Senior People Operations Specialist

Upwork Inc.’s (Nasdaq: UPWK) family of companies connects businesses with global, AI-enabled talent across every contingent work type including freelance, fractional, and payrolled. This portfolio includes the Upwork Marketplace, which connects businesses with on-demand access to highly skilled talent across the globe, and Lifted, which provides a purpose-built solution for enterprise organizations to source, contract, manage, and pay talent across the full spectrum of contingent work.

From Fortune 100 enterprises to entrepreneurs, businesses rely on Upwork Inc. to find and hire expert talent, leverage AI-powered work solutions, and drive business transformation. With access to professionals spanning more than 10,000 skills across AI & machine learning, software development, sales & marketing, customer support, finance & accounting, and more, the Upwork family of companies enables businesses of all sizes to scale, innovate, and transform their workforces for the age of AI and beyond.

Since its founding, Upwork Inc. has facilitated more than $30 billion in total transactions and services as it fulfills its purpose to create opportunity in every era of work. Learn more about the Upwork Marketplace at  Upwork.com  and follow us on  LinkedIn ,  Facebook ,  Instagram ,  TikTok , and  X ; and learn more about Lifted at  Go-Lifted  and follow on  LinkedIn .

As a Senior People Operations Specialist, you will play a key role in delivering thoughtful, scalable people programs and operational support across the employee lifecycle. As part of our People Operations team, you’ll combine strong operational expertise with the judgment and partnership skills needed to support HR Business Partners, managers, and employees through both day-to-day needs and more complex people matters.

You’ll own and continuously improve key people programs and processes, with a particular focus on employee lifecycle operations, immigration and global mobility, performance management, and HRBP enablement. You’ll serve as a subject matter resource in areas of expertise while building breadth across the broader People Operations portfolio. This role is ideal for someone who brings strong operational instincts, thrives in complexity, and enjoys moving between detailed execution, problem-solving, process improvement, and partnership.    Responsibilities Partner on onboarding, offboarding, organizational changes, and other employee lifecycle moments, providing guidance to employees, managers, and HRBPs on more complex People Operations matters.  Own end-to-end coordination of immigration matters alongside our external vendor, serving as a trusted internal resource for employees and managers navigating immigration processes and requirements.  Maintain accurate immigration records, documentation, communications, and workflows while supporting employment eligibility and related compliance requirements.  Navigate ambiguous or sensitive situations with discretion, sound judgment, and an understanding of when to independently resolve an issue versus engage the appropriate partner.  Provide guidance and operational support across coaching and performance processes, helping managers navigate tools, documentation, expectations, and next steps.

Act as a trusted partner for employees and managers, balancing advocacy for people with business needs. Support People Operations processes across our growing global footprint, partnering with internal teams and external vendors to address local requirements and maintain consistent employee support.  Identify opportunities to simplify and improve People processes, using technology, automation, and AI where they can meaningfully reduce manual work or improve the employee and manager experience.    What it takes to catch our eye 5+ years of progressive experience across People Operations, HR Generalist, shared services, or related ro