Sr. Specialist, Work Authorization

Company: Amazon
Location: Arlington
Posted on: April 1, 2026

Job Description:

Amazon's Work Authorization (WA) team is looking for a senior HR Specialist to support Work Authorization service optimization and product strategy in the Americas (AMER) region. The Work Authorization team mitigates the risks of legal non-compliance, financial penalty, and reputational damage by ensuring all employees hired into Amazon are legally authorized to work — and remain authorized throughout their employment. This role sits at the intersection of compliance expertise, customer experience, and technology — serving as the domain expert who translates deep operational knowledge of Work Authorization legal requirements, processes, and customer pain points into scalable, tech-enabled solutions. The AMER region includes the United States and the Form I-9 process, Amazon's highest-risk country and experience for Work Authorization compliance, supporting approximately 1 million employees and 1.1 million hires per year. A core focus of this role is monitoring, interpreting, and operationalizing U.S. immigration policy changes that impact employee work authorization — ensuring Amazon's compliance posture remains current and defensible in a rapidly evolving regulatory environment. This is not a purely operational role. While the HR Specialist is embedded in service delivery and serves as a trusted compliance expert to internal customers and stakeholders, the role's strategic value lies in its ability to drive process, policy, and technology optimization — contributing to a roadmap that balances immediate operational needs with long-term program durability. Key job responsibilities Serve as the Work Authorization Subject Matter Expert for AMER You will leverage deep expertise in Work Authorization legal requirements, business processes, and regional compliance obligations to ensure that WA processes, systems, and products are continuously developed in alignment with Amazon's compliance requirements. You will surveil for ongoing regulatory changes and business operational shifts — with particular focus on U.S. immigration policy changes affecting employee work authorization — adjusting experiences, processes, and mechanisms to maintain a compliant program and prevent financial penalties, regulatory risk, and law enforcement activity across AMER countries. Lead Policy Change Management You will serve as the subject matter expert for U.S. work authorization policy changes that impact the work authorization status of Amazon's employee population, including changes affecting Temporary Protected Status (TPS), and other non-sponsored work authorization categories. You will assess the scope and employee impact of policy changes, develop and execute response strategies, and communicate complex policy information clearly to internal stakeholders and senior leadership. You will work cross-functionally with Immigration, Legal, and Risk and Compliance to ensure timely and compliant responses to regulatory developments. Own Business Requirements for Product and Technology You will serve as a subject matter expert and co-author business requirements for product and technology initiatives that support the Work Authorization service. Drawing on frontline operational knowledge, customer pain points, and compliance requirements, you will support with writing Business Requirement Documents (BRDs) and Product Requirement Documents (PRDs), define business rules for process workflow automation, and provide actionable input to engineering and analytics teams. You will contribute to the product roadmap by articulating business value, employee experience improvements, and compliance requirements — ensuring technology solutions work backwards from Work Authorization legal requirements and effectively mitigate compliance risk. Drive Process Improvement and Operational Excellence You will contribute to and execute against a Work Authorization optimization roadmap, balancing the prioritization of technical and non-technical solutions to drive continuous defect reduction and service efficiency. You will develop and streamline processes to deliver against legal requirements, customer needs, and operational efficiency targets. You will model best practices in your domain and apply operational excellence frameworks to drive high-quality, scalable improvements across the AMER region. Manage Projects and Roadmap Execution You will manage a project roadmap and standard work deliverables to anticipate, prioritize, and deliver process and technology change. You will use project management tools like Asana to own and execute against a roadmap, track progress, identify blockers, and make trade-offs between short- and long-term needs. You will own and conduct regular project updates and business reviews with stakeholders, communicating progress, risks, and impacts across a diversity of partners including EOA leaders, Finance, Capacity Planning, and WA Service leadership. Navigate Ambiguity with Expertise and Judgment You will own initiatives and programs where the problem, strategy, or solution is not yet fully defined. Drawing on domain expertise, you will set goals, inform decisions, manage stakeholder expectations, and design long-term solutions — delivering independently while knowing when to seek direction or escalate. You will make complex trade-offs for particular product features or decisions, reprioritizing roadmaps against resources or goal importance as needed. Communicate with Clarity and Influence You will contribute to operational planning documents (OP1/OP2) and present decisions and recommendations to senior leaders. You will write and present strategic narratives — including 6-pagers, MBRs, QBRs, COEs, and PR/FAQs — to leadership and cross-functional audiences. You will foster constructive dialogue, harmonize competing perspectives, and drive resolution on contentious issues across stakeholder groups with competing priorities. Support Customers and Internal Stakeholders You will provide domain expert support to key PXT stakeholders — including internal WA and external AET service teams, Workforce Staffing, recruiters, and Regional PXT Partners — at both a strategic and tactical level. This includes handling engagement, training, content management, customer and legal questions, escalations, and case-specific support. You will work backwards from the customer to design optimal journeys based on the needs of various personas. A day in the life Your day will be filled with meaningful interactions and strategic problem-solving. You'll collaborate with business partners, investigate nuanced work authorization scenarios, and develop clear, comprehensive procedures that support our global workforce. Each challenge you tackle directly impacts employee experiences and organizational efficiency. About the team We are a dedicated group of professionals committed to creating supportive, efficient work environments. Our team focuses on developing robust processes that protect both our employees and the organization. We value collaboration, continuous improvement, and creating meaningful workplace solutions. This role can be based out of Arlington, VA only. - Bachelor's degree or equivalent, or 2 years of Amazon (blue badge/FTE) experience - Knowledge of Microsoft Office products and applications - Experience in conducting investigative work, including claimant, witness, and target employee interviews, investigative data analysis, and production of investigative documentation - Experience developing policies and supporting documentation - Experience maintaining confidentiality in matters involving security or personnel issues in the workplace Amazon is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected veteran status, disability, or other legally protected status. Our inclusive culture empowers Amazonians to deliver the best results for our customers. If you have a disability and need a workplace accommodation or adjustment during the application and hiring process, including support for the interview or onboarding process, please visit https://amazon.jobs/content/en/how-we-hire/accommodations for more information. If the country/region you’re applying in isn’t listed, please contact your Recruiting Partner. The base salary range for this position is listed below. Your Amazon package will include sign-on payments and restricted stock units (RSUs). Final compensation will be determined based on factors including experience, qualifications, and location. Amazon also offers comprehensive benefits including health insurance (medical, dental, vision, prescription, Basic Life & AD&D insurance and option for Supplemental life plans, EAP, Mental Health Support, Medical Advice Line, Flexible Spending Accounts, Adoption and Surrogacy Reimbursement coverage), 401(k) matching, paid time off, and parental leave. Learn more about our benefits at https://amazon.jobs/en/benefits . USA, VA, Arlington - 125,800.00 - 170,200.00 USD annually

Keywords: Amazon, Sterling , Sr. Specialist, Work Authorization, Legal , Arlington, Virginia