Thank you for your interest in Stanford University. To view additional frequently asked questions and learn tips on how to apply, read our FAQ.
Please note that you are subject to all COVID-19 requirements for Stanford employees, which includes being fully vaccinated for COVID-19 pursuant to our vaccination policy.
From the careersearch.stanford.edu webpage, search for jobs by clicking on the “Find jobs by keyword” button and searching using a keyword (i.e., location, job family, job title, etc.). You can also filter by location or area of work by clicking on “Areas of Work” or “Location” at the top of the webpage.
Starting your application is easy! Below are three quick steps to follow. Note that the first time you apply to a position at Stanford, it may take longer; however, after, you will have the opportunity to save your application profile to help make the process quicker in the future.
1. Find the job you want to apply for
You may have already been directed to a job from a link sent by a friend. You can also search all job openings on the homepage. Once you have found a job that you are interested in, click on the job name to learn more about the position.
2. Click "Apply for Job"
Once you are in the detailed job description, you can select the “Apply for Job” button to begin your application process.
3. Start your application!
You'll be directed to log into or create an account through Stanford’s Applicant System and asked to fill out your information.
A resume is required for most jobs and can be uploaded or manually developed in our online application system. Acceptable formats for uploading a resume are Word (.doc) or PDF (.pdf) files. Scanned resumes and other formats are not acceptable and will not be read by our system. Resumes can be updated as long as the position is open.
We can only consider applications submitted online. We cannot accept applications via email or postal mail. You may consider using computers at your local library.
Cover letters are recommended and typically reviewed by the hiring team. However, they are not required. To include a cover letter, you must upload a Word (.doc) or PDF (.pdf) file at the attachment step of the application.
Once you've submitted an online application, you will immediately receive an automated email confirming receipt of your application. If you do not receive an email notification, please check your spam folder or log-into your account to review your job submission.
The hiring team will have access to your application materials. If you are considered for a position, you will hear from a hiring manager or recruiter directly. Otherwise, you may not be contacted.
Generally speaking, Stanford does not sponsor non-U.S. citizens for employment. However, it is up to the hiring department for each position to make the decision with regard to sponsorship.
To find openings in an off campus location, you can search the Stanford Careers website or other sites, such as Indeed.com. Include your desired location in the keyword search.
Each grade has an associated salary range.
Staff openings are posted on our website. These may be full-time, part-time, or fixed-term positions. The job posting for each position will state this information.
Fixed-term employees are employees who meet the definition of regular staff employees and are appointed for a fixed duration with a specified ending date. Fixed-term employees are subject to university policies applicable to regular staff except as those policies may be modified by the specific terms of their fixed-term offer letters or other written employment contracts or agreements.
Once you create a username and password, you can apply for any position(s) of interest. From there, the hiring team will have access to your information. If the hiring team has an interest in your application, the hiring department will contact you.
For a variety of reasons, including privacy protection, we do not provide hiring manager contact information.
No, your desired salary range is attached to your candidate profile. Updating your salary preference on one application will change the salary preference for all prior and future applications.
Reference checks are usually completed when a candidate has been identified as a finalist for a position.
You may be asked for references that include your current employer. If you do not wish to have your current employer contacted, inform the hiring manager, should you be asked for an interview.
Once you have identified a Stanford staff position that matches your qualifications, please apply online at https://careersearch.stanford.edu/.
If you do not have a resume, you have the option of manually developing a resume online.
No, we accept resumes only for specific positions.
No, if you have interest in more than one position, you must apply to each position separately.
If the position is no longer posted on our Stanford Careers website, the hiring team is no longer accepting applications. Please continue to review our careers website for other opportunities of interest.
Stanford's flexible work policies are designed to support both employee and organizational needs. We define on-site jobs as requiring physical presence at the workplace, remote jobs as being performed from the employee's home or another non-Stanford location, and hybrid jobs as a combination of on-site and remote work agreed upon between employee and manager. Please discuss specific work arrangements and flexibility options with the hiring manager or recruiter, bearing in mind that Stanford's Flexible Work Arrangements and Policies are subject to change.
1. Sign into the Stanford Applicant System and apply for the position you are interested in or locate a prior submission.
2. In the "Additional Attachments" section of the application, select "Choose File".
3. Find the file you would like to upload and select "Open". Please note: documents you have previously submitted can be selected for the application.
4. Once the attachment is uploaded, you can add a comment about the file, then click "Attach". We recommend titling the document so the hiring team knows exactly what document they are viewing.
When applying for multiple positions, make sure to mark all the documents you would like the hiring team to see as "Relevant to this Job" (e.g., resume, cover letter). Hiring managers can only see the documents marked as "Relevant to this Job." Leave all other documents unchecked.
Yes, when you upload a document with the same file name, it will overwrite the preexisting document with the updated version.
A resume must be in a text format (i.e. Microsoft Word or PDF files) rather than an object format (i.e. scanned document) for proper parsing of the information.
We do not have a formal naming convention requirement. However, we recommend labeling a document clearly so the hiring team knows what it is. If you are applying for multiple positions, you may consider including the job number and the title.
Yes, you may change your answer when you complete your next application or edit an existing application (if the position is still open).
You will not see this information in your applicant account. Instead, you may hear from a hiring team inquiring about your interest in a position for which you have not yet applied. This communication may come via phone or email message.
Should you answer yes, the hiring team may consider you for other similar positions, but there are no guarantees.
If you select "Yes" to this question on the Stanford Questionnaire segment of the application, individuals involved in the recruitment process will have access to view this information. If you only want hiring teams for specific openings to see your application information, selecting "No" is recommended.
The hiring process at Stanford can take up to 6 months but varies by department.
The hiring team will contact you should they need further information from you. Due to the volume of resumes received, we are unable to contact each applicant regarding the status of each position. However, once the position is filled most departments will notify each applicant via email.
If a job is listed on our website, it is considered open. Requisitions must be posted for a minimum of ten days, then after that point, the department may close the job opening at their discretion.
You can update your application as long as the position is still posted. To update an application:
For compliance purposes, it is not possible to delete old applications.
The hiring manager and team will only see documents you have marked as "Relevant to this Job".
Once you've submitted an online application, you will immediately receive an automated email confirming receipt of your application. If you do not receive an email notification, please check your spam folder or log-into your account to review your job submission.
The hiring team will have access to your application materials. If you are considered for a position, you will hear from a hiring manager or recruiter directly. Otherwise, you may not be contacted.
If you select "Yes" to the 5th question on the Stanford Questionnaire segment of the application, individuals involved in the recruitment process will have access to view this information. If you only want hiring teams for specific openings to see your application information, selecting "No" is recommended.
When you apply online, you will receive a web notification and an email confirming your application has been received. If there is a match between your skill set and their current needs, the hiring department or recruiter will contact you.
You can also view any messages sent to you about your application. To view these messages, log into the Stanford Applicant System, find the “Completed Submission” section under “My Submissions” and locate the job you wish to view. Click the “View Email Messages” link to view your message(s).
Once you apply through the Stanford Careers Website, your resume is forwarded to the hiring department for review. If there is a match between your skill set and their current needs, the hiring department or recruiter will contact you.
Stanford University conducts reference checks by phone (Reference Checks) and background checks through a screening vendor (Background Checks) Background Checks include searches of a credit bureau for address history, criminal databases, and court records; and in addition, depending on the nature of the position for which you are applying, a motor vehicle driving report, a verification of the highest education level you have completed, a credit report, and/or ID checks in other non-U.S. countries may be included.
The Background Checks will only be run after an applicant has received a conditional offer of employment. After a conditional offer is made and before any Background Check is performed, applicants will be given Background Check disclosure and consent forms under state and federal law, such as the Fair Credit Reporting Act and the Investigative Consumer Reporting Agencies Act. Existence of a criminal record is not an automatic bar to employment. An assessment will be made about whether the conviction has a direct and adverse relationship to the job in question. Consideration will be given to the nature of the position being sought, the specific offense, the period of time which has elapsed since the commission of the offense and completion of any sentence, and any extenuating circumstances.
Stanford Health Care is a separate legal entity from the University. Open positions for Stanford Health Care can be found on their career page: http://www.stanfordhealthcarecareers.com/.
To view open faculty positions please visit the department’s website. Some of our faculty positions at can be found at: https://facultypositions.stanford.edu/en-us/listing/.
To find a Postdoctoral Position at Stanford University please visit: https://postdocs.stanford.edu/prospective-postdocs/applying-postdoctoral-training-stanford.
You can find student employment opportunities on our Career Development Center website at: https://beam.stanford.edu/.
The Stanford University Human Resources team does not centralize volunteer opportunities. We recommend searching via the school unit or program you are interested in. For example, here are a couple of groups across campus who regularly seek volunteers:
Individual business units or schools may have internship opportunities. In some cases, these units or schools may post on local San Francisco Bay Area schools’ career sites. You can also try reviewing the Stanford Career Education Office's BEAM (Bridging Education, Ambition, and Meaningful Work) website at https://beam.stanford.edu/employers.
You may apply for any position you feel qualified for. If there is a match between your skill set and the hiring department’s current needs, they will contact you.
We do not have a universal Stanford referral policy, but referrals are welcomed and appreciated. Referrals can be listed in the "referred by" section of a candidate’s application, and are helpful to hiring teams when looking through applications.
Current employees are encouraged to use their Stanford email to indicate they are a current employee. Additionally, on the first page of the application, the last question is "Please indicate how you heard about this Job". Please select "Current or Previous Stanford Relationship". Another dropdown menu will appear. Please choose "I am a current Stanford/SLAC Employee".
The Job Description Library contains job descriptions for non-academic, non-bargaining unit and librarian jobs at Stanford. Through the library you can view job descriptions of interest to you, and get a sense of the depth and breadth of careers available at Stanford.
Please note that the only current Stanford employees are able to access the Job Description Library (JDL) through the Axess portal.
To find Bargaining Unit Employee information please visit: https://cardinalatwork.stanford.edu/benefits-rewards/compensation/staff/bargaining-unit
On the first page of the application, the last question is "Please indicate how you heard about this job". Please select "Current or Previous Stanford Relationship". Another dropdown menu will appear. Please select "I am a former Stanford/SLAC employee with Layoff status (laid off within the past 12 months)".
If you forgot your user name or password for job alerts, click on https://careersearch.stanford.edu/login and follow the prompts or go to your "Settings".
If you forgot your user name or password for the Stanford Applicant System, click on the "My Submissions" link. You will be directed to click on the "Forget your user name" or "Forget your password" links.
To change your password/username:
To change your email address:
Use the latest version of a supported browser:
The current recommendation is to:
Chrome is not a supported browser. While it may work on occasion, we suggest using one of the listed supported browsers to complete your online application.
Stanford University plans to begin using a new SMS texting service for candidates in 2026. The following information includes the terms of use and privacy policy for this future service.
Terms of Use
Program Description:
Our SMS messaging service allows you to receive updates, notifications, and communications related to job application statuses.
Cancellation of Service:
You can cancel the SMS service at any time. To unsubscribe, text "STOP" to the designated short code. Upon receiving the "STOP" message, we will confirm your unsubscription via SMS. Once unsubscribed, you will not receive further SMS messages from us. Should you wish to rejoin the service, you can sign up again as you did initially, and SMS messages will resume accordingly.
Support and Assistance:
For any issues encountered with the messaging program, you can reply with the keyword "HELP" for additional assistance. Alternatively, direct support can be obtained by submitting a ticket.
Carrier Disclaimer:
It's important to note that carriers are not held liable for any delays or failures in the delivery of SMS messages.
Message and Data Rates:
Standard message and data rates may apply for incoming messages. For inquiries concerning text or data plans, please reach out to your wireless provider for clarification.
Privacy Policy:
For queries regarding privacy concerns, we encourage you to review our comprehensive privacy policy available here.
By opting into our SMS messaging service, you acknowledge and agree to abide by these terms and conditions. We reserve the right to amend or update these terms at any time, and any modifications will be communicated to you accordingly.
Privacy Policy
At Stanford University, we are committed to protecting the privacy and confidentiality of your personal information. This Privacy Policy outlines how we collect, use, and safeguard the data obtained through SMS text messages sent to applicants who opt in to receive communications regarding their application.
1. Information Collection:
Voluntary Disclosure: By opting in to receive SMS text messages regarding their application, applicants voluntarily provide their mobile phone number and consent to receive communications via SMS.
Automated Collection: We may automatically collect certain information related to SMS interactions, including message delivery status to ensure the effectiveness and efficiency of our communication processes.
2. Use of Information:
Application Updates: The primary purpose of collecting applicants' mobile phone numbers is to provide timely updates and notifications regarding the status of their application and other relevant information.
Service Improvement: Data collected through SMS interactions may be utilized to enhance our applicant tracking system and improve the overall applicant experience.
Communication Efficiency: We may use automated processes to streamline communication workflows and ensure prompt delivery of important updates and notifications to applicants.
3. Data Security:
We employ industry-standard security measures to protect the confidentiality and integrity of the information collected through SMS interactions.
Access to applicant data is restricted to authorized personnel who require access for legitimate business purposes only.
4. Data Sharing and Disclosure:
We do not sell, rent, or disclose applicants' personal information obtained through SMS interactions to third parties for marketing purposes.
Limited disclosure of applicant data may occur to trusted service providers who assist us in operating our applicant tracking system and facilitating SMS communications. However, such disclosures are subject to strict confidentiality agreements and compliance with applicable data protection laws.
5. Opt-Out Mechanism:
Applicants have the right to opt out of receiving SMS text messages at any time by texting "STOP" to the designated short code. Upon receiving the opt-out request, we will promptly cease all further SMS communications.
Opt out requests will be confirmed via SMS to ensure successful unsubscription from our messaging service.
6. Policy Updates:
We reserve the right to update or modify this Privacy Policy periodically to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. Any amendments will be communicated to applicants via SMS or through other appropriate channels.
By opting in to receive SMS text messages regarding their application, applicants acknowledge and consent to the collection, use, and disclosure of their personal information as described in this Privacy Policy. If you have any questions or concerns regarding our privacy practices, please submit a ticket.
7. Individual Privacy Rights
If you would like to exercise your Individual Privacy Rights, please refer to section six of our Online Privacy Policy.
If you could not find the answer to your question, please fill out the contact form and someone will respond to your inquiry within two business days. Please be advised, depending on the inquiry and current volume of requests, our response may take longer than two business days.