Leave Benefits Coordinator

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP•Washington, DC

1d•$80,000 - $99,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld LLP is a leading international law firm with more than 900 lawyers in offices throughout the United States, Europe, Asia and the Middle East. We are currently seeking a Leave Benefits Coordinator in the Human Resources department, reporting to the Leave Administration Manager. The role will reside in the Washington, DC office with hybrid work capabilities and will be responsible for supporting the administration of the firm’s leave policies and leave of absence programs (including medical, parental, family, bar, and military leave policies, and workers’ compensation); and compliance with all applicable federal, state and local leave laws and regulations, paid family and medical leave programs, sick and safe leave laws, and pregnancy-related leave requirements. The Leave Benefits Coordinator is expected to perform all responsibilities with a commitment to maintaining confidentiality and providing superior service to the firm’s lawyers and staff, and maintaining an atmosphere of teamwork and continuous improvement.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required with an emphasis in Human Resources preferred
Minimum of 4 years of relevant human resources experience, preferably in a law firm or other professional services organization
Experience working with HRIS platforms and Microsoft Office applications including Excel, Outlook, Word, and PowerPoint required
Knowledge of federal, state and local leave laws and related requirements, including the Family and Medical Leave Act, state paid family and medical leave programs, sick and safe leave laws, pregnancy-related leave, and military leave
Superior service orientation, and an ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with colleagues, management, and outside business partners
Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate with tact, empathy, and accuracy with individuals at all levels within and outside of the firm
Adaptability and continuous improvement mindset, with the ability to embrace new processes, technologies, and ways of working to enhance efficiency and effectiveness
Excellent organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to multi-task and prioritize work and adjust to changing priorities and deadlines in a professional manner
Commitment to maintain confidentiality of employee, office, firm and client information including secure handling of leave documentation and adhering to the Firm’s Core Values
Strong work ethic and willingness and ability to assume new tasks and responsibilities
Ability to work both independently and part of a team
Ability to work under pressure and to meet deadlines under sometimes stressful conditions
Ability to work extended hours as necessary to fulfill time sensitive responsibilities
Commitment to professional growth and development

Nice To Haves

Experience with third-party leave administrator preferred
Knowledge of workers’ compensation fundamentals and processes preferred
Proficiency with the Workday HRIS preferred

Responsibilities

Administer, monitor, and track all leaves of absence and related processes, procedures, and supporting documentation.
Coordinate and communicate cross-functionally with Benefits, Payroll, Human Resources, managers, the third-party leave administrator and other internal stakeholders in support of all aspects of leave administration.
Serve as first point of contact for inquiries regarding firm leave policies, third-party leave administration, state/local leave benefits, and related next steps.
Enter, track, and report on leave-related data in the Workday HRIS, ensuring accuracy and confidentiality.
Lead the coordination and validation of payroll adjustments for leaves of absence to ensure accurate, timely payments.
Prepare, track and maintain a variety of leave-related templates, communications and documentation. Proofread for accuracy of format, grammar, punctuation and syntax.
Demonstrate digital agility and a commitment to continuous learning by adopting new HR systems, technologies, and AI-enabled tools to improve efficiency and service delivery.
Create and disseminate monthly and ad-hoc leave reports to impacted teams across the firm.
Occasionally support reasonable accommodation administration by coordinating with the Compliance Manager and other appropriate Human Resources and/or legal team members.
Escalate complex, sensitive, or legally significant leave, accommodation, payroll, benefits or employee relations matters to the appropriate resources.
Proactively lead and participate in special projects and continuous improvement initiatives across the HR Benefits team.
Report to assigned work location as required under the firm’s hybrid work policy.