Leave & Workers Compensation Specialist

Vestas is the global partner on sustainable energy solutions, designing, manufacturing, installing, and servicing wind turbines worldwide. With over 200 GW of wind power installed and more than 39,000 employees, Vestas promotes a diverse, inclusive workforce.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Partnership and Escalation Management: Act as a strategic partner to business leaders, People & Culture (P&C) stakeholders, Payroll, HSE, Risk, Legal, and site leadership on complex leave, accommodation, and workers‑compensation matters. Own and resolve escalated, high‑risk cases with clear documentation and appropriate referrals. Provide consultative guidance on policy interpretation, case strategy, return‑to‑work planning, operational risk, and employee experience. Identify recurring issues and emerging trends; recommend policy, process, technology, training, and service improvements. Translate leave and workers‑compensation data into insights, risks, and recommended actions for business planning.
• Leave of Absence and Accommodation Administration: Independently manage complex leave cases throughout the claim lifecycle and serve as escalation point for employees, managers, P&C stakeholders, and third‑party administrators (TPAs). Lead interactive accommodation processes, documenting options, decisions, and follow‑up actions. Manage inquiries from state paid‑leave programs and coordinate statutory, company, and vendor‑administered benefits. Oversee shared leave inboxes, case queues, reports, knowledge content, and service standards to ensure timely, consistent responses.
• Workers Compensation: Lead pre‑claim and claim intake, coordinating facts, wage information, medical documentation, and required reporting. Manage complex or litigated claims with employees, managers, TPAs, medical providers, Risk, HSE, attorneys, and other stakeholders. Develop claim strategies focused on appropriate care, safe return‑to‑work, cost stewardship, compliance, and timely resolution. Coordinate claim closure activities, including fitness‑for‑duty, transitional work, settlements, hearings, reimbursements, and documentation. Partner with the Risk Manager on reserves and settlement authority; analyze claim trends, root causes, cycle times, costs, and outcomes; conduct periodic file reviews and audits.
• Vendor Management: Serve as primary operational relationship lead for leave and workers‑compensation TPAs and related vendors. Establish and monitor service expectations, performance measures, issue logs, escalation paths, and corrective action plans. Lead recurring vendor reviews, evaluate service quality and case outcomes, and ensure commitments are met. Review reports, invoices, fees, and contractual deliverables for accuracy; escalate material concerns. Partner with Procurement, Legal, Benefits, Risk, and P&C leadership on vendor selection, implementation, renewal, and contract discussions. Coordinate vendor communications, system or process changes, testing, and stakeholder readiness activities.
• Program Operations, Compliance, and Continuous Improvement: Monitor federal, state, and local requirements and vendor updates; assess operational impact and coordinate timely process or communication changes. Partner with stakeholders to drive consistent policy application, documentation, controls, and recordkeeping across locations. Develop and maintain procedures, job aids, templates, knowledge articles, escalation protocols, and audit documentation. Design and facilitate training for supervisors, employees, and P&C stakeholders. Lead or contribute to projects, implementations, annual benefit activities, webinars, and cross‑functional initiatives. Provide coaching and technical guidance to team members; promote consistent case‑management practices. Perform other duties as assigned.

Essential Functions

• Deliver high‑level service with empathy, discretion, sound judgment, and a solutions‑oriented approach.
• Independently prioritize high‑volume, time‑sensitive work while maintaining accurate documentation.
• Communicate complex or technical information clearly to audiences with varying levels of knowledge.
• Influence outcomes across functions without direct authority and navigate competing business and employee needs.
• Use data, reports, and case information to identify risk, draw conclusions, and recommend action.
• Utilize Microsoft Office applications, internal databases, external software, and TPA systems effectively.
• Manage shared Outlook inboxes and case queues according to established controls and service expectations.
• Travel up to 10 % based on business needs and budget.
• Maintain regular and reliable attendance.

Education, Experience, and Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, Risk Management, or a related field preferred; equivalent combination of education and experience considered.
• Five or more years of progressively responsible experience in leave administration, workplace accommodations, workers compensation, employee benefits, HR operations, or a related discipline, including independent management of complex cases.
• Experience supporting a multi‑location organization; manufacturing or other operational environments preferred.
• Demonstrated experience managing vendor relationships, performance issues, and service escalations.
• Working knowledge of leave, accommodation, workers compensation, and paid‑leave requirements, with ability to recognize when legal or specialized guidance is needed.
• Experience working with insurance carriers, TPAs, medical providers, attorneys, payroll teams, and business leaders.
• Strong consultation, stakeholder management, problem‑solving, negotiation, analytical, and written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to lead through influence, handle confidential information, and remain composed in sensitive situations.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams; experience using case‑management or vendor platforms preferred.
• Bilingual English and Spanish skills are a plus.
• Relevant professional certification is preferred.

Pay

Salary Range: $105,000 – $120,000 annually. Final compensation will be based on experience, qualifications, and other job‑related factors.