearly 1 million companies use Handshake to build their future workforce—from Fortune 500 to federal agencies, school districts to startups, healthcare systems to small businesses. Handshake is built for where you’re going, not where you’ve been.

  When it comes to our workforce strategy, we’ve thought deeply about how work-life should look at Handshake. With our hybrid-work model, employees benefit from collaboration and shared team experiences three days per week in our vibrant offices, and enjoy the flexibility of remote work two days per week (unless noted in the specific job posting). Handshake is headquartered in San Francisco, with offices in New York, London, and Berlin.

  What we offer

  At Handshake, we'll give you the tools to feel healthy, happy and secure.

  Benefits below apply to US employees in full-time positions.

  • 💰 Equity and ownership in a fast-growing company.

  • 🍼 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 stipend for you to grow your skills and career.

  • 💰 Financial coaching through Origin to help you through your financial journey.

  • 🛜 Monthly internet stipend and a brand new MacBook to allow you to do your best work.

  • 🚃 Monthly commuter stipend for you to expense your travel to the office (for office-based employees).

  • 🥗 Free lunch provided 3x a week across all offices.

  • 🤝 Referral bonus to reward you when you bring great talent to Handshake.

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

  • 🏝 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 13 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.

  • 💻 Handshake offers $500 home office stipend for you to spend during your first 3 months to create a productive and comfortable workspace at home.

  • 🍼 Family support: Parental leave coaching and support provided by Parentaly. We partner with Maven Clinic to provide a lifetime coverage up to $15K for expenses related to fertility and family forming!

  • 💰 Lifestyle Savings Account: We offer you an annual stipend of $500 to use for purchases such as fitness classes, gym memberships, work-from-home setup, and more.

  Looking for more? Explore our mission, values and comprehensive US benefits at joinhandshake.com/careers.

  Handshake is committed to providing reasonable accommodations in our recruitment processes for candidates with disabilities, sincerely held religious beliefs or other reasons protected by applicable laws. If you need assistance or reasonable accommodation, please let your recruiter know during initial communications.