Manager, Absence Operations

Unum; Portland (ME); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Award-winning culture

Inclusion and diversity as a priority

Performance Based Incentive Plans

Health, Vision, Dental, Short & Long- 

Term Disability

Generous PTO (including paid time to 1

Job summary

Unum is seeking a Manager of Absence Management in Portland, ME. You will lead a team delivering end-to-end absence and claim services, ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and high-quality client experiences across our client base.

Lead hiring, coaching, and performance management while driving strategic, transformational projects to improve operations and customer outcomes. This role emphasizes leadership, compliance, and collaboration with field partners.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience required.
• 5+ years of technical absence management experience preferred.
• Prior experience leading a service oriented team preferred.
• Managers are expected to possess-or be willing to gain-a solid understanding of all relevant products and services to effectively support their teams and business objectives.
• Proven ability to drive performance, service, and productivity improvements.
• Ability to set direction, monitor results, build followership and lead through change.
• Strong influencing skills and ability to build alignment and resolve conflict.
• Strong critical thinking and problem‑solving skills.
• Solid understanding of key business metrics and trends.
• High integrity, sound judgment, and commitment to confidentiality.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage a team of specialists, including hiring, performance management, retention, and development.
• Build a high-performing, learning focused environment through ongoing coaching, training, and professional growth.
• Deliver consistent absence services that meet or exceed all service levels and goals, including accuracy and timeliness, and result in a great experience for clients, claimants and our own employees.
• Support the delivery of complex strategic, transformational, and growth projects with the goal of achieving operational excellence and providing a superior experience for the customer.
• Act as a service leader in operations-related escalations, client discussions, and field partner interactions.
• Set clear expectations, involve team members in goal setting and work planning, and address performance issues promptly and constructively.
• Ensure thorough, fair, and objective case management, delivering accurate and timely service in accordance with plan provisions, state regulations, established procedures, and Unum claims philosophy.
• Proactively monitor operational performance by reviewing trends and reporting, conducting root‑cause analysis, and sharing solution‑oriented insights and recommendations with the Director.
• Drive effective account de‑escalation and resolution efforts in partnership with Director/AVP leadership.
• Foster and maintain relationships with key field and upstream/downstream partner teams to achieve desired client level results.
• Identify and implement productivity, quality, and service improvements in a fast‑paced environment.
• Manage to budget and contribute to overall operating effectiveness through information sharing and effective change implementation.
• This position may also have responsibility for the customer relationship as it relates to the claim and leave service experience.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Skills

Leadership

Performance improvement

Communication

Problem solving

Budget awareness

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Job description

Job Posting End Date: November 08

When you join the team at Unum, you become part of an organization committed to helping you thrive.

Here, we work to provide the employee benefits and service solutions that enable employees at our client companies to thrive throughout life's moments. And this starts with ensuring that every one of our team members enjoys opportunities to succeed both professionally and personally. To enable this, we provide:

• Award-winning culture
• Inclusion and diversity as a priority
• Performance Based Incentive Plans
• Competitive benefits package that includes: Health, Vision, Dental, Short & Long-Term Disability
• Generous PTO (including paid time to volunteer!)
• Up to 9.5% 401(k) employer contribution
• Mental health support
• Career advancement opportunities
• Student loan repayment options
• Tuition reimbursement
• Flexible work environments

*All the benefits listed above are subject to the terms of their individual Plans .

And that's just the beginning...

With 10,000 employees helping more than 39 million people worldwide, every role at Unum is meaningful and impacts the lives of our customers. Whether you're directly supporting a growing family, or developing online tools to help navigate a difficult loss, customers are counting on the combined talents of our entire team. Help us help others, and join Team Unum today!

General Summary

Managers lead a team of specialists responsible for the end-to-end management of absence and claim cases for our clients. This role ensures operational performance expectations are met while delivering consistent, accurate, and high-quality service.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

• Lead and manage a team of specialists, including hiring, performance management, retention, and development.
• Build a high-performing, learning focused environment through ongoing coaching, training, and professional growth.
• Deliver consistent absence services that meet or exceed all service levels and goals, including accuracy and timeliness, and result in a great experience for clients, claimants and our own employees.
• Support the delivery of complex strategic, transformational, and growth projects with the goal of achieving operational excellence and providing a superior experience for the customer.
• Act as a service leader in operations-related escalations, client discussions, and field partner interactions.
• Set clear expectations, involve team members in goal setting and work planning, and address performance issues promptly and constructively.
• Ensure thorough, fair, and objective case management, delivering accurate and timely service in accordance with plan provisions, state regulations, established procedures, and Unum claims philosophy.
• Proactively monitor operational performance by reviewing trends and reporting, conducting root‑cause analysis, and sharing solution‑oriented insights and recommendations with the Director.
• Drive effective account de‑escalation and resolution efforts in partnership with Director/AVP leadership.
• Foster and maintain relationships with key field and upstream/downstream partner teams to achieve desired client level results.
• Identify and implement productivity, quality, and service improvements in a fast‑paced environment.
• Manage to budget and contribute to overall operating effectiveness through information sharing and effective change implementation.
• This position may also have responsibility for the customer relationship as it relates to the claim and leave service experience.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Job Specifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience required.
• 5+ years of technical absence management experience preferred.
• Prior experience leading a service oriented team preferred.
• Managers are expected to possess-or be willing to gain-a solid understanding of all relevant products and services to effectively support their teams and business objectives.
• Proven ability to drive performance, service, and productivity improvements.
• Ability to set direction, monitor results, build followership and lead through change.
• Strong influencing skills and ability to build alignment and resolve conflict.
• Strong critical thinking and problem‑solving skills.
• Solid understanding of key business metrics and trends.
• High integrity, sound judgment, and commitment to confidentiality.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Current Internal Employees are welcome to apply

#LI-JP1

~IN1

Unum and Colonial Life are part of Unum Group, a Fortune 500 company and leading provider of employee benefits to companies worldwide. Headquartered in Chattanooga, TN, with international offices in Ireland, Poland and the UK, Unum also has significant operations in Portland, ME - plus over 35 US field offices. Colonial Life is headquartered in Columbia, SC, with over 40 field offices nationwide.

Unum is an equal opportunity employer, considering all qualified applicants and employees for hiring, placement, and advancement, without regard