Leave Specialist, Grow Therapy

• 5+ years of dedicated leave administration experience supporting U.S. employees
• Experience independently managing end to end leave administration for a multi state employer
• Strong working knowledge of FMLA, ADA, CFRA, PWFA, USERRA, state paid family and medical leave programs, and other applicable leave laws
• Experience partnering with third party leave administrators such as Sparrow, Sedgwick, Lincoln Financial, The Hartford, or similar vendors
• Strong understanding of the intersection between leave administration, payroll, benefits, and HR operations
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail with the ability to manage multiple concurrent leave cases
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with a high degree of empathy and professionalism
• Ability to exercise sound judgment while handling confidential and sensitive employee information
• Comfortable working independently in a fast paced, high growth environment
• Research shows that some groups hesitate to apply unless they meet every qualification. If you’re excited about this role but don’t check every box, we encourage you to apply

Desirable

• Hours: Approximately 25 to 40 hours per week, with flexibility based on leave volume
• Duration: Initial 3 to 6 month engagement, with potential for extension
• As we continue to grow, we're looking for an experienced Leave Specialist to independently own the day to day administration of our leave of absence program
• This contractor will serve as Grow's primary leave administration expert, partnering closely with employees, managers, People Operations, Employee Relations, Payroll, and our third party leave administrator to deliver a compliant, seamless, and compassionate leave experience
• As our Leave Specialist, you'll own the end to end administration of employee leaves of absence, ensuring an exceptional employee experience while maintaining compliance with federal, state, and local leave laws
• Serve as the primary point of contact for employees navigating leaves of absence, providing timely, compassionate, and knowledgeable guidance
• Manage the full lifecycle of employee leaves from intake through return to work, including medical, parental, family care, personal, military, and other protected leaves
• Partner closely with our third party leave administrator (Sparrow) to ensure accurate case management, documentation, and employee support
• Review leave documentation and coordinate next steps while ensuring compliance with applicable federal, state, and local regulations
• Coordinate accommodations and return to work processes in partnership with Employee Relations and People Business Partners, including fitness for duty documentation and workplace accommodations where applicable
• Partner with Payroll and People Operations to ensure accurate pay, benefits, and employment status throughout each leave
• Maintain accurate records and documentation within Rippling and other internal systems
• Respond to employee and manager questions regarding leave policies, eligibility, timelines, and processes
• Monitor active leave cases and proactively manage key milestones, deadlines, and required communications
• Identify opportunities to improve workflows, documentation, templates, and automations that increase efficiency and enhance the employee experience
• Support reporting, audits, and compliance activities related to leave administration
• What Success Looks Like. Within your first 90 days, you'll:
• Independently manage Grow's leave administration program with minimal oversight
• Deliver a timely, compliant, and high quality leave experience for employees and managers
• Maintain accurate documentation and ensure all leave cases are managed proactively
• Build trusted partnerships across People Operations, Employee Relations, Payroll, and our external leave vendor
• Recommend and implement process improvements that strengthen compliance, improve efficiency, and create a better employee experience