People Operations Leave & Accommodations Specialist

Sunstate Equipment Co., LLC is seeking a People Operations Leave & Accommodations Specialist to own the end-to-end employee experience for leave of absence, disability, and workplace accommodations. This onsite Phoenix, AZ role partners across HR, Payroll, Legal, Benefits, and third-party vendors to deliver compliant, timely, and high-quality outcomes from first request through return to work.

What you’ll do

• Own the employee leave and accommodation experience from initial request through return to work.
• Serve as the primary internal point of contact for employees and managers navigating leave and accommodation processes.
• Oversee leave programs including FMLA, ADA accommodations, Short-Term Disability, Long-Term Disability, Paid Family and Medical Leave, military leave, personal leave, and state-specific leave programs.
• Coordinate the interactive accommodation process and facilitate collaboration between employees, managers, HR, Legal, and third-party providers (Lockton).
• Resolve employee inquiries, concerns, and escalations in a timely manner.
• Facilitate successful return-to-work planning and implementation of accommodations.
• Manage complex and sensitive leave cases that require heightened coordination and problem solving.
• Act as the organization’s liaison with third-party leave, disability, and accommodation vendors.
• Monitor vendor performance against established SLAs, turnaround times, and quality standards; escalate and drive resolution when service expectations are not met.
• Conduct regular vendor reviews and identify opportunities to improve service delivery and the employee experience.
• Ensure data accuracy and consistency between vendors, HRIS, payroll, and internal systems.
• Maintain accountability for overall case outcomes whether administration is performed internally or through a third-party provider.
• Partner with Benefits, Payroll, and HR leadership to optimize leave administration processes and workflows.
• Champion a positive, consistent, and empathetic employee experience throughout the leave and accommodation lifecycle.
• Educate employees and managers on leave programs, accommodations, benefits, and available resources.
• Develop employee-facing communications, guides, FAQs, and process documentation.
• Identify barriers and pain points impacting employees and implement solutions to improve satisfaction and service delivery.
• Ensure employees receive timely communication and understand responsibilities and support resources.
• Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, and local leave and accommodation laws and regulations.
• Monitor legislative changes and recommend updates to policies, procedures, and practices.
• Maintain confidential employee records and documentation in accordance with legal and privacy requirements.
• Partner with Legal and HR leadership on complex compliance matters and high-risk cases.
• Support internal and external audits and compliance reviews; minimize organizational risk through consistent policy application and documentation practices.
• Develop and maintain reporting for leave utilization, accommodation requests, disability claims, vendor performance, and employee experience metrics.
• Analyze trends and recommend improvements to operational effectiveness, reduce risk, and increase employee satisfaction.
• Monitor KPIs including case resolution times, return-to-work success rates, vendor SLA performance, escalation volume, employee satisfaction metrics, and leave utilization trends.
• Identify opportunities for automation, process simplification, and operational efficiency.
• Support system implementations, testing, and enhancement projects related to leave and accommodations.
• Support organizational wellness initiatives and employee well-being programs.
• Collaborate with Benefits, HR, and external partners to increase employee awareness and participation.
• Provide backup support for benefits and other administration activities as needed.
• Assist with annual enrollment activities, employee education, and benefit escalations.

Success looks like

• Employee satisfaction with the leave and accommodation process.
• Timely and accurate case resolution.
• Reduced employee escalations.
• Vendor SLA compliance and service quality.
• Return-to-work success rates.
• Compliance and audit readiness.
• Process improvement and operational efficiency gains.
• Accuracy of leave and accommodation data management.

Required qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related field; equivalent experience may be considered.
• 4+ years in Human Resources, Leave Administration, Employee Benefits, Employee Relations, or People Operations.
• Demonstrated experience managing leave of absence programs, ADA accommodations, disability programs, or related employee support services.
• Strong knowledge of FMLA, ADA, HIPAA, COBRA, state leave laws, disability programs, and applicable employment regulations.
• Experience working with third-party leave administrators, disability carriers, or benefits vendors.
• Strong case management, problem-solving, and organizational skills.
• Ability to manage sensitive and confidential information with discretion.
• Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Proficiency with HRIS platforms, Microsoft Office, and reporting tools.

Preferred background

• PHR, SPHR, SHRM-CP, SHRM-SCP, CEBS, CLMS, or similar certification.
• Experience supporting multi-state leave and accommodation programs.
• Experience managing vendor relationships and service delivery.
• Experience with HR analytics, process improvement, and operational excellence initiatives.
• Benefits administration and wellness program experience.

Technology

• HRIS platforms
• Microsoft Office