Human Resources Operations Specialist

Wilson Sonsini is the premier legal advisor to technology, life sciences, and other growth enterprises worldwide. We represent companies at every stage of development, from entrepreneurial start-ups to multibillion-dollar global corporations, as well as the venture firms, private equity firms, and investment banks that finance and advise them. The firm has approximately 1,100 attorneys in 17 offices: 13 in the U.S., two in China, and two in Europe. Our broad spectrum of practices and entrepreneurial spirit allow our staff exceptional opportunities for professional achievement and career growth.

The firm is seeking an experienced HR Operations Specialist with a strong focus on background checks and policy administration. The ideal candidate will be skilled in managing the end-to-end background screening process in an international organization to ensure compliance, accuracy, and timely onboarding of new hires. We are seeking someone adept at interpreting and applying HR policies, maintaining confidential records, and partnering with internal stakeholders and external vendors to uphold organizational standards. This position will also support additional HR functions such as performance reviews, onboarding and other projects as needed.

This position is available as a hybrid work schedule.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

• Facilitate smooth hiring workflows by coordinating between candidates, internal recruiting teams, and external vendors to deliver an efficient background screening process.
• Support business decisions by conducting thorough analysis of background check reports and providing timely recommendations for background check clearance; exercise sound judgement to escalate complex situations to senior HR leaders and/or the general counsel’s office when appropriate.
• Ensure nationwide compliance by managing labor law poster distribution across all U.S. offices and remote workforce, partnering with vendors and office administrators.
• Contribute to talent strategy by collaborating on job description development using standardized templates to support consistent compensation and career progression.
• Drive HR program success by managing project timelines and key milestones for annual compensation cycles and HR operations initiatives.
• Enable seamless communication by maintaining accurate distribution lists that connect employees with critical HR updates and announcements.
• Support performance excellence by providing operational support to performance review processes, including data analysis, reporting, and reminders to ensure successful completion.
• Build organizational knowledge by creating and maintaining process documentation and standard operating procedures that enhance team efficiency and consistency.
• Provide critical backup support for onboarding and I-9 processes, ensuring uninterrupted service delivery during high-volume periods.
• Engage in meaningful projects that advance HR initiatives and contribute to the firm’s strategic objectives through cross-functional collaboration.
• Uphold organizational standards by maintaining full compliance with firm policies and procedures, supporting our commitment to integrity and excellence.

Education and/or Work Experience Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree preferred.
• 4+ years of experience in HR operations or talent acquisition.
• Proficiency with MS Office Suite, including advanced Excel skills (VLOOKUP, pivot tables, charts, data analysis functions).
• Experience using Workday, including job change transactions and reporting functions.
• Knowledge of background check processes and vendor software applications.
• Strong analytical and critical thinking abilities to identify, evaluate, interpret, and organize data, review background check reports, identify discrepancies.
• Problem-solving capabilities to troubleshoot issues and resolve process bottlenecks efficiently.
• Outstanding written and verbal communication skills for effectively coordinating with candidates, vendors, leadership, and internal/external clients.
• Ability to handle, manage, and safeguard sensitive and confidential information with appropriate discretion.
• Excellent organizational skills to manage multiple processes simultaneously and maintain accurate records.

Please note that this job description does not contain an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities required of the position, and the firm may change or assign other duties and responsibilities over time with or without notice.

The primary location for this job posting is in Palo Alto, but other locations may be listed. The actual base pay offered will depend upon a variety of factors, including but not limited to the selected candidate’s qualifications, years of relevant experience, level of education, professional certifications and licenses, and work location. The anticipated pay range for this position is as follows:

New York and Palo Alto: $81,600 – $110,400 per year

The compensation for this position may include a discretionary year-end merit bonus based on performance. We offer a highly competitive salary and benefits package.

Equal Opportunity Employer (EOE).