Human Resources Specialist - Benefits, Compliance & Leaves

ZS; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 110,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Travel opportunities

Total rewards and development programs

Job summary

ZS is seeking an experienced Benefits Specialist — Compliance, Policy & Leave to join our Global Total Rewards team. This role focuses on benefits compliance, policy authorship, and leave of absence expertise across regions, with primary depth in U.S. law.

You will monitor regulatory changes and draft policy language that translates into practice. You will collaborate with Legal, manage complex leave cases end-to-end, and govern the documentation framework for policies, plan documents, and

Qualifications

• Must have 5+ years in benefits with compliance focus.
• Ability to author clear, compliant policy language.
• Experience with leave of absence programs (FMLA, ADA, state programs).

Responsibilities

• Serve as primary compliance resource for global benefits, tracking regulatory changes affecting plans and policies.
• Collaborate with providers to manage disability claims and complex leave cases end-to-end.
• Draft and maintain benefits, leave, and time-off policies with clear, legally sound language.
• Partner with Legal to translate guidance into operational policy and process.
• Own governance and documentation for benefits policies, including notices and audit readiness.
• Advise HR and regional teams on correct policy application and consistency across countries.
• Track leave, accommodation, audits, and case data to identify compliance risks and gaps.

Skills

Benefits compliance

Policy drafting

Regulatory interpretation

Leave administration

Policy governance

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR/related field

JD or paralegal credential

CEBS/GBA/CLMS (preferred)

Tools

Dayforce

SAP

SuccessFactors

Job description

ZS is a place where passion changes lives. As a management consulting and technology firm focused on improving life and how we live it, we transform ideas into impact by bringing together data, science, technology and human ingenuity to deliver better outcomes for all. Here you'll work side-by-side with a powerful collective of thinkers and experts shaping life-changing solutions for patients, caregivers and consumers, worldwide. ZSers drive impact by bringing a client-first mentality to each and every engagement. We partner collaboratively with our clients to develop custom solutions and technology products that create value and deliver company results across critical areas of their business. Bring your curiosity for learning, bold ideas, courage and passion to drive life-changing impact to ZS.

We are seeking an experienced, compliance-focused Benefits Specialist — Compliance, Policy & Leave to join our Global Total Rewards team. This is a global role responsible for benefits compliance, policy authorship, and leave of absence expertise across all regions we support, with primary depth in U.S. federal and state leave law. You will serve as the team's principal regulatory resource — monitoring legislative change, interpreting its impact on our plans and policies, and drafting the policy language that puts it into practice — while partnering closely with Legal on substantive regulatory matters. You will play a key role in delivering seamless and consistent support to employees, fostering trust through empathetic communication and sound, defensible application of policy.

What You'll Do:

• Serve as the primary compliance resource for global benefits, monitoring federal, state, and country-level regulatory change and assessing impact on our plans, policies, and practices.
• Collaborate with providers to manage short- and long-term disability claims effectively and empathetically, and own complex leave and health-plan exception cases end-to-end.
• Author, revise, and maintain benefits, leave, and time-off policies — owning the drafting itself — with clear, legally sound, and consistent language.
• Partner closely with Legal as a credible technical counterpart: framing issues, preparing background and recommendations, and translating legal guidance into operational policy and process.
• Own the governance and documentation framework for benefits policies, including version control, approval trails, plan documents, required notices, and audit readiness.
• Serve as subject-matter expert for leave of absence administration (FMLA, ADA, and state-level programs such as NY PFL, CA PFL, NJ TDI), and provide regulatory oversight of statutory leave across other countries.
• Administer accommodations under the ADA and related laws, including reduced-work-schedule requests, distinguishing medical accommodations from other requests.
• Manage leave and accommodation requests by ensuring completeness of documentation, interpreting applicability of leave protections, and guiding employees and managers through the process.
• Use judgment to identify when to elevate complex, sensitive, or precedent-setting cases to Legal or HR leadership.
• Advise HR and regional teams on the correct application of policy, resolving ambiguity and building consistency across countries.
• Track and analyze leave, accommodation, audits, and case data to identify compliance risk, surface policy gaps, and inform recommendations.

What You'll Bring:

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Industrial/Organizational Psychology, or a related field with a strong academic record; JD, paralegal credential, or formal compliance training a plus.
• 5+ years in benefits, with a demonstrated concentration in compliance, regulatory interpretation, and policy drafting.
• CEBS, GBA, CLMS, or similar professional certification (preferred).
• Demonstrated ability to author clear, compliant policy language independently, with writing samples or a policy portfolio available.
• Proven expertise in U.S. leave administration and accommodations, including:
• FMLA, ADA, and HIPAA
• State-specific programs such as NY PFL, CA PFL, NJ TDI
• Working knowledge of the broader regulatory landscape governing benefits plans (e.g., ERISA, ACA, COBRA) and comfort navigating multi-country statutory requirements.
• Experience administering intermittent and long-term leaves, interpreting medical certifications, and managing return-to-work processes.
• Experience supporting multi-country/global benefits programs and policy harmonization.
• Demonstrated success partnering with Legal or compliance functions on substantive regulatory matters.
• Familiarity with HRIS/HCM systems (e.g., Dayforce, SAP, SuccessFactors) and case documentation best practices.
• Strong professional communication skills and discretion in handling confidential matters.
• High attention to detail, sound judgment, and ability to manage ambiguity in novel or precedent-setting cases.

How you’ll grow:

• Cross-functional skills development & custom learning pathways
• Milestone training programs aligned to career progression opportunities
• Internal mobility paths that empower growth via s-curves, individual contribution and role expansions

Perks & Benefits:

At ZS, your growth matters. We offer a comprehensive total rewards package that supports your health and well-being, financial future, time away, and professional development. With robust skills-building programs, multiple career progression paths, internal mobility, and a deeply collaborative culture, you'll have the opportunity to do meaningful work, expand your capabilities, and thrive as part of a global community. For details on total rewards in United States, visit ZS US office locations | Where we work | ZS.

Hybrid working model:

We are committed to giving our employees a flexible and connected way of working. A flexible and connected ZS allows us to combine work from home and on-site presence at clients/ZS offices for the majority of our week. The magic of ZS culture and innovation thrives in both planned and spontaneous face-to-face connections.

Travel:

Travel is a requirement at ZS for client facing ZSers; business needs of your project and client are the priority. While some projects may be local, all client-facing ZSers should be prepared to travel as needed. Travel provides opportunities to strengthen client relationships, gain diverse experiences, and enhance professional growth by working in different environments and cultures.

Considering applying?

At ZS, we honor the visible and invisible elements of our identities, personal experiences, and belief systems—the ones that comprise us as individuals, shape who we are, and make us unique. We believe your personal interests, identities, and desire to learn are integral to your success here. We are committed to building a team that reflects a broad variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences. Learn more about our inclusion and belonging efforts and the networks ZS supports to assist our ZSers in cultivating community spaces and obtaining the resources they need to thrive.

ZS is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing equal employment and advancement opportunities without regard to any class protected by applicable law.

Work Authorization:

This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Candidates must have authorization to work in the United States that does not now or in the future require employer sponsorship.