---
title: 'Senior People Operations Specialist at Upwork'
canonical: 'https://feeny.ai/job/senior-people-operations-specialist-upwork-lisbon-reh6h8jtmyt2'
type: 'job'
last_seen: '2026-09-15'
---

# Senior People Operations Specialist at Upwork

- **Company:** Upwork
- **Location:** Lisbon, Portugal
- **Compensation:** €39k–€56k
- **Posted:** 2026-09-11
- **Last confirmed live:** 2026-09-15
- **Apply:** https://job-boards.greenhouse.io/upwork/jobs/7992748003

## Job description

Upwork Inc.’s (Nasdaq: UPWK) family of companies connects businesses with global, AI-enabled talent across every contingent work type including freelance, fractional, and payrolled. This portfolio includes the Upwork Marketplace, which connects businesses with on-demand access to highly skilled talent across the globe, and Lifted, which provides a purpose-built solution for enterprise organizations to source, contract, manage, and pay talent across the full spectrum of contingent work. From Fortune 100 enterprises to entrepreneurs, businesses rely on Upwork Inc. to find and hire expert talent, leverage AI-powered work solutions, and drive business transformation. With access to professionals spanning more than 10,000 skills across AI & machine learning, software development, sales & marketing, customer support, finance & accounting, and more, the Upwork family of companies enables businesses of all sizes to scale, innovate, and transform their workforces for the age of AI and beyond.

Since its founding, Upwork Inc. has facilitated more than $30 billion in total transactions and services as it fulfills its purpose to create opportunity in every era of work. Learn more about the Upwork Marketplace at[Upwork.com](http://upwork.com/) and follow us on[LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/upwork),[Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/upwork),[Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/upwork/),[TikTok](https://www.tiktok.com/@upwork), and[X](https://twitter.com/upwork); and learn more about Lifted at[Go-Lifted](http://go-lifted.com/) and follow on[LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/company/go-lifted/).

As a Senior People Operations Specialist, you will play a key role in delivering thoughtful, scalable people programs and operational support across the employee lifecycle. As part of our People Operations team, you’ll combine strong operational expertise with the judgment and partnership skills needed to support HR Business Partners, managers, and employees through both day-to-day needs and more complex people matters.

You’ll own and continuously improve key people programs and processes, with a particular focus on employee lifecycle operations, immigration and global mobility, performance management, and HRBP enablement. You’ll serve as a subject matter resource in areas of expertise while building breadth across the broader People Operations portfolio.

This role is ideal for someone who brings strong operational instincts, thrives in complexity, and enjoys moving between detailed execution, problem-solving, process improvement, and partnership.

## Responsibilities

- Partner on onboarding, offboarding, organizational changes, and other employee lifecycle moments, providing guidance to employees, managers, and HRBPs on more complex People Operations matters.
- Own end-to-end coordination of immigration matters alongside our external vendor, serving as a trusted internal resource for employees and managers navigating immigration processes and requirements.
- Maintain accurate immigration records, documentation, communications, and workflows while supporting employment eligibility and related compliance requirements.
- Navigate ambiguous or sensitive situations with discretion, sound judgment, and an understanding of when to independently resolve an issue versus engage the appropriate partner.
- Provide guidance and operational support across coaching and performance processes, helping managers navigate tools, documentation, expectations, and next steps. Act as a trusted partner for employees and managers, balancing advocacy for people with business needs.
- Support People Operations processes across our growing global footprint, partnering with internal teams and external vendors to address local requirements and maintain consistent employee support.
- Identify opportunities to simplify and improve People processes, using technology, automation, and AI where they can meaningfully reduce manual work or improve the employee and manager experience.

What it takes to catch our eye

- 5+ years of progressive experience across People Operations, HR Generalist, shared services, or related roles, ideally in a fast-moving or evolving organization. Experience supporting employees and People Operations processes across multiple countries or regions is a plus.
- Hands-on experience supporting U.S. employment-based immigration, with working knowledge of common visa categories, immigration processes, and employment eligibility requirements. Exposure to immigration or employment processes in additional countries is a plus.
- Strong understanding of employee lifecycle operations and HR practices, with experience owning processes from intake through resolution.
- Experience partnering with HRBPs, managers, and cross-functional People teams to solve employee and operational challenges.
- Experience with performance management, manager coaching, or employee relations is valuable; demonstrated ability to quickly develop expertise in new areas is equally important.
- Strong judgment and problem-solving skills, with the ability to navigate ambiguity and determine when an issue requires escalation or additional partnership.
- Process-oriented mindset with demonstrated experience improving workflows, documentation, tools, or employee-facing resources.
- Ability to independently manage multiple priorities while maintaining a high degree of accuracy, responsiveness, and follow-through.

Come change how the world works.

Upwork is establishing its first international operational hub in Lisbon, Portugal. The new office is expected to be fully operational by Q4 2026. This role will require 3 days in office once we have an office open.

This position will initially be employed through a partner to ensure a seamless hiring process while we establish the hub. Once the hub is established, there may be opportunities to transition to employment with Upwork, depending on business needs and other requirements. While employed by the partner, you’ll work as part of Upwork’s team, with access to our resources, culture, and growth opportunities.

Our partner will offer competitive benefits. When Upwork’s hub is established, we will be excited to offer employment and benefits directly as business needs require.

Upwork is committed to building a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workforce. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or any other status protected by applicable law.

We use BrightHire, an AI-enabled tool, to record interviews and summarize interview transcripts. The tool allows the interviewer to focus on the discussion and does not score or evaluate candidates or make recommendations. The interview transcripts are reviewed, and decisions are only made by humans. Candidates who prefer not to have their interview recorded through BrightHire can opt out when the interview is scheduled.

To learn more about how Upwork processes and protects your personal information as part of the application process, please review our [Global Job Applicant Privacy Notice](http://upwork.com/careers/job-applicant-privacy-notice)and the https://www.upwork.com/careers/applicant-privacy-addendum-eea-uk-and-switzerland. The annual base salary range for this position  is displayed below. The range displayed reflects the minimum and maximum salary for this position, and individual base pay will depend on your skills, qualifications, experience, and location. Additionally, this position is eligible for the annual bonus plan or sales incentive plan and eligibility to participate in our long term equity incentive program.

Annual Base Compensation €39.000—€56.000 EUR

To learn more about how Upwork processes and protects your personal information as part of the application process, please review our [Global Job Applicant Privacy Notice](http://upwork.com/careers/job-applicant-privacy-notice)

## About Upwork

## Company Overview
- **One-liner**: Upwork is the world’s human and AI-powered work marketplace, connecting businesses with highly skilled, AI-enabled independent talent across the globe.
- **Entity Type**: Public (ticker: UPWK)
- **Headquarters**: San Francisco, California, United States
- **Founded**: 2015 (as Upwork, following the merger of oDesk, founded 2003, and Elance, founded 1999)
- **Founders**: Not listed individually; the company was formed via the merger of oDesk (co-founded by Gary Swart, Odysseas Tsatalos, Stratis Karamanlakis) and Elance (founded by Fabio Rosati)

## Core Business
- **Primary industry**: Online freelance marketplace / Talent platform
- **Target customers**: B2B (from entrepreneurs to Fortune 100 enterprises) and B2C (independent professionals)
- **Mission or purpose**: “To create opportunity in every era of work.” [upwork.com](https://www.upwork.com/about)

## Products & Services
- **Upwork Marketplace**: The core platform where clients post jobs and hire freelancers for contract or project-based work. Offers tiered plans including Basic (free), Plus, and Business Plus. [upwork.com](https://www.upwork.com/)
- **Uma™ (Mindful AI)**: An AI work companion that assists both clients and freelancers throughout the hiring and work process, from matching to project management. [upwork.com](https://www.upwork.com/about)
- **Enterprise Solutions**: Customized workforce management and talent sourcing for large organizations, supporting agile team building and business transformation.

## Market Standing
- **Valuation / Market Cap**: Not publicly available (data not included in search results)
- **Key Metric**: Annual revenue of more than $750 million and annual client spend exceeding $4 billion (as of recent leadership bio). [upwork.com](https://www.upwork.com/about)
- **Notable Investors/Partners**: Not detailed in search results
- **Growth Signals**: Active expansion into AI/ML with dedicated roles (Lead AI Engineer, Sr AI Research Scientist, etc.); opening an international hub in Lisbon, Portugal; continued headcount growth (approximately 2,000 team members, ~75% freelancers). [upwork.com](https://www.upwork.com/about) | [upwork.com](https://www.upwork.com/careers/jobs/explore)

## Competitive Advantages
- **Network effects**: Large, established two-sided marketplace with over 800,000 clients and freelancers from 180 countries. [upwork.com](https://www.upwork.com/)
- **AI integration**: Deep investment in AI/ML, including the proprietary Uma™ AI agent, positions Upwork at the forefront of the evolving freelance economy.
- **Brand strength**: Trusted by Fortune 100 companies and named to TIME’s Most Influential Companies and Fast Company’s Most Innovative Companies. [upwork.com](https://www.upwork.com/about)
- **Flexible workforce model**: The company itself operates with ~75% freelancers, demonstrating its own platform’s effectiveness. [upwork.com](https://www.upwork.com/about)

## Strategic Focus
- **Current priorities**: Expanding AI capabilities, enhancing the user experience with mindful AI, and scaling global reach (e.g., Lisbon hub). Leadership emphasizes “leading the industry into the new era of work.” [upwork.com](https://www.upwork.com/about)
- **Direction for growth**: Continued product innovation around AI, deepening enterprise offerings, and strengthening the freelancer-client matching engine.

## Why Work Here
- **Culture highlights**: Values include “Play to win as a team,” “Build and break fearlessly,” “Commit to excellence,” “Own outcomes,” and “Be customer zero.” Emphasis on diversity, inclusion, and belonging (team from 180 countries). [upwork.com](https://www.upwork.com/careers/life-at-upwork)
- **Remote/hybrid/office policy**: Remote-first for many roles; offices in San Francisco, Palo Alto, Chicago, Austin, Toronto, and a new hub in Lisbon. Full-time employee hiring currently limited to specific U.S. states and Lisbon. [upwork.com](https://www.upwork.com/careers/jobs/explore)
- **Notable perks**: Unlimited PTO, 12-week fully paid parental leave, rich 401(k) with matching, Employee Stock Purchase Program (ESPP), home office reimbursement, wellness reimbursement, cell phone/internet reimbursement, mental health support (Modern Health), pet insurance, and more. [upwork.com](https://www.upwork.com/careers/life-at-upwork)
- **Engineering/AI culture**: Strong focus on AI/ML with dedicated roles and a CTO heading AI/ML. Opportunities to work on cutting-edge projects (Agentic AI, NLQ, search & recommendation). [upwork.com](https://www.upwork.com/careers/jobs/explore)

## Sources
1. [upwork.com - About Us](https://www.upwork.com/about)
2. [upwork.com - Careers](https://www.upwork.com/careers)
3. [upwork.com - Life at Upwork](https://www.upwork.com/careers/life-at-upwork)
4. [upwork.com - Homepage](https://www.upwork.com/)
5. [upwork.com - Jobs Search](https://www.upwork.com/careers/jobs/explore)

## Other roles at Upwork

- [Senior People Operations Specialist](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-people-operations-specialist-upwork-toronto-q4sx39ahh458) — Toronto, Canada
- [Lead, Lifecycle Marketing](https://feeny.ai/job/lead-lifecycle-marketing-upwork-toronto-gtydsmz2g3t9) — Toronto, Canada
- [Senior Product Manager, Match Platform](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-product-manager-match-platform-upwork-toronto-zngak8w6f45x) — Toronto, Canada
- [Chief of Staff to the COO & GM of Marketplace](https://feeny.ai/job/chief-of-staff-to-the-coo-gm-of-marketplace-upwork-palo-alto-4djv0dmy0864) — Palo Alto, CA
- [Senior Software Engineer (Java)](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-software-engineer-java-upwork-lisbon-e0ydbxhwe1vb) — Lisbon, Portugal
- [VP, Marketing](https://feeny.ai/job/vp-marketing-upwork-palo-alto-dvqgh4x463y0) — Palo Alto, CA
- [Upwork is hiring in Lisbon, Portugal](https://feeny.ai/job/upwork-is-hiring-in-lisbon-portugal-upwork-lisbon-s2aq7604aya2) — Lisbon, Portugal
- [Sr Director, Corporate Development](https://feeny.ai/job/sr-director-corporate-development-upwork-palo-alto-z54vsvsp49me) — Palo Alto, CA
- [General Upwork Application](https://feeny.ai/job/general-upwork-application-upwork-remote-nhv75fh1bzsa)
- [Senior Product Manager, EOR Solutions](https://feeny.ai/job/senior-product-manager-eor-solutions-upwork-toronto-qqk5vaknbpx0) — Toronto, Canada