Leave Specialist

University of Wisconsin Madison; Madison (WI); Hybrid; USD 59,000 - 72,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is seeking a Leave Specialist to serve in the Dean's Office, Department of Administration - Human Resources, overseeing medical and parental leaves for SMPH. You will manage end-to-end leave processes, ensure compliance with FMLA/WFMLA, and collaborate with employees, supervisors, and leadership.

Ideal candidates have strong communication, organizational skills, and experience handling high-volume administrative workloads in a healthcare or university setting.

Qualifications

• At least 2 years of experience in HR, leave, benefits, or case management roles.
• Ability to interpret and disseminate complex information to diverse audiences.
• Experience coordinating high-volume administrative work with accuracy.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with HR leaders on outreach and education about FMLA/WFMLA and SMPH leave programs.
• Track leaves and complete lifecycle transactions per policies and laws.
• Document, audit, and request required eligibility information.
• Respond to inquiries per policies and laws.
• Serve as subject matter expert and main contact for leave matters.
• Contribute to strategies for reasonable accommodations.

Skills

Communication skills

Attention to detail

Organizational skills

Customer service

Multitasking

Education

High school diploma

Job description

Current Employees: If you are currently employed at any of the Universities of Wisconsin, log in to Workday to apply through the internal application process.

Job Category: Academic Staff

Employment Type: Regular

Job Profile: Leave Specialist

Job Summary: Within the Dean's Office, Department of Administration - Human Resources, the Medical Leave Program serves as the central hub for information on the medical and parental leave processes for the School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH), the largest division at UW-Madison. The program provides essential medical and parental leave information, consultation, education, training, and outreach services to over 7,600 employees, including Academic Staff, University Staff, Faculty, Limited Appointees, Post Degree Trainees, Student Assistants, and Student Hourlies.

Under the general supervision of the Medical Leave Program Manager, the Leave Specialist serves as a subject matter expert and key resource for the division on medical and parental leaves, leave programs, leave laws, UW and SMPH leave policies and procedures, and leave related matters. The incumbent will have extensive contact with and provide support and expertise to employees, supervisors, departmental leadership, and others within the division. Additionally, the incumbent must work collaboratively with campus stakeholders and partners, and other Divisional Disability Representatives (DDRs) to further leave initiatives, policies, and programs on behalf of SMPH.

The Leave Specialist must have the expertise and skills to partner with employees, supervisors, department leadership, and stakeholders throughout the leave lifecycle for employees. The incumbent will be the primary administrator for all medical and parental leaves of absence, overseeing the end-to-end coordination of leave cases, ensuring compliance with federal and state laws, and UW policies and procedures. The ability to think critically regarding leaves for employees within the framework of complex federal and state laws, university policies and procedures, and operational needs is essential. The incumbent must have knowledge of, and experience with, independently managing a high-volume workload within a fast-paced environment, including the ability to be flexible, highly organized, multi-task and prioritize, and have great attention to detail and accuracy. They must be able to communicate, disseminate, and share complex information clearly and effectively, both orally and in writing, using a variety of methods appropriate for diverse audiences. The incumbent must have exceptional oral and written communication skills and be adept at communicating effectively with employees experiencing diverse leave‑related situations and with leaders and stakeholders across all levels of the organization.

The Leave Specialist is expected to exercise considerable judgment, discretion, and initiative while maintaining a high degree of flexibility in order to manage challenging leave situations while maintaining a high level of confidentiality. The incumbent must be able to cultivate and maintain effective professional relationships with employees, supervisors, stakeholders, and others across the organization. The incumbent is responsible for independently managing an annual caseload of 800+ leaves, including the day-to-day transactional and administrative aspects of leave of absence administration for SMPH employees including responding to leave inquiries and requests, consultation with employees and supervisors, eligibility checks, facilitation of administrative processes, and implementation and application of leave policies and programs.

The incumbent is expected to demonstrate exceptional customer service by coordinating the sharing of information when leave cases cross over into other areas such as benefits, accommodations, employee relations, etc. to ensure a smooth process for employees. The Leave Specialist will work closely and collaboratively with the Leave Program Manager to identify opportunities to improve processes, systems, and service delivery, contributing to operational efficiency and an enhanced employee experience.

This position is ideal for a highly organized professional who thrives in a dynamic, fast‑paced environment. Ideal candidates find satisfaction in managing shifting priorities, while navigating evolving complex situations that require proactive critical thinking, sound judgment, and a compliance-centered approach balanced with professionalism, empathy, and confidence.

Successful candidates enjoy combining analytical problem-solving with strong administrative execution, ensuring accuracy while effectively managing large volumes of work, contributing to process improvements, and advancing leave program excellence across SMPH.

Additional Position Details:

• This position may require some work to be performed in-person, onsite, at a designated campus work location. Some work may be performed remotely, at an offsite, non-campus work location.

Key Job Responsibilities:

• Collaborate with Employment Relations Director and Medical Leave Program Manager on outreach and communication efforts to inform and educate SMPH employees and HR/Payroll Staff on FMLA/WFMLA and the SMPH leave program.
• Tracks leave of absences and completes lifecycle transactions in various mediums as required by established policies, regulations, and laws.
• Documents, audits, and requests required documentation for eligibility or needed updates as required by established policies and procedures.
• Receives and responds to individual requests and inquiries according to established policies, procedures, regulations, and laws.
• Serves as a subject matter expert and main point of contact for staff regarding leave of absences and affiliated programs.
• Contributes to the development of strategies for reasonable accommodations.

Department:

School of Medicine and Public Health, Department of Administration - Human Resources. SMPH Human Resources is dedicated to fostering a supportive workplace for our faculty, staff and students. Our multifaceted team comprises experts in Employee Relations, HIPAA Privacy, HR Services and Talent Management, each committed to enhancing the employee experience through proactive support and strategic initiatives. Together, we strive to empower our community, uphold the highest standards of professionalism, and drive the success of the School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH).

Compensation:

The starting salary for the position is $65,000 annually; but is negotiable based on experience and qualifications.

Employees in this position can expect to receive benefits such as generous vacation, holidays, and sick leave; competitive insurances and savings accounts; retirement benefits. For more information, refer to the campus benefits webpage and the SMPH FAASLI Benefits Flyer 2026.

Required Qualifications:

• At least 2 years of experience with demonstrated career progression in an HR, leave or benefits administration, or case management type role is required; 3 or more years of experience is preferred.
• Experience successfully managing highly detailed and high-volume administrative work including coordination, documentation, and tracking.
• Experience identifying and implementing process improvements that enhance customer support, documentation accuracy, workflow efficiency, or compliance metrics; preferably within leave administration, benefits administration, or case management.
• Experience using digital productivity tools to support high-volume data management, reporting, analysis, or tracking.
• At least 1 year demonstrated experience interpreting, communicating, and disseminating complex information to diverse audiences in a clear, accurate, and understandable manner, including providing consultation and guidance on policies, procedures, or programs; preferably within leave administration, benefits administration, or case management.

Preferred Qualifications:

• At least 1 year of experience working directly with FMLA/WFMLA or other leaves of absence programs is strongly preferred.
• Experience managing a multi-person process or workflow.
• Experience managing a high-volume caseload, determining case priorities, and maintaining accuracy and service quality under tight deadlines.

Education:

H.S. Diploma preferred.

Institutional Statement on Diversity:

Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.

The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal OpportunityEmployer.

Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, or status as a protected veteran and other bases as defined by federal regulations and UW System policies. We promote excellence by acknowledging skills and expertise from all backgroundsand encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings, visit the Human Resources Workplace Poster website.

To request a disability or pregnancy-related accommodation for any step in the hiring process (e.g., application, interview, pre-employment testing, etc.), please contact the Divisional Disability Representative DDR in the division you are applying to. Please make your request as soon as possible to help the university respond most effectively to you.

Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require your references to answer questions regarding misconduct, including sexual violence and sexual harassment. The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7). The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report contains current campus safety and disciplinary policies, crime statistics for the previous 3 calendar years, and on-campus student housing fire safety policies and fire statistics for the previous 3 calendar years. UW-Madison will provide a paper copy upon request; please contact the University of Wisconsin Police Department.

Contact Information:

Aisha Liebenow,
[e-mail]

Relay Access (WTRS): 7-1-1. See RELAY_SERVICE for further information.