Integrated Absence Manager

New York Life • New York, NY

4d • $50,000 - $65,000 • Remote

About The Position

The Integrated Absence Manager manages a caseload of concurrent employee absence cases, including paid and unpaid leave and Short-Term Disability plans. The role investigates cases, determines customer eligibility, administers absences, and communicates decisions and status updates. It collaborates with customers, employers, healthcare providers, and clients to support timely and accurate absence administration and benefit payments.

The manager oversees leave and disability cases from initial review through ongoing management, including extensions and return-to-work support. Success requires working in a fast-paced, detail-oriented environment and applying knowledge of medical conditions, customer contracts, company policies, and compliance requirements. The position is fully remote and is nonexempt and eligible for overtime.

Requirements

• High school diploma or GED required; a bachelor's degree is strongly preferred.
• Strongly preferred: 2 or more years of experience administering disability.
• Strongly preferred: experience administering FMLA and/or state leaves.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Outlook, and Excel.
• Technical aptitude to switch between multiple applications and/or computer monitors simultaneously.
• Strong critical-thinking, analytical, and investigative skills, including gathering information, analyzing facts, and drawing conclusions.
• Ability to understand complex absence scenarios and apply them to work.
• Customer-focused, self-starting approach and ability to work with urgency and a bias for action.
• Effective interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills, including explaining complex claim scenarios in understandable terms.
• Strong attention to detail for handling technical aspects of the job.
• Excellent planning, time-management, and organizational skills, including managing multiple and changing priorities and meeting tight deadlines.
• Strong negotiation skills.
• Ability to build and maintain effective relationships.
• A proven track record of driving results in a complex matrix environment.
• Ability to work well under pressure.

Nice To Haves

• Knowledge of legal liability, insurance coverage, and medical terminology is helpful.

Responsibilities

• Manage a caseload of absence cases involving Short-Term Disability, Paid Family Medical Leave, FMLA, Company Paid Leave, and ADA-related matters.
• Review assigned cases, verify eligibility, collect medical information, apply contractual provisions and legal guidelines, and use expert resources as appropriate.
• Evaluate available information to make claim and leave determinations in accordance with compliance guidelines, and pay covered claims accurately and promptly.
• Coordinate multiple leave and disability plans using integrated technology.
• Manage ongoing claims, including extensions and review of additional information needed to support decisions.
• Communicate verbally and in writing with claimants, employers, and medical professionals to gather information and manage applications, payments, and ongoing benefits and leave plans.
• Respond to telephone and email inquiries within customer-service protocols; meet timeframes for processing mail, tasks, and outliers and execute customer performance guarantees.
• Document clear absence notes in the system based on received medical information and conversations with customers, providers, and clients.
• Work with clients and Vocational Rehabilitation Counselors to facilitate full-time or modified-duty return to work.
• Work with customers and physicians to medically manage claims from initial medical requests through review and evaluation of ongoing medical information.
• Follow New York Life and corporate compliance requirements, policies, procedures, and best practices.
• Continue development through training related to the role and business-unit objectives.

Benefits

• Full package of employee benefits, including leave programs, adoption assistance, and student loan repayment programs.
• Annual discretionary bonus eligibility.
• May be eligible to participate in an incentive program.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: High school or GED