Leave and Benefits Manager

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Apply now Job no: 529493
Position Type: Staff Full Time
Campus: UMass Boston
Department: Human Resources
Pay Grade: 14
Date opened: 16 Jan 2026 Eastern Standard Time
Applications close:

General

Summary:

The Leave and Benefits Manager will manage all employee requests for leave in accordance with statutory regulations, collective bargaining agreements and university policy. Primary responsibility for managing the campus sick leave banks and reconciling the same. As a member of the Benefits and Human Resources team, the Manager also contributes to additional responsibilities within the realm of health insurance, retirement, and all other employee benefit programs.

Examples of Duties:

• Communicates with employees regarding all types of leave requests. Ensures that employees are aware of their rights and responsibilities and of any documentation and notice required to qualify for and to take leave. Ensure that all requests are responded to in a timely way, in accordance with applicable laws, regulations, policies and practices.
• Provides high-touch and responsive, timely customer service in a high-volume environment.
• Handles the FMLA leave administration process from the employee’s initial notice of the need for leave to return to work. This includes gathering and completing all required documentation, determining leave eligibility, designating leave as FMLA-qualifying, requesting medical certification as needed, and accounting for intermittent leave use.
• Works with external vendor Absence Resources to coordinate non-unit classified and professional leave benefits.
• Maintains communication with employees on leave and their managers to facilitate smooth and timely return to work, relays communication between employees and their managers during leave within reason.
• Advise managers and employees on the interaction of leave laws with paid time off, workers’ compensation, Massachusetts PFML and other benefits, and oversees campus administration of the same. This advice may be offered in presentation form as well as on a one-to-one basis.
• Drafts and/or recommends revisions to university leave policies to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local laws and regulations.
• Maintains complete and accurate records of leave and accommodation requests in accordance with specified legal requirements and documentation of best practices.
• Works closely with Human Resources Data Group in entering leave status updates and applying paid time off in the HR information management system as appropriate for employees on approved leaves.
• Vigilantly maintains confidentiality of employee documentation and files in accordance with applicable regulations and ensures that all communication regarding medical information are handled in a compliant manner.
• Works in a highly collaborative way with other HR team members, including HR Generalists, Payroll and Data Group, Administrative Support Staff, and the President’s Office and other campuses, when necessary, to ensure that the highest quality of customer service is delivered to all constituents in a timely and empathetic manner.
• Maintains knowledge of all applicable leave laws including the FMLA, PFML, ADA (as it intersects with leaves) and state and local laws.
• Coordinates the administration of the Worker’s Compensation program for the university; processes the intake of all worker’s compensation documentation, including injury reports and details, witness reports and other pertinent documentation and monitors the need for additional forms and physician reports.
• Collaborates with benefits team and other HR staff on a variety of departmental initiatives.
• Performs other duties as assigned as related to leaves and benefits.

Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible relevant experience required. Demonstrated customer service skills – in person and virtually – as needed to accomplish the positions goals required.

Those who do not meet the minimum qualifications, but who possess a bachelor’s…