Leave of Absence Manager

General Purpose

The Leave of Absence (LOA) Manager leads the strategy, governance, and execution of all leave of absence, disability, and paid time off programs across a complex, multi-state healthcare workforce.

This role is accountable for delivering a compliant, consistent, and employee-centered experience while ensuring adherence to all federal, state, and local regulations.

Serving as the organization's subject matter expert, the LOA Manager provides clear, high-level guidance on regulatory requirements and complex cases.

This role operates as both a people leader and operational owner, leading a team and establishing standards for execution, accountability, and consistency in a decentralized environment.

The ideal candidate combines deep regulatory expertise with strong operational leadership, with the ability to navigate evolving legal landscapes, drive structure and discipline, and deliver scalable, high-quality outcomes across the enterprise.

Essential Duties

Leave of Absence Program Leadership & Execution


* Lead and oversee all leave of absence and accommodation programs across the enterprise.


* Own end-to-end leave processes, including intake, eligibility, documentation, tracking, and return-to-work coordination.


* Ensure consistent, compliant, and employee-centered program delivery at scale.


* Establish and maintain standardized policies, procedures, and workflows.

Regulatory Expertise & Compliance


* Serve as the subject matter expert on FMLA, ADA, PWFA, and state/local leave laws.


* Maintain deep expertise in complex jurisdictions (e.g., CA, CO, OR, WA).


* Interpret and apply regulations consistently across a multi-state workforce.


* Monitor regulatory changes and ensure timely updates to policies and practices.


* Support audits and ensure compliance readiness across programs.

Vendor Management & Operational Excellence


* Manage and hold the third-party administrator (e.g., Unum) accountable for:
+ Timely and accurate employee communications
+ SLA adherence
+ Quality of case management
+ Consistent application of company policies


* Partner regularly with the vendor to resolve issues and drive continuous improvement.


* Ensure seamless integration between internal systems (e.g., Workday) and vendor platforms.

Cross-Functional Partnership & Integration


* Partner with HR, Payroll, Benefits, Legal, Risk, Facilities, and Operations to ensure alignment.


* Ensure leave processes integrate effectively with payroll, benefits, and employee data systems.


* Proactively identify and resolve data, process, or experience gaps.


* Serve as the central point of coordination for complex or high-risk cases.

Team Leadership & Capability Development


* Lead, coach, and develop a team of LOA Specialists and Coordinators.


* Provide guidance on complex cases and escalations.


* Establish clear performance expectations...