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Manager - Leave of Absence - US and Canada

Manager - Leave of Absence - US and Canada

locationNew York, NY, USA
PublishedPublished: 10/17/2024
Full Time

You Lead the Way. We’ve Got Your Back.

With the right backing, people and businesses have the power to progress in incredible ways. When you join Team Amex, you become part of a global and diverse community of colleagues with an unwavering commitment to back our customers, communities and each other. Here, you’ll learn and grow as we help you create a career journey that’s unique and meaningful to you with benefits, programs, and flexibility that support you personally and professionally.

At American Express, you’ll be recognized for your contributions, leadership, and impact—every colleague has the opportunity to share in the company’s success. Together, we’ll win as a team, striving to uphold our company values and powerful backing promise to provide the world’s best customer experience every day. And we’ll do it with the utmost integrity, and in an environment where everyone is seen, heard and feels like they belong.

Join Team Amex and let's lead the way together.

As a part of the Colleague Experience Group, we strive to provide a great colleague experience every day. We obsess over understanding the colleague experience at a deeper level to co-create simple and great ways of working that enable everyone to be and deliver their best. We make a difference in the lives of our people, providing a culture of learning and collaboration, and helping them with what they need to succeed and thrive.

We have their backs as they grow their skills, conquer new challenges, or even take time to spend with their family or community. And when they’re ready to take on a new career path, we’re right there with them, giving them the guidance and momentum into the best future they envision.

The Manager, Leave of Absence (LOA) US and Canada will work on the Global Well-being and Benefits team in Colleague Total Rewards and Well-being (CTRW). As a key team member, this person is a key contributor in designing, implementing, and evaluating programs while collaborating with internal and external stakeholders to enhance employee engagement and well-being. This role will be part of the Colleague Experience Group (HR), collaborating with numerous internal and external stakeholders and leading a team to lead policy and program offerings. The successful candidate will possess thought leadership, strategic thinking, communication, and a track record of success leading a strategic and complex leave of absence program.

How will you make an impact in this role?

  • The Leaves of Absence Manager will be responsible for overseeing all aspects of the disability plan within the organization.
  • Handle Escalations: Serve as the primary point of contact for all escalations related to disability, legislative leaves, and accommodations. Address and resolve issues promptly and effectively, ensuring compliance with relevant laws and regulations.
  • Provide guidance and support by addressing questions via the dedicated AskLOA email box.
  • Stay up to date with industry best practices and legislative changes to ensure programs are effective and compliant.
  • Manage all leave types including Salary Continuation, Workers Compensation, Workplace Accommodation, Unpaid Medical Leave, and LTD (Long Term Disability).
  • Partner with internal stakeholders, such as CEG (Human Resources), legal, operations and management, and external partners, to enhance colleague engagement and well-being opportunities; creating strong relationships to support the successful implementation of programs.
  • Provide coaching and guidance to front-line leaders on process and best practices related to disability, leaves, and accommodations. Conduct training and orientation sessions for new leaders and employees to ensure understanding and compliance with program requirements. Point of contact for leader support.
  • Collaborate with teams to investigate and resolve claim escalations and identify opportunities for process improvements within disability, leaves, and accommodation programs.
  • Analyze quarterly trends and service level agreements with vendors and collaborate with others to develop improvement plans where necessary.
  • Design and implement communication tools for internal and external stakeholders to ensure accurate and up-to-date information on disability, leaves, and accommodation programs. Develop regular reports for senior leadership on program status and results.
  • Support market evaluations of disability, leaves, and accommodation programs to ensure best practices are implemented and service gaps are addressed. Stay informed about industry trends and benchmark against other organizations.
  • Integrate return to work (RTW) best practices with workplace accommodation team to drive consistency and excellence. 

Minimum Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Disability Management, Occupational Health, or strong background in disability industry and case management.
  • Minimum of 5 years industry experience in managing disability leaves plans, workplace accommodation and vendor liaison.
  • In-depth knowledge of federal and state laws.
  • Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to identify trends and develop improvement plans.
  • Excellent communication, interpersonal skills, and written skills with the ability to collaborate effectively with internal and external stakeholders.
  • Strong customer service and phone presence skills.
  • Proven experience in coaching and training front-line leaders on process and best practices.
  • Ability to handle escalations and resolve issues in a timely and effective manner.
  • Ability to handle multiple tasks and priorities.
  • Proficiency in using HR information systems and other relevant software and strong background in operations.
  • Strong attention to detail and ability to prioritize tasks in a fast-paced environment.
  • Ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive information with discretion.
  • Supporting role: Experience in vendor management
  • Strong background in process improvement, operations, legislative laws, and vendor management.

Salary Range: $80,000.00 to $155,000.00 annually + bonus + benefits

The above represents the expected salary range for this job requisition. Ultimately, in determining your pay, we’ll consider your location, experience, and other job-related factors.

We back our colleagues and their loved ones with benefits and programs that support their holistic well-being. That means we prioritize their physical, financial, and mental health through each stage of life. Benefits include:

  • Competitive base salaries 
  • Bonus incentives 
  • 6% Company Match on retirement savings plan 
  • Free financial coaching and financial well-being support 
  • Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life insurance, and disability benefits 
  • Flexible working model with hybrid, onsite or virtual arrangements depending on role and business need 
  • 20+ weeks paid parental leave for all parents, regardless of gender, offered for pregnancy, adoption or surrogacy 
  • Free access to global on-site wellness centers staffed with nurses and doctors (depending on location) 
  • Free and confidential counseling support through our Healthy Minds program 
  • Career development and training opportunities

For a full list of Team Amex benefits, visit our Colleague Benefits Site.

American Express is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, disability status, age, or any other status protected by law.

We back our colleagues with the support they need to thrive, professionally and personally. That's why we have Amex Flex, our enterprise working model that provides greater flexibility to colleagues while ensuring we preserve the important aspects of our unique in-person culture. Depending on role and business needs, colleagues will either work onsite, in a hybrid model (combination of in-office and virtual days) or fully virtually.

US Job Seekers/Employees - Click here to view the “Know Your Rights” poster and the Pay Transparency Policy Statement.

If the links do not work, please copy and paste the following URLs in a new browser window: https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ofccp/posters to access the three posters.

Employment eligibility to work with American Express in the U.S. is required as the company will not pursue 
visa sponsorship for these positions.