Leave Administration Specialist

Talascend is currently seeking a Leave Administration Specialist for a contract opportunity in Bellevue, WA.

SUMMARY:

This role supports the full cycle of leave administration processes, including Parental Leave, FMLA, Paid Family & Medical Leave (PFML), Workers Compensation, personal leave, and other types of company-approved leave. The position will also handle medical accommodations and return-to-work processes. This role partners closely with Payroll, HR, and third-party vendors to administer these programs, provide employee education, and support employees with benefit utilization.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Support leave requests, guiding employees through the full cycle of leave from initiation to return to work.
• Oversee tracking, documentation, and timely responses for active leaves of absence and incoming requests.
• Collaborate with employee managers to support employees who are on leave.
• Arrange approval of employee leaves and project codes for accurate tracking in the system of record, according to the leave types.
• Serve as a subject matter expert on all aspects of multi-state and federal leave mandates as well as company leave policies and benefits.
• Stay current with changes in leave regulations and continually update company policies, procedures, and guidelines.
• Coordinate with the Payroll & Finance Systems team to ensure pay and use of PTO (or other leave codes) accurately reflect the employee’s leave schedule and collaborate on the reconciliation process when the employee returns to work.
• Field and answer leave-related questions regarding state and federal regulations, healthcare plans, and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) inquiries.
• Act as a liaison between departments and vendors for Workers Compensation-related inquiries.
• Assist employees with Short-Term and Long-Term Disability inquiries.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

KEY QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS:

• Minimum of 5 years of Leave Administration experience, including FMLA, disability, and life benefits, as well as ancillary benefits.
• BA/BS degree or 10+ years of work experience in lieu of a degree.
• Knowledge of state and federal regulations, filing, and compliance requirements, both adopted and pending, which could impact employee benefits programs.
• Working knowledge of multi-state leave of absence laws and regulations, as well as Workers Compensation policies.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to work with operations teams and non-accounting professionals.
• Strong customer service skills in a high-growth, high-touch organization.
• Accuracy, time management, and timely follow-up skills.
• Proficient with Microsoft Excel and adaptable to other Finance and Accounting systems (e.g., ADP, Oracle Enterprise Cloud).
• Working knowledge of payroll systems; experience with ADP is preferred.
• Highly organized and detail-oriented with a high degree of accuracy.
• Ability to multi-task and handle benefits projects and ad hoc requests timely and accurately.
• Capable of quickly comprehending new information and technologies in a fast-paced environment.
• Strong understanding of the sensitive nature of working with confidential leave, benefits, and payroll information.
• The successful candidate will possess a high degree of trust and integrity, communicate openly, and display respect with a desire to foster teamwork.