Leave & HR Compliance Leader

National Life Group; Montpelier (VT); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

National Life Group is seeking an experienced Leaves & HR Compliance Consultant to lead the design and ongoing improvement of leave of absence and accommodation programs, including federal and state requirements. You will ensure accurate administration, regulatory readiness, and policy governance across benefits and HR functions.

You will partner with payroll, legal, and business leaders to align practices with company values and employee experience priorities, driving data-informed improvements

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Human Resources, or a related field.
• 8-10 years of experience in leave of absence, accommodations, HR compliance, and/or benefits administration.
• Experience leading compliance programs required.
• Knowledge of FMLA, ADA, PWFA, and state/local leave laws.
• Understanding of employment law and HR compliance requirements across multiple states.
• Working knowledge of benefits compliance (ERISA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA).
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
• Ability to manage sensitive and confidential information with discretion.
• Project management and process improvement capabilities.
• Proficiency with HRIS systems, leave management platforms, and

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of leave of absence and accommodation programs, including FMLA, ADA, PWFA, USERRA, state leave programs, parental leave, and company-sponsored leaves.
• Establish and maintain scalable processes that balance compliance, efficiency, and employee experience.
• Oversee the end-to-end administration of leave and accommodation cases, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and consistency.
• Guide complex and escalated cases, including ADA accommodations and intermittent leave scenarios, serving as escalation point.
• Monitor regulatory changes and proactively update policies, procedures, and practices.
• Define service level expectations and operational metrics.
• Monitor operational performance and implement process improvements.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable employment regulations and internal policies
• Monitor regulatory changes and proactively recommend updates to policies, practices, and procedures
• Partner with legal and HR leadership to interpret laws and implement compliant, practical solutions
• Partner with Payroll to ensure accurate pay, deductions, and benefit continuation during leave events
• Validate payroll impacts related to benefits, leave, and accommodations
• Collaborate with Benefits and vendors to ensure seamless administration and communication
• Support compliance activities related to health and welfare benefit plans in partnership with Benefits, legal, and external vendors
• Coordinate and support preparation and timely filing of Form 5500 and associated schedules for applicable benefit plans
• Support nondiscrimination testing to ensure plan compliance and equity
• Ensure compliance with ERISA, ACA, COBRA, HIPAA, and other applicable benefits regulations
• Support delivery of required associate notices and audit documentation
• Maintenance and governance of HR policies and procedures, including the Associate Handbook
• Ensure policies are updated in response to regulatory changes and aligned with company practices
• Manage communication of policy updates in partnership with Communications
• Establish key performance indicators for leave administration and compliance.
• Analyze trends and implement operational improvements based on data.
• Develop and maintain reporting on compliance activities
• Partner with HR analytics teams to align reporting with broader workforce insights
• Foster a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and customer-centric service
• Set performance standards and ensure delivery of high-quality, timely outcomes
• Support HR Business Partners and business leaders on compliance, policy, and associate-related matters
• Partner with HR Business Partners, managers, and associates to provide guidance on leave, accommodations, and compliance processes
• Collaborate with legal, compensation, talent, IT, and external vendors to ensure aligned solutions
• Serve as a trusted advisor on complex associate leave/accommodation situations

Skills

HR compliance

Leave of absence

Policy governance

Data reporting

Communication

Project management

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business/HR

Tools

HRIS systems

Leave management platforms

Job description

National Life Group is seeking an experienced Leaves & HR Compliance Consultant to lead the design and ongoing improvement of leave of absence and accommodation programs, including federal and state requirements. You will ensure accurate administration, regulatory readiness, and policy governance across benefits and HR functions.

You will partner with payroll, legal, and business leaders to align practices with company values and employee experience priorities, driving data-informed improvements