Leave of Absence & ADA Accommodations Specialist

National Opinion Research Center - NORC; Chicago (IL); Hybrid; USD 72,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental & vision insurance

401(k) / 403(b) retirement plan

Life insurance & disability

Paid time off & parental leave

Job summary

NORC at the University of Chicago is seeking a Leave Specialist to support employees through life events by administering leave programs and accommodations with strict regulatory compliance. This hybrid role is based in the Chicago Loop, requiring a minimum of six in-office days per month.

You will guide employees, managers, and HR partners through leave requests, disability accommodations, return-to-work planning, and related programs with professionalism and empathy.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 3+ years of experience in leave administration, benefits administration, or absence management.
• Experience administering FMLA, ADA accommodations, disability programs, and multi-state leave requirements.

Responsibilities

• Administer and coordinate employee leave programs (FMLA, ADA, disability, parental leave, workers' comp, state/local leave).
• Serve as liaison among employees, managers, HR, Payroll, Benefits, Legal, providers, and leave vendors.
• Manage leave cases from initial request through return to work with compliance and documentation.
• Lead the ADA interactive process, including accommodation reviews and case management.
• Coordinate return-to-work planning, certifications, and transitional work arrangements.
• Partner with Payroll and Benefits to ensure correct pay continuation and leave-related payroll.
• Monitor relationships with third-party vendors and drive process improvements.
• Maintain confidential leave records per privacy policies and laws.
• Stay updated on evolving leave regulations and policy updates.

Skills

Case management

Organizational skills

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Discretion

Employee service

Education

Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field

Tools

HRIS

Leave administration platforms

Microsoft Excel

Document management systems

Reporting & analytics tools

Job description

NORC at the University of Chicago is seeking a Leave Specialist to support employees through life events by administering leave programs and accommodations with strict regulatory compliance. This hybrid role is based in the Chicago Loop, requiring a minimum of six in-office days per month.

You will guide employees, managers, and HR partners through leave requests, disability accommodations, return-to-work planning, and related programs with professionalism and empathy.