Key Takeaways

  • 75% of U.S. employers use automated applicant tracking systems to screen resumes before a human reviews them (Harvard Business School & Accenture, 2021)
  • The most common ATS failures are missing keywords, incompatible formatting, and incorrect file types
  • ResumeGeni scores your resume across 8 parsing layers — modeled on the same steps enterprise ATS platforms like Workday, Greenhouse, and Taleo use to evaluate candidates

How ATS Resume Scoring Works

Applicant tracking systems parse your resume into structured data — extracting your name, contact info, work history, skills, and education — then score how well that data matches the job requirements. Many ATS rejections happen because the parser couldn't extract critical fields, not because the candidate wasn't qualified.

LayerWhat It ChecksWhy It Matters
Document extractionFile format, encoding, readabilityCorrupted or image-only PDFs fail immediately
Layout analysisTables, columns, headers, footersMulti-column layouts break field extraction
Section detectionExperience, education, skills headingsNon-standard headings cause sections to be missed
Field mappingName, email, phone, dates, titlesMissing contact info is a common cause of immediate rejection
Keyword matchingJob-specific terms, skills, certificationsKeyword overlap affects recruiter search visibility and ATS scoring
Chronology checkDate ordering, gap detectionReverse-chronological order is expected by most ATS
QuantificationMetrics, numbers, measurable outcomesQuantified achievements help human reviewers and some scoring models
Confidence scoringOverall parse quality and completenessLow-confidence parses get deprioritized in results

Frequently Asked Questions

Is ResumeGeni free?
Yes. ResumeGeni is currently in beta — ATS analysis, scoring, and initial improvement suggestions are free with no signup required. Full guidance and saved reports may require a free account.
What file formats are supported?
PDF, DOCX, DOC, TXT, RTF, ODT, and Apple Pages. PDF and DOCX are recommended for best ATS compatibility.
How is the ATS score calculated?
Your resume is processed through an 8-layer parsing pipeline that extracts structured data the same way enterprise ATS platforms do. The score reflects how completely and accurately your resume can be parsed, plus how well your content matches common ATS ranking criteria.
Can ATS read PDF resumes?
Yes, but not all PDFs are equal. Text-based PDFs parse well. Image-only PDFs (scanned documents) and PDFs with complex tables or multi-column layouts often fail ATS parsing. Our analyzer will flag these issues.
How do I improve my ATS score?
Focus on three areas: use a clean single-column format, include keywords from the job description naturally in your experience bullets, and ensure all sections (contact, experience, education, skills) use standard headings.

ATS Guides & Resources

Built by engineers with 12 years of experience building enterprise hiring technology at ZipRecruiter. Last updated .

Community Engagement Lead

Peregrinetechnologies · San Francisco, CA

Backed by leading Silicon Valley investors, Peregrine helps public safety organizations, state and local and governments, federal agencies, and private-sector institutions address society’s challenges with unprecedented speed and accuracy. Our AI-enabled platform turns siloed and disconnected data into operational intelligence — instantly surfacing mission-critical information to empower better, faster decisions that improve outcomes at every touchpoint. Today Peregrine supports hundreds of customers across 30+ states and two countries, serving more than 125 million people — and we’re amplifying our impact as we expand into the enterprise and internationally. 

The Opportunity 

Peregrine is hiring a Community Engagement Lead to build and lead the function responsible for sharpening how we engage the communities we serve and driving our success in the civic arena. 

Our platform helps state and local governments solve their hardest data-driven problems. As agencies adopt these systems, the decisions can play out in public hearings, council votes, and high-visibility civic debates. 

This role exists to ensure Peregrine shows up in those moments prepared, credible, and trusted. 

You will build the strategy, relationships, and operating playbooks that help communities understand Peregrine’s work, surface and address legitimate concerns, and ensure our government partners are prepared to navigate the public process successfully. 

Think of this role as running the civic campaign powering Peregrine’s critical work serving communities — one grounded in listening, transparency, and engagement in the democratic process. 

You will operate at the intersection of government affairs, communications, public relations, and go-to-market strategy, working closely with sales teams, product leaders, and government partners to ensure Peregrine’s work is both operationally successful and publicly supported. 

This is a founding role with national scope and significant ownership. 

If you have experience running campaigns, navigating city halls, managing high-stakes public debates, or building coalitions to pass difficult initiatives, this role will feel familiar. 

 

What You’ll Do 

Run the Civic Campaign Behind Peregrine Deployments 

When Peregrine enters a new jurisdiction, major decisions often move through public hearings, city council votes, and community debate. 

You will design and execute the strategy that helps those processes succeed — not by bypassing public conversation, but by engaging it thoughtfully and credibly. 

This includes: 

  • Mapping the civic and political landscape in new jurisdictions 
  • Identifying allies, skeptics, and key influencers 
  • Conducting community listening and stakeholder engagement 
  • Preparing internal and external stakeholders for public meetings 
  • Supporting government partners as they navigate council approvals 

Your goal is to ensure Peregrine enters these moments informed by community perspectives and positioned for durable public support. 

Build Peregrine’s Community Engagement Playbook 

This is a build-from-scratch role. 

You will design the repeatable systems Peregrine uses to engage communities across the country. 

This includes creating scalable approaches for: 

  • Community listening and stakeholder mapping 
  • Local narrative development grounded in community priorities 
  • Public meeting preparation and council vote readiness 
  • Coalition building across civic organizations and community leaders 
  • Responding to emerging concerns or controversy with transparency 

Over time, you will turn these efforts into scalable playbooks that support Peregrine deployments nationwide. 

Translate Technology into Community Value 

Peregrine’s technology can be complex. Communities deserve clear, honest explanations of how it works and how it serves the public. 

You will partner with Sales, Product, Marketing, and Implementation teams to ensure Peregrine’s messaging reflects local context, community priorities, and civic values. 

This includes: 

  • Translating complex technical capabilities into accessible language 
  • Helping communities understand how the technology supports public safety and government coordination 
  • Ensuring local concerns and feedback are reflected in how Peregrine’s work is communicated and deployed 

Your job is not just to defend the technology — it is to help communities understand its purpose and its safeguards. 

Shape the Narrative and Address Misinformation 

Public-sector technology deployments often attract scrutiny. 

You will help ensure that Peregrine’s work is understood accurately and responsibly. 

Responsibilities include: 

  • Monitoring public discourse, media coverage, and stakeholder sentiment 
  • Identifying misinformation or emerging concerns early 
  • Developing clear communications explaining what Peregrine’s technology does — and what it does not do 
  • Equipping government partners and community advocates with credible, fact-based messaging 

Your goal is to ensure public debate happens on a foundation of facts and transparency. 

Build Coalitions That Strengthen Communities 

Major civic decisions are shaped by trusted voices in the community. 

You will build relationships with leaders across the civic ecosystem, including: 

  • Community organizations 
  • Civil rights advocates 
  • Faith leaders 
  • Business and economic development groups 
  • Public safety leaders 
  • Policy influencers and local media 

Your aim is to ensure that when Peregrine’s work is discussed publicly, community leaders have the information and trust needed to engage thoughtfully. 

 

Who You Are 

You are a high-agency operator who understands how civic decisions actually get made. 

You have likely worked in environments where coalition building, public trust, and strategic execution determined whether an initiative succeeded or failed. 

You are comfortable walking into: 

  • A mayor’s office 
  • A community listening session 
  • A tense public hearing 
  • A city council meeting 

…and helping move the conversation toward a productive outcome. 

You understand that lasting civic wins come from aligning institutions and communities, not simply outmaneuvering them. 

Likely Background 

You may have served as a: 

  • Chief of Staff to a mayor, councilmember, or elected official 
  • Political campaign manager or senior campaign operative 
  • Public affairs or government relations leader 
  • Policy director or senior advisor in local or state government 
  • Community engagement lead on high-visibility civic initiatives 

You likely have 8+ years of experience navigating local political environments and understand how decisions move through city halls and state governments. 

Salary Range: $165,000 - $195,000 Annually + Benefits + Equity (if applicable) + Bonus (if applicable)

Actual compensation is influenced by a wide array of factors including but not limited to skill set, level of experience, and specific work location. Information on the benefits offered is here.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Peregrine Technologies is committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We celebrate diversity and are a proud equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.