Sr. Administrator Leave of Absence - Contract

The Sr. Leave Administrator is responsible for assisting our Optometrists with the administration of all time away/ leaves of absence programs including mandatory state paid leave and disability programs. You will ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations while supporting employees through various types of leave. This is a long term contract role with potential to hire. Serve as the subject matter expert for leave of absence programs, including FMLA, ADA-related leave and accommodations, state and local paid leave programs, military leave, parental leave, personal leave, and company-sponsored leave programs. Provide People First, white-glove service by delivering empathetic, compassionate, and personalized support to Optometrists throughout the leave and time-away process. Maintain consistent and proactive communication with Optometrists through phone, video conferencing, email, and other appropriate communication channels to ensure employees feel informed and supported throughout their leave. Independently manage a caseload of leave and accommodation requests from initial intake through return to work, ensuring timely communication, documentation, and resolution. Partner with the Company's third-party leave administrator to ensure accurate and timely administration of leave requests while serving as the primary internal resource for employees and managers. Coordinate all aspects of the leave process, including eligibility determinations, required notices, medical certifications, leave extensions, benefit continuation, return-to-work planning, and case closure. Proactively identifies leave-related risks, collaborates with leadership on process improvements and supports complex cases. Monitor changes to federal, state, and local leave of absence regulations and proactively support new and upcoming regulations and maintain accurate leave tracking, reporting, case documentation, and audits to ensure compliance and data integrity. Perform additional duties, reporting, audits, and projects assigned. Bachelor’s degree in related field or applicable experience 5+ years SME in leave of absence/ multi-state paid leave administration with working knowledge of FMLA, ADA, state and federal leave requirements, and company leave policies. Mergers and acquisitions experience a plus Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite, HRIS, leave-management systems, and virtual communication platforms. Excellent communication, presentation, organization, time management, problem solving, and follow-up skills Ability and flexibility to work in a fast-paced environment and to handle confidential and sensitive information with discretion. Must have accountability and self-motivation for projects in a remote/hybrid capacity.