Manager- Accommodations & Leaves

Northeastern University•Boston, MA

About The Position

The Manager, Accommodations & Leaves (Canada) leads Northeastern University’s accommodations and leave programs across its U.S. and Canadian locations. The role directly manages workplace accommodations and leaves for the Toronto and Vancouver campuses, ensuring compliance with applicable human rights, accessibility, employment standards, and university requirements. In the U.S., the Manager oversees the accommodations program delivered by an ADA Specialist and serves as an escalation point for complex or high-risk cases. The university uses a third-party vendor to administer leaves in both countries, with U.S. leave administration fully outsourced. The Manager is the university’s primary point of accountability for the vendor, overseeing service quality, supporting internal leave administration, and ensuring the accuracy of leave-related payments. The role partners with HR Business Partners, Payroll, Benefits, Talent Acquisition, and the Office of General Counsel. The Manager also monitors legal and regulatory developments, recommends policy and process updates, provides training, coordinates return-to-work plans, and supervises the ADA Specialist. The position reports to the Associate Vice-President, Total Rewards, Global Mobility and Compliance.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in human resources, disability management, psychology, social work, or a related field.
5–7 years of progressive experience in workplace accommodations, disability management, and/or leave administration, including casework in both the U.S. and Canada.
At least two years of experience supervising or leading staff.
Experience overseeing a third-party leave or disability claims administrator, including SLA monitoring, auditing, payment reconciliation, and escalation management.
Working knowledge of U.S. accommodations and leave law, including the ADAAA, PWFA, FMLA, Massachusetts Chapter 151B, Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave, and other applicable state and local requirements.
Working knowledge of the duty to accommodate under the Ontario and British Columbia Human Rights Codes; AODA and its Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation; Ontario and BC Employment Standards Acts; Employment Insurance special benefits; and WSIB / WorkSafeBC.
Ability to interpret medical and functional-abilities documentation and communicate clearly with treating providers, employees, and managers.
Strong understanding of how leave status affects pay, benefits, and payroll processing, with analytical skills to identify and resolve payment discrepancies.
Sound judgment and discretion when handling sensitive and confidential information.
Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage competing priorities across two countries.
Excellent written and oral communication skills, including drafting determination letters and training content.
Ability to build collaborative relationships and influence stakeholders at all levels across U.S. and Canadian teams.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Word and Excel.

Nice To Haves

Workday experience.
CHRP/CHRL, Certified Disability Management Professional (CDMP), Certified Return to Work Coordinator (CRTWC), or ADA Coordinator certification.
Experience in higher education or a multi-state / multi-country organization.

Responsibilities

Directly manage disability and pregnancy-related accommodations for Canadian faculty, staff, and applicants, including the interactive process, review of medical documentation, written determinations, and individual accommodation plans to the point of undue hardship.
Oversee the U.S. accommodations program delivered by the ADA Specialist and serve as the escalation point for complex, high-risk, or precedent-setting cases.
Ensure accommodation decisions are individualized, consistent across both countries, and documented in the system of record.
Partner with Talent Acquisition to support applicants who need accommodations during recruitment.
Serve as the primary internal liaison with the third-party leave administrator for U.S. and Canadian leaves; monitor contractual SLAs, audit claim decisions and data, and resolve discrepancies.
Oversee internal administrative entries in Workday and the accuracy of U.S. leave-related payments, partnering with Payroll and Benefits on reconciliation, corrections, and overpayment recovery.
Manage Canadian leaves end to end, including statutory leaves, short- and long-term disability claims, Records of Employment, salary top-up, and benefit continuation.
Monitor legislation, regulatory changes, and case law affecting accommodations and leave, and recommend updates to policies, procedures, and communications.
Support AODA employment-standard obligations, including individual accommodation plans, individualized workplace emergency response information, and documented return-to-work processes.
Deliver training to managers, HR Business Partners, and university partners in both countries.
Produce reporting on case volume, vendor performance, and payment accuracy to identify process improvements.
Coordinate return-to-work and graduated return plans for Canadian employees, aligning leave, disability claims, and accommodation outcomes; coordinate U.S. accommodations and leave outcomes at return to work.
Manage the intersection of accommodations with WSIB and WorkSafeBC workplace injury claims and refer U.S. workers’ compensation matters to the appropriate office.
Track leave exhaustion and LTD transitions, escalating complex cases to the Associate Vice-President, Total Rewards, Global Mobility and Compliance and the Office of General Counsel.
Supervise the ADA Specialist, including caseload management, quality review of determinations, coaching, and performance and development planning.
Set consistent standards, templates, and workflows for accommodation and leave programs.
Serve as backup for U.S. accommodation casework as needed.
Perform other duties as assigned.