Senior/Lead Accommodation Specialist

Unum Group•Chattanooga, TN

About The Position

The Senior/Lead Accommodation Specialist is the second step in the Accommodation Specialist career path and supports ongoing relationships with employees requesting leaves and their employer contacts. The role provides training and mentorship to new Accommodation Specialists and helps employees and customers understand Unum communications, processes, and benefits. It also educates team members about stay-at-work, return-to-work, and workplace-adjustment processes. The specialist supports complex customers and their designated HR representatives with questions about corporate leave policies, leave management, FMLA, and short- and long-term disability claims. The role serves as a technical resource, handles escalated issues, advises on accommodations, and partners across Unum and with third-party administrators to support service delivery and return-to-work plans. It also monitors relevant legal and privacy requirements, maintains documentation, and contributes to improvements in team workflows.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent relevant business experience.
At least 12 months of experience as an Accommodation Specialist.
Knowledge supporting moderate-to-complex cases in disability management, leave management, workers’ compensation administration, clinical and/or vocational rehabilitation, disability case management, or human resources.
Ability to apply FMLA, ADA, and state leave-law requirements to a broad range of cases and interpret guidance in less-defined scenarios.
Strong creativity and problem-solving skills, including analyzing the impacts and implications of viable approaches and identifying alternatives.
Ability to prioritize and manage workload independently and adapt to changing priorities.
Ability to synthesize and present insights from reports and documents.
Ability to navigate ambiguity, recommend solutions, and mentor others through change.
Ability to collaborate with employers, vendors, and third-party administrators to develop and evaluate return-to-work plans.

Responsibilities

Serve as a resource for designated HR representatives at complex customers regarding corporate leave policies, leave management procedures, FMLA processes, and STD/LTD claims management.
Provide technical support to the team and less-experienced Accommodation Specialists.
Handle and resolve escalated customer issues and leave-specific questions.
Mentor and coach new and existing specialists on workflows, processes, decision-making, and complex service issues.
Provide directors or managers with performance feedback for assigned mentees.
Act as a subject matter expert on business processes and systems, including Navilink, BAS, workers’ compensation interfaces, other third-party administrator interfaces, and state-specific websites.
Stay current on the evolving federal and statutory ADA landscape.
Review medical information to assess eligibility for worksite modifications, recommend appropriate accommodations, and partner with third-party administrators to support decisions.
Identify potential accommodations for employees with medical conditions or functional limitations that affect job performance, and determine when to recommend or coordinate independent medical evaluations.
Partner with appropriate Unum entities, including the Law Department and disability and leave organizations, to deliver services effectively.
Maintain current knowledge of state insurance privacy laws and HIPAA, and help customers identify issues when communicating about medical information.
Track customer-provided modifications and ensure interactions and customer modification decisions are properly documented.
Apply legal requirements for FMLA, ADA, and state leave laws across cases, interpret guidance in less-defined situations, and provide input and recommendations on moderately complex issues.
Facilitate cross-functional collaboration and potentially lead small projects.
Analyze potential approaches, identify alternatives, and pilot process improvements.
Independently prioritize and manage workload while adapting to shifting priorities.
Synthesize and present insights from reports and documents on related topics.
Recommend solutions in ambiguous situations and mentor others through change.
Coach peers on sensitive customer interactions that encourage employees to return to work or remain at work.
Lead collaboration with employers, vendors, and other third-party administrators to determine, implement, and evaluate return-to-work plans.
Adopt tools for tracking, documentation, and diary systems; train others and help optimize workflows.
Perform other duties as assigned.