Talent Sourcing Specialist (Contract)

Summary

Handshake is a career and AI data company building solutions that connect talent, employers, and educational institutions. The Talent Sourcing Specialist will own high-volume, top-of-funnel recruiting for the Handshake AI Fellowship, sourcing and screening technical and STEM-background candidates while partnering with the Growth team. The role also involves providing market insights, managing candidate handoffs, and tracking recruiting metrics to improve sourcing outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Own top-of-funnel sourcing for the Growth team, partnering closely on role requirements, intake, and pipeline priorities
• Source and engage passive talent through creative outreach, boolean search, research, and market mapping — with a focus on technical and STEM-background candidates
• Provide market insights and strategic guidance, leveraging your close partnership with the team to advise on what’s working, what isn’t, and broader market trends
• Conduct initial candidate screens and manage handoffs to the project teams
• Track and report recruiting metrics, ensuring data integrity in Ashby and other tools, and leverage insights to refine sourcing strategies and improve outcomes

Skills

• ~2–4 years of recruiting or sourcing experience
• Proven ability to find and engage niche talent pools
• Experience sourcing candidates from specialized fields, including STEM, data, or technical backgrounds
• You thrive in fast-moving environments with shifting priorities and big goals
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to quickly build trust with both candidates and hiring managers
• You care about your numbers and use data to improve
• Proficiency with ATS platforms (Ashby a plus), LinkedIn Recruiter, and other sourcing tools, with a strong ability to quickly learn and adapt to new technologies
• Comfort with ambiguity and a willingness to help shape processes, not just follow them
• Prior agency or executive search experience, especially in high-volume or hard-to-fill markets
• Experience recruiting for go-to-market, sales, or growth-focused teams

Qualifications

Must Haves

• ~2–4 years of recruiting or sourcing experience
• Proven ability to find and engage niche talent pools
• Experience sourcing candidates from specialized fields, including STEM, data, or technical backgrounds
• You thrive in fast-moving environments with shifting priorities and big goals
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to quickly build trust with both candidates and hiring managers
• You care about your numbers and use data to improve
• Proficiency with ATS platforms (Ashby a plus), LinkedIn Recruiter, and other sourcing tools, with a strong ability to quickly learn and adapt to new technologies
• Comfort with ambiguity and a willingness to help shape processes, not just follow them

Nice to Haves

• Prior agency or executive search experience, especially in high-volume or hard-to-fill markets
• Experience recruiting for go-to-market, sales, or growth-focused teams