Senior Human Resources Specialist

About Kirkland & Ellis At Kirkland & Ellis, we don’t just meet the standard for legal excellence — we set it. Our culture is built on teamwork, ingenuity and an unwavering commitment to continuous growth. We tackle the most sophisticated legal challenges with bold ideas and innovative solutions, powered by the exceptional experience and ambition of our 7,000+ people, including 4,000+ attorneys, across 24 offices worldwide. Our dedicated professionals share our lawyers’ commitment to excellence and show up each day to do meaningful work that helps drive global business, investment and innovation forward. What You’ll Do We're seeking a Senior Human Resources Specialist to serve as a trusted HR partner within our Austin office. This is an exciting opportunity for a relationship-driven HR professional who thrives in a fast-paced, high-performance environment and is passionate about creating exceptional employee experiences. In this highly visible role, you'll work closely with office leadership, attorneys, and business professionals to support key people initiatives, strengthen employee engagement, and ensure seamless HR operations across the employee lifecycle. Act as the primary HR resource for attorneys, business professionals, and office leadership, providing guidance, support, and solutions across a wide range of people-related matters. Lead key moments throughout the employee lifecycle, including onboarding, integration, employee engagement, mobility, transfers, and offboarding, ensuring every interaction reflects the firm's commitment to excellence. Develop and execute programs that foster connection, wellbeing, inclusion, and community involvement while helping maintain a collaborative and high-performing workplace culture. Collaborate closely with the Associate Director of Human Resources, Manager of Administration, and Senior Director of Administration to support strategic talent initiatives and office priorities. Handle employee relations issues, confidential documentation, and workplace concerns with professionalism, discretion, and sound judgment. Maintain accurate HR records, coordinate employment documentation, support payroll-related processes, and ensure compliance with firm policies and procedures. Partner with training and development teams to coordinate impactful learning opportunities and professional growth initiatives. Identify opportunities to streamline processes, improve efficiencies, and leverage emerging technologies to enhance HR service delivery. What Makes This Opportunity Unique? Serve as the primary HR presence for a growing and dynamic office. Partner directly with senior business and legal leadership. Influence office culture, engagement, and employee experience. Drive meaningful HR initiatives while contributing to firmwide priorities. Gain exposure to a sophisticated professional services environment known for excellence and innovation. Play a key role in shaping the future of HR through process enhancements, technology, and AI-driven solutions. What You’ll Bring Bachelor's degree required. 5+ years of progressive Human Resources experience, ideally within a professional services, legal, consulting, financial services, or similarly fast-paced environment. Strong knowledge of HR practices across employee relations, onboarding, engagement, and HR operations. Exceptional interpersonal skills with the ability to build credibility and trust at all levels of an organization. Excellent judgment and ability to manage highly confidential information. Strong organizational skills and the ability to balance multiple priorities in a deadline-driven environment. Outstanding written and verbal communication skills. Proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Excel, Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint. A proactive, solutions-oriented mindset and desire to continuously improve processes and employee experiences. Why Kirkland? At Kirkland & Ellis, you'll join a team that values excellence, collaboration, innovation, and professional growth. You'll have the opportunity to make a meaningful impact while working alongside some of the most talented professionals in the industry. If you're looking for a role where you can influence culture, build strong partnerships, and elevate the employee experience, we'd love to hear from you. If you're passionate about people, thrive in a high-performance environment, and are ready to take the next step in your HR career, apply today. How to Apply Thank you for your interest in Kirkland & Ellis LLP. To complete an application and submit your resume, please click "Apply Now." Don't meet every job requirement? That's okay! If you're excited about this role but your experience doesn't perfectly fit every qualification, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be just the right person for this role or others at Kirkland. Equal Employment Opportunity All employment decisions, including the recruiting, hiring, placement, training availability, promotion, compensation, evaluation, disciplinary actions, and termination of employment (if necessary) are made without regard to the employee’s race, color, creed, religion, sex, pregnancy or childbirth, personal appearance, family responsibilities, sexual orientation or preference, gender identity, political affiliation, source of income, place of residence, national or ethnic origin, ancestry, age, marital status, military veteran status, unfavorable discharge from military service, physical or mental disability, or on any other basis prohibited by applicable law.