Disability & Leave Client Advocate

Sun Life•Nashville, TN

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Sun Life U.S. is one of the largest providers of employee and government benefits, helping approximately 50 million Americans access the care and coverage they need. Through employers, industry partners and government programs, Sun Life U.S. offers a portfolio of benefits and services, including dental, vision, disability, absence management, life, supplemental health, medical stop-loss insurance, and healthcare navigation. We have more than 6,400 employees and associates in our partner dental practices and operate nationwide. Visit our website to discover how Sun Life is making life brighter for our customers, partners and communities. Job Description: Sun Life embraces a hybrid work model that balances in-office collaboration with the flexibility of virtual work. Our team members and leaders are expected to foster connection and teamwork by being present in the office at least 2 days per week. The opportunity: In the role of Disability and Leave Client Advocate, you will be responsible for the intake and resolution of inquiries, issues, and /or general service requests for all questions related to leave of absence, short- or long-term disability, workplace accommodation and other services provided by Sun Life to our client. This position may potentially attend meetings on-site at our Client's facilities and Sun Life offices as required. The position is accountable for bringing all customer/Client issues to resolution accurately, efficiently and in full communication to all appropriate individuals and teams at Sun Life. You will partner with various stakeholders such as the payroll department, human resources, benefits department, and managers, and other personnel as needed to field questions and provide training/ information regarding the services for our Client. While the role assists the Client staff, the incumbent must demonstrate sensitivity to the fact that employment is with Sun Life role and not the Client.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or associate Degree with 2+ years of related work experience.
Strong computer skills, basic math skills and excellent data entry skills.
Superior written and oral communication skills, including the ability to confidently present complex information in a clear and compelling manner.
Experience administering FMLA/other leave/absence management programs.
Flexibility, adaptability and the ability to pitch in and support the team's work at all times.
Thorough understanding of contract provisions and administrative policies and procedures.
Ability to work successfully with a diverse range of people and ability to handle difficult customer service situations.
Experience in developing materials to support a smooth leave of absence process.
Demonstrates a strong understanding of systems and technology, including proficiency in Microsoft Office programs such as Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
Able to effectively apply this knowledge to streamline workflows, enhance productivity, and provide technical support to team members as needed.
Ability and deep understanding of developing and utilizing reports and/or dashboards to inform the Client on leave trends while supporting leave administration.
Ability to influence the horizontal process and influence the owners of each part of the process.
Demonstrated ability to work independently, take initiative, and adapt to changing Client needs.

Responsibilities

Developing and maintaining relationships with executives and staff, vendors, and consultants, as well as team members in other offices.
Mastering knowledge of the Client enforce Sun Life benefits, leave plans and other benefits.
Understanding and actively operating within Client’s administration systems to gather employee status information regarding leave, time worked and status.
Serves as the point of contact for Client leave administration.
Provides guidance and responds to inquiries from Client HR team related to leave, disability, and other benefit requests.
Proactively sharing insight and experience of leave administration, disability coverages and plan management with Sun Life Client’s employees and HR team members, Participating in Client’s Human Resource and team meetings to answer questions regarding Sun Life’s benefits and leave plans.
Integrating knowledge of Sun Life, leave plans, systems and products with the internal processes and products to address the needs of the Client.
Assisting in claims submission by identifying missing information, and ensuring Client is providing the employer requirements.
Monitoring and researching claims progression through the Sun Life process, answering any status questions and facilitate follow up or gathering of additional information to aid in the claims review process.
Collaborates with Client and Sun Life to properly implement offsets of benefits where appropriate.
Proactively communicating with leave and claims examiners regarding trends, needs and employee level experience.
Identifying and implementing ways to make the leave process more understandable for employees.
Utilize/update administrative systems/platforms as well as identify and drive continuous improvements.
Analyze trends and perform root cause analysis to continuously improve the Client experience.
Support payroll interface needs.
Identify areas for Sun Life to bolster performance of the Services and meaningful ways to measure and value the Client relationship.
Defining and expanding the scope of this role to best support the Client's evolving needs.