Senior Leave Management Specialist

Description

This role is responsible for the administration, consultation, and continuous improvement of employee leave of absence programs and processes. This role serves as a subject matter expert for leave and disability programs, partnering with employees, managers, Human Resources, payroll, and third-party administrators to ensure leave programs are administered consistently, compliantly, and with a focus on employee experience. The Senior Leaves Specialist manages complex leave cases, provides guidance on applicable regulations and company policies, and identifies opportunities to enhance operational effectiveness and program delivery.

Here’s what you can expect from the job and what you need to be successful:

Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Administer and support a broad range of employee benefit programs, including health and welfare plans, retirement programs, disability coverage, life insurance, paid time off, and other benefits offerings.
• Analyze benefits program performance, utilization trends, employee feedback, and market practices to identify opportunities for program improvements and enhanced employee experience.
• Partner with vendors, brokers, consultants, and internal stakeholders to support day-to-day benefits operations and ensure effective service delivery.
• Interpret benefits policies, plan provisions, and regulatory requirements, providing guidance and recommendations to employees, managers, and Human Resources partners.
• Assist in the evaluation, implementation, and enhancement of benefits programs, ensuring alignment with organizational objectives and workforce needs.
• Coordinate and support annual enrollment activities, employee communications, educational materials, and benefits-related events.
• Monitor compliance with applicable federal, state, and local regulations and support required reporting, audits, and documentation processes.
• Conduct benchmarking, cost analysis, and reporting to evaluate program competitiveness and support decision-making related to benefits offerings.
• Investigate and resolve complex benefits issues, escalations, and inquiries while ensuring a high level of customer service.
• Contribute to benefits-related projects and initiatives, collaborating across functions to improve processes, strengthen program administration, and enhance operational effectiveness.

• Administer and manage employee leave programs, including FMLA, ADA accommodations, state and local leave programs, parental leave, military leave, disability-related leaves, and other absence management programs.
• Serve as the primary subject matter expert for employees, managers, and HR partners, providing guidance on leave policies, eligibility requirements, regulatory obligations, and complex case situations.
• Manage complex leave and accommodation cases from intake through resolution, ensuring timely communication, accurate documentation, and compliance with applicable laws and company policies.
• Partner with third-party administrators, payroll, benefits, employee relations, and HR teams to coordinate leave administration activities and resolve issues effectively.
• Monitor regulatory developments and conduct audits of leave processes, case files, and transactions to ensure compliance, data accuracy, and policy adherence.
• Analyze leave metrics and trends, identify opportunities for process improvement, and support projects related to leave administration, system enhancements, and employee experience.

• Applies best practices and knowledge of internal/external business challenges to improve products, processes or services. Is accountable for small projects or programs with manageable risks and resource requirements. Resolves difficult and complex problems using judgment and analysis; contributes to problem solving in collaborative settings. Interprets policies and adapts them to new situations.
• Demonstrates judgment in selecting methods to solve problems that have cross-functional impacts or require balancing competing priorities. Applies advanced…