Absence Management Specialist Unit Leader

MetLife; Cary (NC); On-site; USD 55,600 - 99,300; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health plan

Life insurance

401(k) with employer matching

Paid time off

Job summary

MetLife is seeking a Unit Leader on its Global Operations team in the United States. You will lead a team handling Disability and Absence claims within approved guidelines, ensuring objectives in accuracy, customer centricity, and expense management are met.

Responsibilities include coaching, barrier removal in claims processes, and driving quality through audits and coaching. Strong communication, planning, and leadership skills are essential for success.

Qualifications

• 2+ years of Disability and/or Absence Management experience.
• Knowledge of disability/absence contractual provisions.
• Strong communication to interview claimants and gather necessary information.
• FMLA and PFML knowledge helpful.

Responsibilities

• Guide team members with knowledge, skills, tools, and resources to be successful.
• Articulate team and organizational vision of success and link roles to goals.
• Identify barriers in claims management and escalate with solutions.
• Evaluate accountability and link feedback to performance objectives.
• Address gaps in performance for individuals or the team.
• Conduct one-on-one sessions for metrics reviews and development.
• Ensure 100% compliance with mandatory training.

Skills

Disability management experience

Strong communication skills

FMLA/PFML knowledge

Critical-thinking

Decision-making

Time management

Team collaboration

Education

Associate Degree

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

On MetLife’s Global Customer Service and Operations (GCSO) team, customer care is built on trust, empathy, and a commitment to continuous improvement. Whether guiding customers through life’s important moments, solving challenges, or simplifying processes with innovative technology, you’ll help deliver a differentiated experience grounded in operational excellence. Backed by a collaborative team, you’ll play a vital role in strengthening the way we care and advocate for millions worldwide. Here, making a real difference isn’t just a goal – it’s what we do, one conversation at a time.

The Opportunity

Global Operations (Global Ops) focuses on creating positive experiences for MetLife customers and helping the company make the best use of its global resources. We’re looking for unique talent with fresh perspectives that can propel innovation. In the role of Unit Leader, you will manage a team responsible for investigating Disability and/or Absence claims within authorized guidelines. You will be responsible for ensuring that the team achieves or exceeds its business objectives in the areas of Claim Management Accuracy, Customer Centricity and Expense Management.

Key Responsibilities

• Supports and guides assigned team members to ensure that they have the knowledge, skills, tools, and resources to be successful as defined by MetLife and our customers.
• Clearly articulate the vision of success at the team and organizational level, how each role, and individual contributes to the aligned goals and objectives.
• Identify, remove, and challenge barriers related to claims management. Escalate to senior leaders in the organization as appropriate along with recommended solutions.
• Evaluate and manage team accountability by providing positive reinforcement or development opportunities to team members that are directly linked to their behaviors and performance objectives.
• Intervene as required to address acute gaps in performance, either of individuals on the team, or the team as a whole.
• Perform people management duties that include one on one sessions to address metrics reviews and career development. Ensure 100% compliance of mandatory training courses.
• Exhibits excellent interpersonal and communication skills in both verbal and written form with customer service proven through internal and external interactions.
• Drives Claim Management Accuracy and customer experience through support of the quality program utilizing claim file reviews and call monitoring to identify improvement opportunities, gaps in knowledge, trends for quality, service and/or compliance.
• Accountable for team correctly performing claim adjudication with the focus on Decisional, Financial, Claims Coding and Compliance Accuracy in accordance with the Customers’ plan/policy and regulations.
• Ensures team accurately sets up and administers all applicable concurrent claims based on the customers plan and/or policies to include but not limited to Short Term Disability, Family and Medical Leave, Paid Family and Medical Leave, Statutory Disability and/or employer sponsored benefit leaves.

Required Qualifications

• 2+ years of Disability and/or Absence Management experience.
• A comprehensive understanding of disability and/or absence management contractual provisions.
• Strong communication skills, including the ability to interview claimants dynamically with the goal of setting claimant expectations and obtaining information necessary to administer the claim.
• Basic knowledge of medical conditions, treatments, prognosis and FMLA and/or PFML requirements.
• Critical-thinking skills.
• Ability to give and receive feedback to and from partners.
• Strategic-thinking skills and the ability to apply judgment and decision-making based on strategy.
• Prioritization and time management skills – the ability to juggle multiple items at the same time and complete items on time.
• Ability to partner with internal/external customers.

Preferred Qualifications

• Associate Degree.
• 2 plus years of hands‑on claims management experience preferably.
• 5 plus years of Management experience.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite.

The expected salary range for this position is $55,600 - $99,300. This role may also be eligible for annual short‑term incentive compensation and stock‑based long‑term incentives. All incentives and benefits are subject to the applicable plan terms.

Benefits We Offer

Our U.S. benefits address holistic well‑being with programs for physical and mental health, financial wellness, and support for families. We offer a comprehensive health plan that includes medical/prescription drug and vision, dental insurance, and no‑cost short‑and long‑term disability. We also provide company‑paid life insurance and legal services, a retirement pension funded entirely by MetLife and 401(k) with employer matching, group discounts on voluntary insurance products including auto and home, pet, critical illness, hospital indemnity, and accident insurance, as well as Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and digital mental health programs, parental leave, paid time off, paid holidays, volunteer time off, tuition assistance and much more!

MetLife is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All employment decisions are made without regards to race, color, national origin, religion, creed, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, disability, marital or domestic/civil partnership status, genetic information, citizenship status (although applicants and employees must be legally authorized to work in the United States), uniformed service member or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law (“protected characteristics”).

If you need an accommodation due to a disability, please email us at [e-mail]. This information will be held in confidence and used only to determine an appropriate accommodation for the application process.

MetLife maintains a drug‑free workplace.

It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment. An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liabilities.