• 6+ years of experience with at least 2+ in R&D at a technology startup and supporting experience in management consulting, business strategy, investment banking, venture capital, private equity
• Strategic thinker with ability to speak intelligently and with insight about different business models, industries, technology trends, and R&D organizations
• Excel at working through influence, winning the trust of executives and cross-functional counterparts, effectively moving initiatives forward with multiple-stakeholders
• Exceptional written and verbal communicator, with strong executive presence
• Ability to understand technical challenges and tradeoffs
• Meticulous attention to detail
• Strong bias to action and ability to work both quickly and to a high quality in ambiguous environment with a lot of change
• Highly collaborative, not afraid to roll up their sleeves to do what’s necessary to make the team successful

Desirable

• This individual will be a critical business partner to R&D leadership in driving efficient and effective business operations across Product, Design, and Engineering — and leading key strategic initiatives that are critical to evolve Handshake’s product strategy and R&D operations as a whole
• Sitting at the intersection of strategy, product, engineering, design, and operations, this is a unique opportunity to gain a front-row seat to high-growth leadership and building a company while influencing the culture, processes, and operating model of a 200+ person R&D organization
• Work hand-in-hand with R&D leaders and cross-functional teams to design and manage business-critical initiatives and operations
• Lead analyses that help inform our short and long-term strategic outlook and decision-making, for example: competitive landscape analysis, customer and user product research, and synthesis of data and insights across the marketplace
• Support day-to-day operations within R&D, supporting quarterly planning, budgeting, weekly and monthly accountability processes, on-sites, communications, etc
• Define and manage key R&D systems and operating processes that help us scale effectively, including internal communications