Leave of Absence Specialist

NorthStar Anesthesia•Irving, TX

6d•Hybrid

About The Position

NorthStar is seeking an experienced and proactive Leave of Absence Specialist to lead the planning, execution, and day-to-day administration of the company’s time-away-from-work and leave programs. This role serves as the subject matter expert for leave of absence and disability programs, ensuring compliant, efficient, and employee-centered administration of policies including FMLA, short-term and long-term disability, and paid and unpaid leave programs. The Leave of Absence Specialist manages and monitors the leave lifecycle while maintaining confidentiality, delivering responsive customer service, and ensuring compliance with federal and state regulations and company policies. Within the next 12 months, this role will play a critical role in the evaluation, selection, and implementation of new leave and disability administration vendors, with a strong emphasis on automation, process improvement, compliance, and employee experience. This position follows a hybrid work schedule and requires on‑site presence in the office every Tuesday and Wednesday. The remainder of the week may be worked remotely, offering flexibility while maintaining essential in‑person collaboration.

Requirements

Minimum of 2+ years of experience in human resources, benefits administration, or direct support of leave of absence and disability programs
Experience managing and auditing third-party vendors, including performance monitoring and issue resolution.
Knowledge of federal and state regulations related to employee benefits and leave administration (e.g., FMLA, PFL, ERISA, HIPAA, Workers’ Compensation).
Proven ability to handle sensitive and confidential information with professionalism and discretion.
Strong project and time management skills with a proactive mindset and ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to translate complex information into clear, employee-friendly messaging.
Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel and PowerPoint, including reporting, data analysis, and visual presentation of information.
Willingness to travel approximately 10–15% for onsite employee meetings and annual enrollment activities.

Nice To Haves

Experience implementing or improving benefits programs, systems, or processes preferred.
Workday experience preferred.

Responsibilities

Manage and monitor the lifecycle of leave of absence and disability cases including intake communication, eligibility determination, tracking and return-to-work coordination.
Serve as the primary internal point of contact for employees, managers, and stakeholders regarding leave processes, eligibility, and policies, delivering high-quality and responsive customer service.
Create and distribute leave-related correspondence and educational materials; educate employees and managers on leave and disability processes.
Proactively monitor leave of absence cases and collaborate with managers and stakeholders to ensure smooth and compliant return-to-work experience.
Play an integral role in the transition and implementation of leave of absence and disability administration vendors as a key member of the implementation team.
Participate in the RFP process, including vendor review, evaluation, and selection, with a focus on compliance, automation, service delivery, and employee experience.
Manage day-to-day vendor performance, identify issue trends and conduct regular audits of vendor reports to ensure accuracy and compliance.
Monitor vendor and program compliance with federal, state, and local leave laws, workers’ compensation requirements, and company policies.
Accurately input, update, and track leave of absence data in Workday (HRIS), ensuring correct employee status, pay, and eligibility verification.
Maintain accurate leave usage tracking documents and reporting tools.
Develop and deliver recurring and ad-hoc reports on leave of absence, disability, and workers’ compensation usage and trends.
Identify and implement process improvements, automation opportunities, and new program offerings to reduce friction for employees and managers.
Play an essential role in annual enrollment planning, implementation, and post-enrollment activities, including testing, communications, and employee education sessions (onsite and virtual).
Ensure all leave and disability-related communication materials are current, accurate, and aligned with program changes.
Present benefits-related information to employees in group settings, one-on-one, onsite, and virtually throughout the year.
Participate in and lead ad-hoc benefits-related projects, initiatives and tasks; maintain project documentation and provide regular status updates to stakeholders.