People Operations Benefits, Leaves & Employee Relations Manager

Refocus Eye Health•Waterbury, CT

31d•Remote

About The Position

The People Operations Manager – Benefits, Leaves & Employee Relations manager is a highly skilled HR professional responsible for managing ReFocus’s multi-state benefits programs, complex leave administration, and employee relations support in CT and RI. This role owns core People Operations programs, ensures compliance with federal and state regulations, supports ER processes, and serves as a trusted advisor to colleagues and leaders. The Manager brings advanced judgment, strong communication skills, and the ability to navigate sensitive and complex situations with professionalism and empathy. This role does not directly supervise staff but manages critical HR programs and serves as the subject matter expert for benefits, leave laws, and employee relations documentation.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, Psychology, Healthcare Administration, or a related field required.
6–10 years of progressive HR experience, with substantial expertise in benefits administration, multi-state leave management, and employee relations.
Deep knowledge of FMLA, ADA, ERISA, COBRA, HIPAA, PFML programs, and multi-state employment laws.
Demonstrated ability to manage complex, sensitive issues with discretion, professionalism, and empathy.
Strong analytical, administrative, and communication skills.
Ability to navigate high-volume workloads across benefits, leave, and ER with accuracy and urgency.
Proficiency with HRIS/benefits systems (Paylocity preferred) and Microsoft Office Suite.

Nice To Haves

Healthcare or multi-site experience strongly preferred.

Responsibilities

Oversee administration of ReFocus’s benefits programs including medical, dental, vision, life, disability, 401(k), and wellness initiatives.
Serve as the organization’s primary subject matter expert on benefits eligibility, plan design, coverage, and compliance requirements.
Manage new hire benefit onboarding, life events, terminations, and data integrity within the HRIS/benefits system.
Partner with brokers and vendors to resolve escalated issues, evaluate plan performance, and support annual renewal strategies.
Lead Open Enrollment operations including configuration, testing, communication, and employee education.
Ensure compliance with ERISA, COBRA, HIPAA, and other federal/state regulations.
Own full lifecycle administration of all leave programs, including: o Federal: FMLA, USERRA o State: MA PFML, CT PFML, NY PFL, NJ FLI/NJFLA, RI TDI/TCI, etc. o Company-sponsored: medical, personal leaves o Disability coordination: STD, LTD o Workers’ compensation management
Ensure accurate tracking, timely notifications, and consistent case-handling across all states.
Serve as primary point of contact for employees and managers throughout the leave/return-to-work process.
Lead the ADA interactive process, facilitating accommodations and partnering with People Partners and leadership on solutions.
Maintain comprehensive, compliant leave documentation and audit-ready records.
Monitor adherence to federal and state leave timelines, ensuring ReFocus avoids compliance risk.
Provide frontline employee relations support including policy interpretation, conflict resolution, performance documentation, and workplace concerns.
Conduct initial fact-finding for ER issues; gather documentation, interview participants, and prepare objective summaries.
Draft formal ER documentation including counseling memos, investigatory statements, and follow-up communication.
Partner with People Team and leadership on sensitive or complex ER matters such as conduct concerns, attendance issues, or accommodation requests.
Track ER trends and elevate risk areas to HR leadership.
Reinforce consistent application of policies across states and practice locations.