Sr. Benefits & Leave Administration Specialist

Sr. Benefits & Leave Administration Specialist
The Benefits and Leave Administration Specialist Sr leads the administration of the organization's leave of absence programs while providing support across core benefits administration functions. This role manages the design, implementation, administration, and communication of absence based programs, including disability, workers' compensation, and ADA accommodation support, in partnership with internal teams and third party vendors. In addition to leave administration, the position supports key benefits activities such as eligibility and enrollment assistance, vendor coordination, policy interpretation, and associate education. The role ensures compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local regulations while aligning leave and benefits programs with the organization's overall benefits strategy and business needs. This position also serves as a trusted resource for associates, delivering guidance with empathy, accuracy, and professionalism during complex and sensitive situations.

Key Responsibilities and Duties

• Manages the implementation and ongoing administration of leave programs, including FMLA, state and local leaves, short‑ and long‑term disability, company‑paid leave programs, and workers’ compensation, while supporting related benefits administration processes, ensuring employees have timely access to accurate information and support.
• Partners closely with Payroll to ensure accurate pay continuation, benefit offsets, and reconciliations related to leave, disability and other applicable HR programs, resolving discrepancies and preventing over or under payments.
• Evaluates leave and absence reporting to ensure accurate tracking in the company’s HR information system (HRIS), benefits administration systems where applicable, for HR, payroll and financial reporting purposes, as well as to support leave utilization, trend and cost analyses.
• Partners closely with HR Business Partners (HRBP), Employee Relations, Benefits, and Legal to ensure compliant, consistent, and employee centered administration of all leave, leave-adjacent benefits, and absence matters, including complex or high risk cases.
• Performs detailed analytical work to create, review, and validate accurate payroll records for disability, company-paid benefits, and statutory benefit programs, ensuring proper coordination with state and federal mandates (e.g., state disability, paid family leave).
• Coordinates with program vendors, benefits carriers, and internal stakeholders on leave, disability, workers’ compensation, accommodation, benefits and HR program related questions or issues, escalating complex cases as appropriate.
• Reviews leave and absence benchmarking, utilization and cost analyses in conjunction with benefits data to recommend program enhancements that maintain market competitiveness while managing administrative complexity and cost.
• Provides direct benefits administration support related to leave adjacent programs, including coordination with disability carriers, workers’ compensation administrators, and internal payroll and HR partners, and support for benefits eligibility and associate issues impacting Open Enrollment.
• Oversees the ADA accommodation process in coordination with HR Business Partners, Employee Relations, Legal, and third‑party vendors, ensuring consistent, compliant, and well documented interactive processes including coordination with benefits or leave restrictions as applicable.
• Serves as a trusted resource to associates and managers by providing empathetic, clear guidance during challenging life events, while partnering with HR Business Partners and Employee Relations to align on eligibility, processes, and expectations across various leave, benefits, and absence types.

Minimum Qualifications

• 5 years of experience in human resources and/or benefits administration
• Previous experience supporting Leave of Absence (LOA) programs

Preferred Qualifications

• 7 years of related experience in benefits, wellness, total rewards or LOA programs
• Advanced knowledge of FMLA, ADA Accommodations, Leaves of Absence, disability leave, and other policies
• Prior experience supporting multi-state populations

Educational Requirements

• University (Degree) Preferred

Physical Requirements

• Physical Requirements: Sedentary Work

Career Level
8IC

Qualifications:

Posting end date - 4/30/26