Sr. Specialist, Work Authorization

Job ID: | Amazon.com Services LLC

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 – 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. Monitor regulatory changes and operational shifts, especially U.S. immigration policy changes, and adjust experiences, processes, and mechanisms to maintain a compliant program.
• Lead Policy Change Management – serve as subject matter expert for U.S. work authorization policy changes that impact Amazon’s employee population, including changes affecting Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and other non‑sponsored work authorization categories. Assess scope and employee impact, develop and execute response strategies, and communicate complex policy information to internal stakeholders and senior leadership.
• Own Business Requirements for Product and Technology – co‑author business requirements for product and technology initiatives supporting the Work Authorization service. Write 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.
• Drive Process Improvement and Operational Excellence – contribute to and execute against a Work Authorization optimization roadmap, balance technical and non‑technical solutions, and drive continuous defect reduction and service efficiency. Develop and streamline processes to deliver against legal requirements, customer needs, and operational efficiency targets.
• Manage Projects and Roadmap Execution – manage a project roadmap and standard work deliverables, 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. Conduct regular project updates and business reviews with stakeholders.
• Navigate Ambiguity with Expertise and Judgment – own initiatives and programs where the problem, strategy, or solution is not yet fully defined. Set goals, inform decisions, manage stakeholder expectations, and design long‑term solutions.
• Communicate with Clarity and Influence – contribute to operational planning documents, present decisions and recommendations to senior leaders, write and present strategic narratives (6‑pagers, MBRs, QBRs, COEs, PR/FAQs), and foster constructive dialogue across stakeholders.
• Support Customers and Internal Stakeholders – 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 strategic and tactical levels.

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.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent, or 2+ years of Amazon (blue badge/FTE) experience
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office products and applications

Preferred Qualifications

• 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 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

USA, VA, Arlington - 125,800.00 - 170,200.00 USD annually

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