Leave of Absence Team Lead

Key Responsibilities

• Manage a volume of the alphabetical caseload across FMLA, ADA, STD, LTD, PPL, and Military Leave programs.

• Perform the same core work as an HR Analyst while assumingadditionalresponsibility for escalations, workflow oversight, and quality assurance.

• Track and manage complex timelines involving overlapping leave types, multiple extensions, intermittent usage, and long-term leave scenarios.

• Serve as the primary escalation point for LOA Analysts, the LOA Specialist, employees, leaders, and internal HR partners.

• Support complex ADA cases in collaboration with the LOA Specialist, including documentation review and interactive process guidance.

• Lead operational review of long-term disability claims, Military Leave cases, and seven-month leave reviews.

• Prepare and review hardshipanalysesand provide recommendations to Employee Relations during recurring case review meetings.

• Evaluate return-to-work readiness for extendedleaveand ensure compliance with policy and regulatory requirements.

• Lead weekly LOA team huddles, providing coaching, clarification on workflows, regulatory updates, and operational guidance.

• Conduct quality reviews of case documentation, Workday transactions, and payroll coding to ensure consistency, accuracy, and compliance.

• Identifygaps, risks, or inefficiencies in LOA workflows and communicate actionable improvement recommendations to the Director.

• Ensure LOA, ADA, and related policies, SOPs, and job aids areaccurate, current, and easy to interpretand support and co-lead LOA process improvement initiatives and workflow standardization efforts.

• Act as the primary operational liaison with Third-Party Administrators,participatingin regular meetings to review case activity, trends, escalations, and workflow alignment.

• Coordinate resolution of vendor-related issues and support process enhancements to improve servicedelivery and compliance.

• Provide ongoing, non-supervisory coaching and on-the-job support to LOA team members.

• Facilitateleaders,employeeeducation,and training.

• Assistin developing andmaintainingLOA-related training materials, SOPs, and communication resources.

• Perform and review Workday LOA transactions, including EIB creation and loading as needed.

• Oversee LOA-related reporting, including STD reviews, seven-month case tracking, and team-level analytics.

• Participate in annual Workday testing for LOA and ADA updates,identifyingsystem or workflowissues,and partnering with HRIS for resolution.

• Support payroll accuracy by reviewing exempt payroll, approvals, reconciliations, and sign-off processes.

Essential Qualifications

MinimumEducation:
Bachelor’sdegreerequired; Human Resources, Business, Healthcare, or related field preferred.

Required Experience:

• Minimum of 5-7 years of progressive HR experience, with significant emphasis on LOA, ADA, STD/LTD, disability management, or regulatory compliance.

• Demonstrated experience managing complex and long-term leave cases and serving as an escalation resource.

• Strong experience using Workday and Third-Party Administrator platforms (Sedgwick preferred).

• Proven ability to act as a process lead,providepeer guidance, conduct quality reviews, and influence operational outcomes.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Expert knowledge of FMLA, ADA, STD, LTD, PPL, and Military Leave regulations and administration

• Advanced understanding of long-term and complex leave case management and ADA interactive processes

• Strongproficiencywith HRIS and leave platforms (Workday and TPA systems; Sedgwick preferred)

• Ability to interpret regulations and apply them consistently across complex scenarios

• Strong analytical, investigative, and documentation skills with exceptional attention to detail

• Ability to lead workflows and influence outcomes without direct supervisory authority

• Strong verbal and written communication skills, including facilitation and training capabilities

• High levelof professionalism and discretion when handling sensitive medical and personal information

• Collaborative approach to partnering with Payroll, Employee Relations, HRIS, vendors, and leadership

Physicaland SensoryDemands

• Prolonged sitting and computer use (up to 80% of workday).

• Frequent visual concentration for detailed payroll data review and system analysis.

• Occasional standing, walking, bending, and lifting of light objects (up to 20 pounds).

• Highlevelof mental concentrationrequiredto meet strictbenefitdeadlines and regulatory compliance standards.

Work Environment

• Work is performed in a professional office or hybrid home office environment.

• The position requires extensive computer use and frequent interaction with Finance, HR, IT, leadership, external vendors, and regulatory agencies.

• The environment is climate-controlled with minimal exposure to physical hazards.