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 assuming additional responsibility 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 hardship analyses and provide recommendations to Employee Relations during recurring case review meetings. 

• Evaluate return-to-work readiness for extended leave and 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. 

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

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

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

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

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

• Facilitate leaders, employee education, and training. 

• Assist in developing and maintaining LOA-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, identifying system or workflow issues, and partnering with HRIS for resolution. 

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

Essential Qualifications 

Minimum Education: 
Bachelor’s degree required; 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, provide peer 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 

• Strong proficiency with 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 level of professionalism and discretion when handling sensitive medical and personal information 

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

Physical and Sensory Demands 

• 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). 

• High level of mental concentration required to meet strict benefit deadlines 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.