Manager, Leaves and Disability Programs

Medica is a nonprofit health plan with more than a million members that serves communities in Minnesota, Nebraska, Wisconsin, Missouri, and beyond. We deliver personalized health care experiences and partner closely with providers to ensure members are genuinely cared for.

We're a team that owns our work with accountability, makes data-driven decisions, embraces continuous learning, and celebrates collaboration — because success is a team sport. It's our mission to be there in the moments that matter most for our members and employees. Join us in creating a community of connected care, where coordinated, quality service is the norm and every member feels valued.

The Manager, Leave and Disability Programs is responsible for the strategic people leadership, oversight, administration, compliance, and continuous improvement of the organization's leave of absence and disability team and programs. This role ensures compliance with federal, state, and local leave regulations while providing an exceptional employee experience throughout the leave lifecycle. This people leader serves as the subject matter expert for leave administration, disability management, workers compensation, and accommodations, leading vendor partnerships, process improvement initiatives, and a team of leave professionals to support organizational objectives and workforce well-being. Performs other duties as assigned.

Key Accountabilities

Lead Leave of Absence and Disability Programs

• Oversee administration of FMLA, ADA accommodations, state and local leave requirements, paid family and medical leave programs, military leave, parental leave, disability programs, and company-sponsored leave offerings
• Ensure consistent application of policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements
• Monitor legislative changes and implement program updates as needed

People Leadership

• Leads, develops, and manages the leave administration team to achieve business objectives while fostering an inclusive, compliant, and performance-driven work environment.
• Establishes clear performance expectations, provides ongoing coaching and feedback, and supports employee development and engagement.
• Promotes accountability, collaboration, and alignment with organizational goals while ensuring compliance with company policies, employment laws, and leave-related programs.
• Monitors operational metrics, leave trends, and employee feedback to identify improvement opportunities and leads strategic initiatives that enhance efficiency, compliance, employee experience, and overall operational effectiveness

Manage Vendor Partnerships and Operational Performance

• Oversee relationships with leave, disability, and accommodation vendors and third-party administrators
• Establish, monitor, and evaluate service level agreements and performance metrics
• Lead issue resolution, process enhancements, and implementation of technology solutions supporting leave administration
• Ensure integration and coordination between leave, payroll, benefits, and HR systems

Ensure Regulatory Compliance and Risk Mitigation

• Serve as the organization’s subject matter expert on leave and disability regulations
• Partner with Legal, Human Resources, Employee Relations, and Compliance teams to manage complex cases
• Conduct audits and quality reviews to ensure compliance, documentation accuracy, and adherence to company policies
• Identify and mitigate operational and compliance risks

Drive Employee Experience and Business Partnership

• Act as escalation point for sensitive and complex leave cases
• Provide consultation and guidance to leaders, HR partners, and employees regarding leave administration and return-to-work practices
• Develop communication and educational resources to increase understanding of leave programs and employee responsibilities
• Promote a compassionate, complaint, and employee-centered approach to leave management

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, Healthcare Administration, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and professional background
• 5+ years supporting leave of absence, disability, accommodations, benefits administration, or related employee programs
• Comprehensive knowledge of FMLA, ADA, USERRA, workers' compensation, and applicable state and local leave regulations
• Proven track record of managing third-party administrators and vendor partnerships, including service-level performance and issue resolution
• Excellent communication and consultation skills with the ability to influence decision-making and provide guidance to leaders and employees

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in HR systems including ServiceNow and UKG
• Demonstrated ability to lead, develop, and motivate a team while fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration, compliance, and exceptional employee service
• Familiarity with multi-state paid family and medical leave programs and evolving legislative requirements
• Strong analytical capabilities with a focus on measuring program effectiveness, identifying trends, and developing actionable recommendations

This position is an Office role, which requires an employee to work onsite at our Minnetonka, MN or Madison, WI office, on average, 3 days per week.

The full salary grade for this position is $100,300 - $172,000. While the full salary grade is provided, the typical hiring salary range for this role is expected to be between $100,300 - $150,465. Annual salary range placement will depend on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, education, work experience, applicable certifications and/or licensure, the position's scope and responsibility, internal pay equity and external market salary data.  In addition to compensation, Medica offers a generous total rewards package that includes competitive medical, dental, vision, PTO, Holidays, paid volunteer time off, 401K contributions, caregiver services and many other benefits to support our employees.

The compensation and benefits information is provided as of the date of this posting. Medica’s compensation and benefits are subject to change at any time, with or without notice, subject to applicable law.

Eligibility to work in the US: Medica does not offer work visa sponsorship for this role. All candidates must be legally authorized to work in the United States at the time of application. Employment is contingent on verification of identity and eligibility to work in the United States.

We are an Equal Opportunity employer, where all qualified candidates receive consideration for employment indiscriminate of race, religion, ethnicity, national origin, citizenship, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information, or any other protected characteristic.