Your Impact:

We're looking for a People Operations Specialist (Contract) to manage the day-to-day operations that keep our People function running smoothly. In this role, you’ll be the go-to person for coordinating core HR processes - including onboarding, offboarding, HRIS updates, employee support, and policy upkeep and documentation. You'll play a key role in delivering a consistent and seamless employee experience by handling both the up front and behind-the-scenes details that matter, while partnering closely with teams like People, Talent, IT, and Finance. If you're detail-oriented, organized, and excited about supporting employees throughout their journey at Handshake, we’d love to hear from you!

Your Role:

• Onboarding & Offboarding

  • Own and manage the onboarding and offboarding of all Handshake employees and contractors; including fielding requests for new contractors, drafting agreements, updating all data in our HRIS, managing all calendar invites, and partnering with our IT team to ensure access to tools is activated and deactivated in a timely manner

  • Coordinate and execute all aspects of new hire onboarding - including sending welcome emails, onboarding instructions, verifying I-9s, scheduling orientation sessions, and entering accurate data into our HRIS (Workday)

  • Partner with our People Programs Manager to continuously improve and scale our onboarding programming, ensuring a consistent, welcoming, and high-quality new hire experience

  • Lead offboarding logistics for departing employees, including processing terminations in Workday, sending departure emails, and partnering with our IT team to ensure access to tools is revoked in a timely manner

  • Identify potential areas of improvement in our current onboarding & offboarding processes and collaborate with our internal teams to make our systems & processes efficient, seamless, and scalable

• Employee Support & Guidance

  • Serve as the first point of contact for employee inquiries via the HR Helpdesk, delivering timely, accurate, and professional support

  • Empower employees and managers by guiding them to self-service HR information through tools like Confluence, Glean, and other internal platforms

  • Manage day-to-day HR administration across the employee lifecycle - from onboarding to offboarding - including supporting payroll issue resolution and processing employment changes

  • Support immigration and mobility processes by preparing documentation, assisting with visa applications, and helping maintain compliance for visas and work authorizations

  • Act as a trusted HR resource to HRBPs and the People team by responding to general HR inquiries

  • Maintain and protect confidential data with great discretion, judgment, and professionalism

• HR Processes & Compliance

  • Create and maintain a centralized, up-to-date knowledge base of core HR policies and procedures in Confluence, serving as a single source of truth for employees and managers

  • Own and execute day-to-day HR operations and administrative tasks as needed to support team priorities and employee needs

  • Design and implement scalable, high-quality HR processes that evolve alongside the company’s growth while preserving clarity, equity, and consistency

  • Take a proactive approach to identifying and resolving process gaps, spotting potential issues early and recommending improvements before they escalate

Your Experience:

• 2–4 years of experience in People Operations or related HR role

• Hands-on experience using HRIS platforms (especially Workday), Google Workspace, Slack, and other common internal support tools

• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage multiple priorities seamlessly

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to cut through the gray and answer questions clearly and with empathy

• Proven ability to handle confidential information with professionalism and discretion

• Comfort working cross-functionally with teams like IT, Talent, and Finance

• A proactive mindset with a continuous improvement lens - always looking for ways to make processes more efficient and employee-friendly

• Experience supporting onboarding/offboarding, HR administration, or employee lifecycle processes in a fast-paced, high-growth environment

Bonus Areas of Expertise:

• Exposure to immigration processes and documentation

• Knowledge of U.S. employment laws and compliance practices

• Familiarity with tools like Confluence, Glean, or Ashby

• Experience in a high-growth startup or tech environment