Senior HR Transactions Specialist

A&O Shearman is a new global industry-leading law firm, with 48 offices in 28 countries worldwide.

Our fluency in English law, US law, and the laws of the world's most dynamic markets, enables us to provide unmatched insight and seamless delivery to clients. We work on challenging and important deals and disputes that have the potential to shape the future.

We offer exceptional opportunities for our people; opportunities to work for the world's leading businesses; to transform the status quo, and to deliver your best work, helping you and your career to thrive, while delivering unparalleled outcomes for our clients.

Whether you're helping clients solve complex challenges, transforming the ways we manage our business, or ensuring the smooth-running of our operations, this is an environment where you can belong and excel. We provide first-rate training and development, we are committed to an inclusive environment, and we provide support and ways of working that help you optimize your wellbeing.

What truly defines a career with us? We recruit the best and ask for the best of you. And together, we will redefine success.

Role Summary

The Senior HR Transactions Specialist ("Senior Specialist") supports a wide range of HR services, processes, programs, and projects. Key responsibilities include overseeing and coordinating the daily workflow of HR Transactions Specialists, partnering with the HR Transactions Lead to ensure the US HR Transactions team provides accurate and timely service, and directly executing day-to-day HR transactions when needed. The Senior Specialist ensures HRIS transactions are processed correctly and on time, and maintains personnel files in accordance with firm policies. In addition to these core responsibilities, the Senior Specialist participates in HR-related projects and works closely with the US HR team to support recruiting, onboarding, employee engagement, and exit processes for both employees and contingent workers. The Senior Specialist will also partner closely with the Compensation team to support firmwide compensation programs, ensure data accuracy, and contribute to ongoing process improvements.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee daily operations and coordinate work for the HR Transactions Specialists.
• Knowledge management of the HR Transactions Specialists to include coaching and development, maximizing their skills and knowledge across multiple processes.
• Peer review all transactions executed by the US Transactions team, taking action to address any issues identified as required including additional training, amending processes, etc.
• Implement service improvements for efficiency.
• Support the HR Transactions Lead with resource planning for current and future workloads, considering absences and upcoming activities like joiner, mover, and leaver transactions, salary reviews, bonus payments, and annual performance review preparation to maintain consistent service delivery.
• Ensure accurate and timely HRIS transactions in the firm's HRIS including but not limited to new hires, job changes and terminations.
• Monitor and support timely and accurate completion and approval of timesheets for U.S. non-exempt employees in accordance with payroll cut off dates.
• Respond to or redirect employee questions and requests in an appropriate and timely manner.
• Coordinate and track the onboarding and off-boarding of employees, consultants and other third-party workers in the firm's HRIS.
• Maintain Employee files in compliance with the firm's HR file retention policies.
• Assist in ensuring documentation of internal HR procedures and protocols are created and/or maintained in real time.
• Verify I-9s in collaboration with Recruitment and Global Mobility.
• Assist HR Advisors in processing approved medical accommodation requests.
• Coordinate HR and other meeting request logistics including setting up conference rooms, call in numbers and video conferences as needed.
• Process incoming mail or redirect as needed.
• Assist in preparing and validating data for attorney and support staff compensation reviews.
• Support the analysis and data updates for market benchmarking and internal equity reviews.
• Maintain and ensure accuracy of compensation plans, structures and data in the HRIS
• Partner with Compensation team on special projects and analytics initiatives
• Perform general administrative tasks as required.
• Other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills & Attributes

• Quality control—the individual demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness and monitors own work to ensure quality.
• Client service—the individual demonstrates a strong orientation toward client service and satisfaction tempered by sound business judgment.
• Adaptability—the individual adapts to changes in the work environment, manages competing demands and is able to deal with frequent change, delays or unexpected events.
• Dependability—the individual is consistently at work and on time, follows instructions, responds to management direction and solicits feedback to improve performance.
• Problem solving—the individual identifies and seeks assistance/guidance to resolve problems in a timely manner.
• Interpersonal skills—the individual maintains confidentiality, remains open to others' ideas and exhibits willingness to try new things.
• Oral communication—the individual speaks clearly and persuasively in positive or negative situations, demonstrates group presentation skills and conducts meetings.
• Written Communication—the individual edits work for spelling and grammar, presents numerical data effectively and is able to read and interpret written information.
• Planning/organizing—the individual prioritizes and plans work activities, uses time efficiently and develops realistic action plans.
• Safety, security and risk management —the individual actively promotes and personally observes safety and security procedures and firm and HR policies.
• High attention to detail, accuracy and can work with highly confidential data.

Education & Experience

• Highly desirable
• Exposure to compensation processes or HR data analysis
• Advanced skills in Excel and strong analytical and data validation skills
• Experience with HRIS platforms (e.g. Peoplesoft, Workday or similar)
• Bachelor's degree in business administration, finance, or a related field.
• 3-5 years' previous work experience in an HR or related role.
• Experience working in a law firm or professional services environment preferred.
• Strong computer proficiency —the individual is proficient in the use of MS Word, Excel, Outlook and PowerPoint as well as the firm's HRIS.

Physical Activity/Other Miscellaneous

• Flexibility to work outside of standard business hours as needed.
• Ability to lift and carry up to 15 lbs.

Equal Employment Opportunity, including Veterans and Disability

A&O Shearman is an equal opportunity employer, including Veterans and Disability. Every individual has the right to work in a professional environment that promotes equal opportunity and prohibits discrimination and harassment. This policy applies to all aspects of an individual's relationship with A&O Shearman, including, without limitation, recruitment, hiring, training and development, promotion, compensation, discipline, termination, and all other terms and conditions of employment.

If you are vision-impaired or have another disability under the Americans with Disabilities Act or similar law and wish to discuss accommodations related to applying for employment at A&O Shearman, please contact US HR Transactions at US- or call and ask for HR Transactions.

Additional information - External

Please note that at this time, we are not accepting agency submissions for this requisition.

This role is open to our New York office. For individuals assigned to or hired for this opportunity in New York, the estimated annualized base salary range for this position is $80,000 - $100,000. The actual base salary offered will depend on the overall qualifications of the individual applicant for the position, including, if applicable, the location in which the applicant lives and/or from which they will be performing the job, and other job-relation factors permitted by law.