Manager, Leaves and Disability Programs
About The Position
The Manager, Leaves and Disability Programs provides strategic leadership and oversight of Medica’s leave of absence and disability team and programs. The role is responsible for administration, compliance, and continuous improvement while ensuring an exceptional employee experience throughout the leave lifecycle. The manager serves as a subject matter expert in leave administration, disability management, workers’ compensation, and accommodations, and leads vendor partnerships, process improvement initiatives, and a team of leave professionals in support of organizational objectives and workforce well-being. Other duties may be assigned. This office-based position requires working onsite at Medica’s Minnetonka, Minnesota, or Madison, Wisconsin, office an average of three days per week. The full salary grade is $100,300–$172,000, with a typical hiring range of $100,300–$150,465. Salary placement depends on factors including education, experience, certifications or licensure, position scope and responsibility, internal pay equity, and external market data. Medica does not offer work visa sponsorship; candidates must be authorized to work in the United States at the time of application.
Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Healthcare Administration, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and professional background.
- At least 5 years of experience supporting leave of absence, disability, accommodations, benefits administration, or related employee programs.
- Comprehensive knowledge of FMLA, ADA, USERRA, workers’ compensation, and applicable state and local leave regulations.
- Track record managing third-party administrators and vendor partnerships, including service-level performance and issue resolution.
- Excellent communication and consultation skills, with the ability to influence decision-making and provide guidance to leaders and employees.
Nice To Haves
- Experience working with HR systems, including ServiceNow and UKG.
- Demonstrated ability to lead, develop, and motivate a team while fostering accountability, collaboration, compliance, and exceptional employee service.
- Familiarity with multi-state paid family and medical leave programs and evolving legislative requirements.
- Strong analytical capabilities, including measuring program effectiveness, identifying trends, and developing actionable recommendations.
Responsibilities
- Oversee administration of FMLA, ADA accommodations, state and local leave requirements, paid family and medical leave programs, military leave, parental leave, disability programs, and company-sponsored leave offerings.
- Ensure consistent application of policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements; monitor legislative changes and implement program updates as needed.
- Lead, develop, and manage the leave administration team, setting performance expectations, providing coaching and feedback, supporting development and engagement, and fostering accountability, collaboration, and compliance.
- Monitor operational metrics, leave trends, and employee feedback to identify opportunities and lead initiatives to improve efficiency, compliance, employee experience, and operational effectiveness.
- Oversee relationships with leave, disability, and accommodation vendors and third-party administrators.
- Establish, monitor, and evaluate vendor service-level agreements and performance metrics; lead issue resolution and process enhancements.
- Implement technology solutions supporting leave administration and ensure coordination among leave, payroll, benefits, and HR systems.
- Serve as the organization’s subject matter expert on leave and disability regulations.
- Partner with Legal, Human Resources, Employee Relations, and Compliance teams on complex cases.
- Conduct audits and quality reviews to ensure regulatory compliance, accurate documentation, and adherence to company policies; identify and mitigate operational and compliance risks.
- Serve as an escalation point for sensitive and complex leave cases.
- Advise leaders, HR partners, and employees on leave administration and return-to-work practices.
- Develop communications and educational resources about leave programs and employee responsibilities.
- Promote a compassionate and employee-centered approach to leave management.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Benefits
- Competitive medical, dental, and vision coverage.
- PTO and holidays.
- Paid volunteer time off.
- 401K contributions.
- Caregiver services.
- Other benefits to support employees.
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Manager
