Sr. Administrator Leave of Absence - Contract

About the role

The Sr. Leave Administrator assists Optometrists with the administration of all time away/leave of absence programs, including mandatory state paid leave and disability programs. Key responsibilities include ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local regulations, providing empathetic support, maintaining consistent communication, managing caseloads, coordinating leave processes, and proactively identifying and addressing risks.

Responsibilities

• Support Optometrists through various types of leave, including FMLA, ADA-related leave, state and local paid leave, military leave, parental leave, personal leave, and company-sponsored leave programs.
• Deliver white-glove service by providing empathetic, compassionate, and personalized support throughout the leave and time-away process.
• Maintain consistent and proactive communication with Optometrists through various channels, ensuring they feel informed and supported.
• Manage a caseload of leave and accommodation requests from initial intake through return to work, ensuring timely communication, documentation, and resolution.
• Partner with the Company's third-party leave administrator to ensure accurate and timely administration of leave requests and serve as the primary internal resource for employees and managers.
• Coordinate all aspects of the leave process, including eligibility determinations, required notices, medical certifications, leave extensions, benefit continuation, return-to-work planning, and case closure.
• Proactively identify leave-related risks, collaborate with leadership on process improvements, and support complex cases.
• Monitor changes to federal, state, and local leave of absence regulations and proactively support new and upcoming regulations.
• Maintain accurate leave tracking, reporting, case documentation, and audits to ensure compliance and data integrity.
• Perform additional duties, reporting, audits, and projects as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in related field or applicable experience
• 5+ years SME in leave of absence/multi-state paid leave administration with working knowledge of FMLA, ADA, state and federal leave requirements, and company leave policies
• Mergers and acquisitions experience a plus
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite, HRIS, leave-management systems, and virtual communication platforms
• Excellent communication, presentation, organization, time management, problem solving, and follow-up skills
• Ability and flexibility to work in a fast-paced environment and handle confidential and sensitive information with discretion
• Must have accountability and self-motivation for projects in a remote/hybrid capacity