Senior Leave Specialist

Rosendin•Sacramento, CA

About The Position

The Senior Leave Specialist administers and oversees the Company’s leave of absence and disability programs, including FMLA, CFRA, state paid leave programs, company-provided leaves, disability benefits, and related leave accommodations. As the internal subject matter expert, this individual manages complex and escalated cases, ensures compliance with applicable laws, and supports a consistent, high-quality employee experience throughout the leave lifecycle. The role works with the Company’s leave and disability administrators, employees, managers, Payroll, HR Operations, and Benefits to oversee cases from intake through return to work. Responsibilities include ensuring timely processing and accurate documentation, coordinating pay and benefits, monitoring vendor performance, resolving case administration issues, interpreting policies and regulations, and recommending process improvements. As an individual contributor on the Benefits team, the Senior Leave Specialist serves as the primary internal resource for leave administration and provides functional guidance to HR Operations team members. The position operates under the direction of the Sr. Manager, Benefits.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business, or a related field, or equivalent experience.
5–7 years of experience in leave administration.
Demonstrated experience with multi-state leave programs, including FMLA, CFRA, state-mandated leave, local leaves, and company leave policy.
Experience with an HRIS platform.
Strong analytical skills, including the ability to interpret data, identify trends, and translate insights into clear recommendations.
High attention to detail and strong follow-through on case documentation and deadlines.
Strong written and verbal communication skills and a customer-service orientation toward employees navigating a sensitive process.
Experience managing complex, high-impact employee situations, including escalated complaints and emotionally charged interactions.
Exceptional judgment, empathy, and communication skills to de-escalate concerns, resolve issues, and influence positive outcomes.
Experience synthesizing federal and state laws with company policy to administer complex leave cases.
Ability to handle confidential employee information with discretion.

Nice To Haves

Experience managing integrated leave, disability, accommodation, and Workers’ Compensation cases, including coordinating return-to-work activities and collaborating with third-party claims administrators.
Workday experience.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary escalation point for complex leave and disability cases requiring policy interpretation, compliance review, or exception consideration.
Administer and resolve complex cases involving federal, state, and local leave laws, including FMLA, CFRA, and other statutory leave programs.
Serve as the primary liaison with the third-party leave and disability administrator and oversee individual cases in accordance with established procedures.
Review, process, and manage leave requests, maintaining accurate records that comply with company policies and regulatory requirements.
Monitor case status, documentation, and deadlines from intake through return to work and case closure.
Guide employees on leave status, processes, and documentation requirements.
Guide HR staff on leave policies, practices, and processes.
Contribute to manager training about their role in the leave process.
Manage leave and disability vendors, monitoring accountability and service-level expectations.
Identify, investigate, and resolve vendor performance concerns and service issues.
Produce and review reports and analyze information.
Manage leave-related time-card adjustments and ensure timely, accurate processing.
Resolve leave-related pay questions and discrepancies for Payroll.
Reconcile information from the state, third-party administrators, Payroll, and HR Systems.
Recommend enhancements to leave policies, procedures, and administration practices.
Document operating procedures and recommend improvements to leave processes, employee experience, and compliance.
Identify process gaps or inconsistencies and recommend improvements to the Sr. Manager, Benefits.
Escalate cases requiring a policy exception to the Sr. Manager, Benefits.
Provide functional guidance to HR Operations team members supporting leave-related processes.