Leave of Absence Specialist - Hybrid Chicago Loop Office

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

Job Summary

NORC at the University of Chicago is seeking a dedicated and compassionate Leave Specialist to join our NORC People team. In this role, you will play a critical part in supporting employees through important life events by administering leave of absence and accommodation programs while ensuring compliance with federal, state, and local regulations.

As a trusted resource for employees, managers, and HR Business Partners, you will guide individuals through leave requests, disability accommodations, return-to-work planning, and related programs with professionalism, empathy, and attention to detail.

Location: This is a hybrid role based in our Chicago Loop office, with a minimum of six days per month in the office.

Qualified applicants must be eligible to work in the U.S. We regret that we are unable to offer visa sponsorship for this position.

Department

The NORC People department supports NORC's mission and values by collaborating with research, operations, and administrative departments to recruit, develop, and retain top staff. Because NORC is a government contractor, the NORC People team plays a large role ensuring that all staff information and systems remain secure and that our organization is fully compliant with our policies. NORC People is responsible for talent acquisition, hiring, benefits administration, employee relations matters, and performance evaluation programs to ensure our organization is maintaining compliance while keeping employees' best interests in mind.

Responsibilities

• Administer and coordinate employee leave programs, including:
  • Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
  • Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) accommodations
  • Short-Term and Long-Term Disability
  • Paid Parental Leave
  • Workers' Compensation coordination
  • Military leave
  • State and local leave programs
• Serve as the primary liaison among employees, managers, Human Resources, Payroll, Benefits, Legal, healthcare providers, and third-party leave administrators.
• Manage leave cases from initial request through return to work, ensuring compliance with applicable laws, policies, and documentation requirements.
• Lead and coordinate the ADA interactive process, including accommodation requests, documentation review, and ongoing case management.
• Facilitate return-to-work planning, including fitness-for-duty certifications, transitional work arrangements, and employee reintegration.
• Partner closely with Payroll and Benefits teams to ensure accurate pay continuation, benefit administration, and leave-related payroll processing.
• Monitor and manage relationships with third-party leave administration vendors, resolving complex issues and supporting process improvements.
• Maintain confidential leave and medical records in accordance with privacy requirements and organizational policies.
• Stay current on evolving leave legislation and recommend updates to policies, procedures, and employee communications.
• Analyze leave utilization trends, prepare reports, support audits, and identify opportunities to improve processes and employee experience.

Required Skills

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• At least 3 years of experience in leave administration, benefits administration, or absence management.
• Experience administering FMLA, ADA accommodations, disability programs, and multi-state leave requirements.

Knowledge & Expertise

Strong working knowledge of:

• FMLA
• ADA
• USERRA
• HIPAA
• COBRA
• Workers' Compensation programs
• Federal, state, and local leave regulations
• Leave administration best practices and third-party leave administration processes.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong case management and problem-solving abilities
• Excellent organizational and analytical skills
• Ability to manage multiple priorities while maintaining accuracy and compliance
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Sound judgment and discretion when handling sensitive information
• Commitment to delivering exceptional employee service and support.

Technology Experience

Experience with:

• Human Resource Information Systems (HRIS)
• Leave administration and case management platforms
• Microsoft Office, including Excel
• Document management systems
• Reporting and analytics tools.

Salary and Benefits

The pay range for this position is $72,000 to $85,000.

This position is classified as regular. Regular staff are eligible for NORC's comprehensive benefits program. Benefits include, but are not limited to:

• Generously subsidized health insurance, effective on the first day of employment

• Dental and vision insurance

• A defined contribution retirement program, along with a separate voluntary 403(b) retirement program

• Group life insurance, long-term and short-term disability insurance

• Benefits that promote work/life balance, including generous paid time off, holidays; paid parental leave, bereavement leave, tuition assistance, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

NORC is committed to equity and transparency in its pay practices. We publish salary ranges and benefit information for every job. The listed hiring range reflects what we, in good faith, expect to pay at the time of posting, though actual compensation may vary and may be adjusted over time. A candidate's placement within the range depends on factors such as competencies, education, qualifications, experience, skills, performance, and organizational needs.

What We Do

NORC at the University of Chicago is an objective, non-partisan research institution that delivers reliable data and rigorous analysis to guide critical programmatic, business, and policy decisions. Since 1941, our teams have conducted groundbreaking studies, created and applied innovative methods and tools, and advanced principles of scientific integrity and collaboration. Today, government, corporate, and nonprofit clients around the world partner with us to transform increasingly complex information into useful knowledge.

Who We Are

For over 80 years, NORC has evolved in many ways, moving the needle with research methods, technical applications and groundbreaking research findings. But our tradition of excellence, passion for innovation, and commitment to collegiality have remained constant components of who we are as a brand, and who each of us is as a member of the NORC team. With world-class benefits, a business casual environment, and an emphasis on continuous learning, NORC is a place where people join for the stellar research and analysis work for which we're known, and stay for the relationships they form with their colleagues who take pride in the impact their work is making on a global scale.

EEO Statement

NORC is an equal opportunity employer. NORC evaluates qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, sexual orientation, and other legally protected characteristics.