Specialist, Talent - Leaves Administration

The Leaves Administrator plays a vital role in supporting Uncommon Schools' staff by managing employee leave requests with care, accuracy, and operational efficiency. By serving as a trusted primary point of contact during medical, personal, and family leaves, this position ensures employees receive clear guidance and support throughout their leave lifecycle. The Leaves Administrator collaborates closely with HR Payroll, Legal, and Total Rewards teams to maintain compliant, consistent, and seamless leave practices across the organization. Effective leave administration directly enhances staff well-being and retention, allowing school leaders and educators to remain focused on delivering educational excellence. Through detail-oriented case management and adherence to legal guidelines, this role ensures equitable policy application across all teams.
Responsibilities
Case Management & Leave Administration
Manage assigned leave cases through the full lifecycle, including intake, eligibility review, documentation collection, leave designation, ongoing case updates, and return-to-work processes.
Serve as the primary point of contact for employees and key stakeholders, offering clear guidance on leave requirements, documentation, timelines, and next steps.
Apply established organizational leave policies, standard operating protocols, and decision trees to make routine, case-level determinations.
Maintain accurate, timely, and complete case records, including leave dates, status changes, employee communications, and medical certifications.
Maintain strict confidentiality regarding Personal Health Information (PHI), Personally Identifiable Information (PII), and sensitive medical documentation.
Compliance & Risk Management
Maintain a working knowledge of the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), applicable state and local leave laws, and workers' compensation.
Ensure case administration aligns with legal requirements and organizational policies, escalating policy exceptions or potential legal risks to leadership or Legal counsel.
Conduct regular case reviews, quality checks, and internal audits to confirm adherence to documentation and workflow standards.
Provide accurate case records and documentation to support compliance requests, audits, and employee relations inquiries.
Systems & Data Management
Enter and maintain accurate leave-related information within Workday and internal tracking systems.
Perform routine data audits and quality checks to identify and resolve data discrepancies.
Partner directly with the HR Payroll team to ensure accurate and timely pay processing for employees on leave.
Support vendor coordination and internal or external audit activities as needed.
Process Improvement & Team Support
Contribute to operational improvement projects and pilots focused on case workflows, tracking tools, and escalation handling.
Participate in continuous training, process updates, and system enhancements to improve leave operations.
Provide backup support to team members to manage full-cycle leave cases during peak volume periods or coverage gaps.
Required Qualifications
3–4 years of relevant experience in leave administration, human resources, or benefits administration.
Bachelor's degree.
Working knowledge of FMLA, ADA, state and local leave laws, workers' compensation, and leave-related benefits.
Proficiency in data entry and data analysis using tools such as Microsoft Excel.
Preferred Qualifications
Prior experience utilizing Workday for HR systems or leave tracking.

Employment type
Full-time

Work arrangement
No