DIRECTOR OF ABSENCES & ACCOMODATIONS (HYBRID-CHARLOTTE, NC)

Compass Group•Charlotte, NC

7d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director, Absences and Accommodations provides enterprise leadership for the organization’s leave and accommodation programs, including strategy, governance, operations, compliance, and continuous improvement. This role leads a team of leave and accommodation professionals and partners closely with HR, Legal, Employee Relations, Payroll, Benefits, vendors, and business leaders to ensure consistent, compliant, employee-centered, and operationally effective service delivery. The Director is responsible for strengthening the end-to-end employee and manager experience across FMLA, ADA, STD, LTD, state and local leave programs, and related accommodation processes. This role will use data, technology, process discipline, and strong cross-functional partnership to improve service quality, reduce risk, and support business needs.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field required.
Minimum of 8 years of experience in leave administration, disability management, benefits, accommodations, or related HR functions.
Minimum of 5 years of progressive leadership experience managing teams, programs, and cross-functional initiatives.
Strong working knowledge of FMLA, ADA, STD, LTD, state and local leave laws, and related accommodation requirements required.
Deep knowledge of leave, disability, and accommodation laws and practices, including FMLA and ADA.
Strong enterprise judgment with the ability to balance compliance, employee care, operational needs, and business risk.
Demonstrated ability to lead teams, set clear expectations, build capability, and drive accountability.
Strong communication and relationship management skills, with the ability to advise leaders and influence cross-functional partners.
Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills, with the ability to use data and trends to improve outcomes.
Operationally disciplined, with the ability to build scalable processes, governance routines, and quality standards.
Ability to manage competing priorities in a complex, regulated environment while maintaining accuracy, consistency, and compliance.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office, HRIS platforms, leave management systems, reporting tools, and related technology.

Nice To Haves

Experience managing leave vendors, leave management systems, audits, reporting, or process improvement initiatives preferred.

Responsibilities

Develop and lead the enterprise strategy for employee absences, leaves, and accommodations, ensuring alignment with business priorities, legal requirements, and employee experience goals.
Provide leadership and oversight for leave and accommodation operations, including case quality, service delivery, escalation management, compliance, and process consistency.
Lead, develop, and manage a team of leave and accommodation professionals, establishing clear expectations, coaching for performance, and building team capability.
Strengthen governance for absence and accommodation programs, including policies, procedures, process controls, escalation protocols, compliance monitoring, and quality assurance.
Provide strategic guidance on complex, sensitive, or high-risk cases, balancing employee needs, legal requirements, business impact, and organizational values.
Drive continuous improvement of absence and accommodation processes, system workflows, reporting, and technology solutions to improve efficiency and the employee and manager experience.
Monitor legislative and regulatory changes, assess organizational impact, and lead related policy, process, communication, and training updates.
Develop, analyze, and report on operational metrics, trends, risks, and outcomes to improve performance and support business decisions.
Partner with HR, Legal, Employee Relations, Payroll, Benefits, vendors, and business leaders to ensure consistent and effective leave and accommodation practices.
Oversee compliance audits, quality assurance activities, and vendor performance to ensure adherence to regulatory, service, and organizational standards.
Lead communication and training efforts to help employees and managers understand their rights, responsibilities, and available support related to absences and accommodations.