Workplace Accommodations and Leaves Manager

County of San Mateo; California (MO); On-site; USD 110,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

County of San Mateo seeks a dynamic leader to serve as the Workplace Accommodations and Leaves Manager, overseeing disability-management, leave programs, and ADA compliance.

The role partners with departments, labor relations, medical providers, and legal teams to resolve sensitive cases, implement policy, and deliver trainings while maintaining confidentiality and efficiency across county operations.

Qualifications

• Extensive knowledge of disability accommodation, leave management, and return-to-work.
• Strong understanding of ADA Title I and related regulations.
• Ability to assess complex leave, accommodation, and return-to-work obligations.
• Experience in public-sector or regulated environments with union interactions.

Responsibilities

• Lead ADA Title I reasonable accommodations, return-to-work, leaves, and long-term disability programs.
• Advise departments and managers on disability accommodation and leave matters.
• Coordinate timely, good-faith interactive processes and develop accommodation plans.
• Oversee return-to-work plans for workers with injuries or illnesses, considering medical and operational needs.
• Administer and interpret federal/state/County leave provisions (FMLA, CFRA, Pregnancy Leave, etc.).
• Manage the Long-Term Disability program including eligibility tracking and cost-efficiency.
• Develop policies, forms, and intranet content to streamline program administration.
• Monitor statutes and best practices; propose policy and process improvements.
• Deliver trainings on leave administration, disability management, and related topics.

Skills

Disability accommodations

Leave management

Return-to-work coordination

Policy development

Job description

The County of San Mateo Human Resources Department is seeking a dynamic, collaborative, and service-driven leader to join our team as the Workplace Accommodations and Leaves Manager!

This high-impact position leads the County’s disability-management and employee-leave programs, helping employees navigate complex circumstances while supporting departments in meeting their operational responsibilities. The Workplace Accommodations and Leaves Manager serves as the County-wide subject matter expert for ADA Title I reasonable accommodations, the interactive process, return-to-work coordination, protected and non-protected leaves of absence, and the County’s Long-Term Disability program.

The successful candidate will balance sound judgment, empathy, confidentiality, and strong compliance expertise. They will partner closely with employees, departmental leadership, labor relations, Workers’ Compensation, Benefits, Payroll/Controller partners, medical providers, and County attorneys to resolve sensitive cases fairly, consistently, and efficiently.

Workplace Accommodations and Leaves Manager duties may include, but are not limited to

• Lead, administer, and continuously improve County-wide ADA Title I reasonable accommodation, return-to-work, leave-of-absence, and Long-Term Disability programs.
• Serve as the principal resource for County departments, managers, supervisors, and employees regarding disability accommodation, medical and family leave, and return-to-work matters.
• Facilitate timely, individualized, good-faith interactive processes; evaluate accommodation options; and work with departments to develop and implement reasonable accommodation plans.
• Coordinate return-to-work plans for employees recovering from work-related and non-industrial injuries or illnesses, considering medical restrictions, essential job functions, operational needs, and applicable legal requirements.
• Administer and interpret federal, state, and County leave provisions, including FMLA, CFRA, Pregnancy Disability Leave, military-related leave, paid family leave, disability-related leave, and other applicable protected and non-protected leaves.
• Oversee the County’s Long-Term Disability program, including recipient eligibility and tracking, payment-schedule coordination with the Controller’s Office, case review, program entries and exits, and opportunities to improve program efficiency and cost effectiveness.
• Develop, revise, and implement policies, procedures, forms, correspondence, tracking tools, and intranet content to promote consistent, accessible, and efficient program administration.
• Monitor changes in statutes, regulations, case law, and best practices; evaluate program impacts; and recommend policy, procedural, and operational improvements.
• Create and deliver practical trainings and presentations for managers, supervisors, employees, and HR staff on leave administration, disability management, reasonable accommodation, return-to-work responsibilities, and related topics.
• Maintain complete, accurate, and confidential records; prepare reports, metrics, and recommendations for Human Resources leadership and County stakeholders.
• Build effective partnerships with County departments and advise leadership on complex, sensitive, and high-risk employee matters.
• Collaborate with the County Attorney’s Office on relevant administrative matters, investigations, claims, and litigation.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

The Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is a trusted advisor who combines technical expertise with a respectful, employee-centered approach. They are skilled at explaining complex requirements in plain language, guiding stakeholders through difficult decisions, and managing multiple cases with discretion and consistency.

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Extensive knowledge of disability accommodation, leave-of-absence, and return-to-work practices in a complex public-sector or similarly regulated organization.
• A strong working knowledge of ADA Title I, FEHA, PWFA, FMLA, CFRA, Pregnancy Disability Leave, military leave, workers’ compensation coordination, and related disability-management requirements.
• The ability to assess complex and sometimes overlapping leave, accommodation, and return-to-work obligations.
• Expertise navigating unionized environments and collaborating with labor representatives, Employee and Labor Relations professionals, internal and external attorneys, and employee representatives on complex or contested workplace matters.
• Sound independent judgment, strong conflict-resolution skills, and the ability to handle confidential medical and personnel information with care.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to deliver engaging and useful manager and employee training.
• A continuous-improvement mindset, with experience developing policies, procedures, forms, workflows, and data-tracking methods.
• Patience, empathy, and professionalism when supporting employees during challenging personal, medical, or family circumstances.

Tentative Recruitment Timeline

LinkedIn Live Information Session: Tuesday, October 6 at 12:00PM

Application Screening: Week of October 19, 2026

Panel Interviews: Week of November 2, 2026, and/or November 9, 2026