Primary Responsibility:

The Sr. Leave Specialist will be responsible for managing and administering employee leave programs, ensuring compliance with company policies and federal/state regulations and coordination of all leave of absence with internal partners and third-party vendor. Serve as a subject matter expert on leave-related matters, assisting employees, HR business partners and managers in navigating leave policies and processes.

What You'll Do:

• Oversee administration of employee leave requests process, including FMLA, ADA, short-term disability (STD), long-term disability (LTD), military leave, and other company-specific leave programs
• Ensure leave programs comply with federal and state regulations, including the Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), and other applicable laws
• Build a great relationship with the leave administration vendor and work closely with them to ensure efficient processing of all leaves
• Act as the primary point of contact for third part vendor, employees, HR business partners and managers regarding leave eligibility, requirements, and return-to-work processes
• Process benefits arrears for associates who return to work and calculate the premiums owed, provide HRIS team to be set up as back dues
• Generate leave related reports for benefits/finance teams and make sure the integrations are working accurately between company and vendor
• Work closely with HR directors, managers, and legal teams to coordinate leave cases and ensure minimal disruption to business operations
• Create and implement communications strategy to ensure accurate leave policy and procedure instructions are provided across all 200+ locations

What Experience and Education You Need:

• Bachelor's degree in human resources with a minimum of 5 years' related experience
• 5 years progressive leave of absence and/or accommodation management
• Leave of absence experience involving federal and multi-state administration
• Tools and technology requirements: Proficient in Microsoft Office, including Word and Excel

What Could Set You Apart:

• CPDM Certification
• Ability to speak Spanish
• Advanced knowledge and experience with leaves of absence, accommodations and return-to-work, and applicable federal, state and local laws in order to maintain compliance

Physical Requirements:

The physical demands described below are representative of those that must be met to successfully perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

• Requires the ability to sit for long periods of time, with frequent interruptions
• Requires several hours per day of sitting, getting up and down from chairs, and reaching, or bending
• Requires manual dexterity with normal hand and finger movements for typical office work
• Talking, hearing, and seeing are important elements of completing assigned tasks
• Requires some travel by automobile and airplane up to 10% of the time
• Requires visiting facility operations in temperatures at or below freezing
• May carry loads related to travel and occasionally lifts, carries, positions, or moves objects weighing up to 20 pounds

Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

What We Offer:

Our associates know the answer to the question What's in it for me We offer best-in-class benefit programs and continuously work with our associates to ensure that our offerings meet the needs of their health and financial well-being. When you join Americold you join a values-oriented company with a clear mission. We help our customers feed the world.

Americold is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer and complies with applicable employment laws.

EOE/AA M/F/D/V DFW.

ABOUT US

Americold is a global provider of temperature-controlled infrastructure. We partner with farmers and food producers to ensure their perishable and frozen product reaches foods suppliers, restaurants, and your local grocery store without spoilage. Our customers, which include some of the most respected brands in the food industry, rely on our expertise and commitment to safety in order to deliver on their commitments.