Leave of Absence & Benefits Specialist

This position will focus heavily on administering a high volume of leave cases while serving as a trusted resource for employees navigating sensitive situations. This role plays a critical part in ensuring a seamless employee experience by managing leave programs and supporting benefits administration with accuracy and care.

Role Summary
Our client is seeking a Leave of Absence and Benefits Specialist to support a dynamic Total Rewards function. This role plays a critical part in ensuring a seamless employee experience by managing leave programs and supporting benefits administration with accuracy and care.

This position will focus heavily on administering a high volume of leave cases while serving as a trusted resource for employees navigating sensitive situations. The ideal candidate will also contribute to benefits operations and support broader Total Rewards initiatives, ensuring compliance and process efficiency across HR functions.

Key Responsibilities
• Manage the full lifecycle of employee leave requests, including FMLA, ADA accommodations, parental leave, and medical leave
• Serve as the primary point of contact for employees regarding leave and benefits inquiries
• Administer leave cases using a leave management system such as Cocoon or a similar platform
• Guide employees and managers through the ADA interactive process while ensuring regulatory compliance
• Support day to day benefits administration, including employee communications and open enrollment activities
• Assist with compensation and Total Rewards projects as needed
• Maintain accurate records and identify opportunities to improve HR processes and workflows
• Utilize Excel to track, analyze, and maintain HR related data

Key Requirements
• 3 or more years of HR experience with a strong focus on Leave of Absence administration
• Proven experience managing high volume FMLA, ADA, and related leave cases
• Solid understanding of employee benefits administration and related processes
• Intermediate Excel skills, including formulas, lookups, and reporting
• Experience with HRIS or leave management systems such as Paylocity or Cocoon preferred
• Exposure to compensation or Total Rewards initiatives is a plus
• Strong organizational and analytical skills with high attention to detail
• Effective communication skills with a professional and employee focused approach