Sr. Leaves & Accommodation Specialist

BLUE ORIGIN • Los Angeles, CA

8d • $134,434 - $188,207

About The Position

This role is part of Blue Origin corporate functions, providing centralized support across Blue Origin business unit teams, functions, and locations. We are a team of collaborators, doers, and problem-solvers who are relentlessly committed to a culture of safety. This position will directly impact the history of space exploration and will require your commitment and detailed attention towards safe and repeatable space flight. Join us in lowering the cost of access to space and enabling Blue Origin’s vision of millions of people living and working in space to benefit Earth. We are looking for someone to apply their leave expertise to deliver leave of absence, disability, and accommodation services to Blue Origin employees and positively impact safe human spaceflight. Passion for our mission and vision is required!

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or 5 years Benefits related experience with a minimum 3 years of relevant experience in Disability and Leave Administration.
• Deep subject matter expertise with demonstrated expertise in statutory disability plans, short- and long-term disability, disability accommodation (ADA/ADAAA/FEHA, etc.) and/or Federal/State leaves of absence (FMLA).
• Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience required.
• Computer proficiency and technical competence with the ability to use Microsoft products, including PowerPoint; experience with HRIS and benefits databases.
• Project and team management/leadership skills and experience.
• Ability to work effectively in a team environment with associates.
• Effective planning and priority setting. Ability to manage several complex projects simultaneously while working under pressure to meet deadlines.
• Strong analytical skills and a detailed knowledge of plan designs.
• Ability to understand, evaluate and make judgment on proposals (RFPs).
• Knowledge of benefits contract language.
• Knowledge of all pertinent federal and state regulations, filing and compliance requirements, both adopted and pending, affecting employee benefits programs, including the ACA, ERISA, USERRA, COBRA, FMLA, ADA, Section 125, workers' compensation, Medicare, OBRA, and Social Security and DOL requirements.
• Excellent communication and organization skills.
• Solid analytical capabilities, decision making skills and ability to exercise appropriate judgement.
• Strong organization skills: ability to effectively prioritize workflow from multiple sources.
• Ability to meet deadlines, work with a sense of urgency and flex to the work style of others.
• Strong quality orientation with an attention to detail and commitment to accuracy.
• High learning agility; strong initiative; self-starter with a positive attitude.
• Solid sense of integrity and ability to effectively manage and maintain confidentiality of information.
• Ability to handle confidential information with appropriate discretion.
• Self-directed; accountable
• Ability to earn trust, maintain positive and professional relationships, and contribute to a culture of inclusion.
• Must be a U.S. citizen or national, U.S. permanent resident (current Green Card holder), or lawfully admitted into the U.S. as a refugee or granted asylum.

Responsibilities

• Serve as Senior Leaves & Accommodations Specialist for the Benefits Team with responsibilities to include, but not limited to:
• Act as a liaison between Blue Origin and its leaves administrator, Matrix
• Provide leaves case management oversight, answering complex questions, understanding the employee's situation, applying the appropriate benefits, responding to changing circumstances and needs, and paving the way for a connected and trusted case management experience.
• Engage with employee, manager, and HR Business Partners throughout the life cycle of the leave, from initiation to return to work, answering questions and mentoring them throughout the process
• Actively support and promote an environment of partnership and consultation between employees and our leave administrator, Matrix
• Maintain communication with the employee, manager, and HR Business Partner to facilitate a smooth and timely leave process
• Serve as subject matter authority for the leave programs in alignment with company policies and processes
• Collaborates with key business partners and leaders to ensure specialized leave policy programs are successful across the organization
• Serve as a subject matter authority for specialized leave and disability cases offering real-time support to employees
• Lead all administrative aspects of leave cases to include tracking of the leave, PTO usage while on leave, and liaising with Reliance/Matrix and payroll to ensure accurate leave dates and pay for an employee
• Lead group and one-to-one consultation sessions about leave and disability events, benefits, and options available to employees
• Critically assess and adjust case management plans to an employee's changing needs
• Collaborate with legal and compliance partners on regulatory/employment liability issues as they relate to complex cases and/or policy development with leave, disability and/or accommodation
• Act as the Point of Contact for senior leadership on raised, time-sensitive matters
• Identify and tackle problems, sometimes with limited information
• Identify process and/or performance deficiencies and implement improvement plan
• Build and maintain effective partnerships with internal and external team members
• Build trust and confidence in the Benefits and Leaves Team through proactive partner interactions.
• Address and respond to confidential and/or raised situations (e.g. legal requests, executive issues, business continuity responses)
• Preserves confidentiality of employee medical documentation
• Maintains current knowledge of all applicable leave and accommodation laws including FMLA, ADA, state, and local laws
• Partner with HR Business Partners to review claims status and develop strategies to address/resolve leave claims issues
• Performs related duties as specified by Sr. Manager, Benefits

Benefits

• Medical, dental, vision, basic and supplemental life insurance, paid parental leave, short and long-term disability, 401(k) with a company match of up to 5%, and an Education Support Program.
• Stock Options for all regular employees (working at least 20 hours/week)
• Paid Time Off: Up to four (4) weeks per year based on weekly scheduled hours, and up to 14 company-paid holidays.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior