Strategic Global Leave & ADA/Accommodation Lead

Zendesk; Austin (TX); Hybrid; USD 118,000 - 178,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Job summary

Zendesk is seeking a senior Global Leave & Accommodation Program Manager to own the end-to-end strategy for US Leaves of Absence and ADA/Reasonable Accommodations. Lead scalable, compliant processes, partner with Legal, HRBP, Payroll, and ER, and drive AI-enabled improvements while managing high-stakes escalations with empathy.

You will influence policy, monitor regulatory changes, and ensure audit-ready operations across regions in a highly autonomous, strategic role.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience with FMLA, ADAAA, leaves, and reasonable accommodations.
• Ability to build scalable, compliant processes across jurisdictions.
• Experience partnering with Legal, HRBP, Payroll, and ER teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead end-to-end strategy for US leaves and accommodations.
• Design and automate scalable workflows to reduce risk.
• Resolve highly sensitive escalations with empathy.
• Act as SME for Tier 3 leave tickets.
• Provide data-backed insights to leadership.
• Review and update policies to align with laws.
• Explore AI opportunities in Total Rewards and Leave workflows.
• Manage relationships with leave vendors.
• Collaborate with Legal and ER; guide issue escalation.
• Maintain BPMs across regions.

Skills

HR Strategy

FMLA/ADA expertise

Leaves of Absence

ADA accommodation

Regulatory compliance

Data analytics

Vendor management

Cross-functional collab

AI automation

Education

Bachelor's degree in HR or related field

Tools

HRIS systems

Payroll software

Data analytics tools

Job description

Zendesk is seeking a senior Global Leave & Accommodation Program Manager to own the end-to-end strategy for US Leaves of Absence and ADA/Reasonable Accommodations. Lead scalable, compliant processes, partner with Legal, HRBP, Payroll, and ER, and drive AI-enabled improvements while managing high-stakes escalations with empathy.

You will influence policy, monitor regulatory changes, and ensure audit-ready operations across regions in a highly autonomous, strategic role.