Job Description
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Department is one of the state's largest employers with over 46,000 employees that span eleven secretariats and 70 plus agencies. From Accountants to X-ray technicians with hundreds of titles in between, we are one employer with many career opportunities. The Commonwealth is looking for leaders, thinkers, creators, and innovators. We are a diverse workforce that reflects the diverse population that we serve.
The Human Resources Division (HRD) is an agency within the Executive Office for Administration and Finance. HRD provides support to state agencies in all matters relating to the Commonwealth's classification, compensation, benefits, recruitment, training & employee development, civil rights, collective bargaining and workers compensation administration.
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The Office of Leave Policy Administration (OLPA) is a unit within HRD which administers a comprehensive set of family and medical leave benefits for state employees in the Executive Department, which span approximately eighteen (18) collective bargaining agreements; the Red Book leave policies for managers and employees not covered by collective bargaining; and federal/state laws such as the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) law. OLPA services not only fellow state employees seeking leave, but also Executive Department human resource (HR) staff seeking technical assistance and guidance on personnel matters related to the administration of family and medical leaves.
Position Overview:
HRD is seeking a Leave Administration Manager to join the OLPA team. This position, which reports directly to the Deputy Director of Leave Policy Administration, is critical to OLPA's day-to-day operations and the fulfillment of employees' family and medical leave needs.
The Leave Administration Manager establishes a first-rate leave of absence experience from intake to return to work. To achieve this goal, they ensure that their staff perform intake counseling sessions with employees seeking leave and that these intake sessions incorporate exceptional customer service and a commitment to program integrity. They also facilitate active case management among their staff for cases of approved leave. Additionally, they verify that approvals and denials of leave meet the legal rigor and standards required by applicable leave laws and policies.
This position requires exceptional people management skills and a proven track record of leave administration experience, ideally within the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and/or a unionized environment. Because this is a hybrid position, the ideal candidate must be able to collaborate effectively in both virtual and in-person environments.
Primary Duties:
- Oversees duties and performance of frontline leave administration staff and supervisors while fostering an inclusive and collaborative culture
- Leverages historical leave volume data and workforce data to manage equitable and effective distribution of caseload among staff
- Acts as a subject matter expert in the Executive Department's family and medical leave program and standard operating procedures
- Develops training modules, job aids, and other relevant materials for new OLPA Staff
- Provides training and mentorship to team members, including helping to prioritize work, developing team members' problem-solving skills, and providing regular performance feedback.
- Actively promotes the professional and career development of their staff
- Exercises independent judgment and demonstrates strategic thinking by establishing priorities, monitoring staffing levels, and developing and implementing medium range plans for achievement of OLPA's business objectives
- Develops and presents leave policy improvements and standard operating procedures to OLPA leadership based on lessons learned from operational pain points and strengths
- Identifies and/or validates inappropriate use of leave benefits, and communicate to appropriate parties for corrective action
- Provides ad hoc training to Agency HR staff as new policies or regulations create programmatic changes that all agencies and Secretariats should be aware of.
- In partnership with OLPA Business Analytics, identifies potential FMLA/PFML situations and ensures that statutory employer notice requirements are completed timely, including situations tied to claims of workers' compensation
- In partnership with OLPA Business Analytics and Department of Family and Medical Leave (DFML), identifies potential overpayments related to job-protected leave and escalates to appropriate stakeholders for validation, mitigation, and recoupment.
- Facilitates information requests from external stakeholders in conjunction with an employee's request for a Legislative Sick Leave Bank
- All other duties, as assigned.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Experience working in a unionized environment
- Familiarity with the Executive Department's benefit offerings, including Group Insurance Commission (GIC) benefits, flexible spending accounts (FSAs), and Extended Illness Leave Bank (EILB), and their interplay with family medical leave
- Proven track record of leading, motivating, and supervising diverse teams
- Ability to multi-task effectively and adjust to changing priorities, work processes and responsibilities
- Ability to coordinate and direct project activities
- Ability to exercise sound judgment and discretion in handling confidential information
- Ability to problem solve, use deductive and inductive reasoning, and apply critical thinking skills to complex matters.
- Ability to establish rapport and maintain harmonious working relationships with others
- Ability to assemble items of information in accordance with established procedures and maintain accurate records
- Abilities to write concisely and effectively, to express thoughts clearly, and to develop ideas in logical sequence
- Ability to make effective oral presentation; ability to communicate effectively in oral expression.
- Proficiency in Microsoft 365 applications, including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Teams, SharePoint, and Outlook
- Relevant certification, such as CLMS, PHR, SPHR, SHRM-CP, or SHRM-SCP
Qualifications
MINIMUM ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS:
Applicants must have at least (A) five (5) years of full-time or, equivalent part-time, professional, administrative, supervisory, or managerial experience in business administration, business management, public administration, public management, clinical administration or clinical management of which (B) at least one (1) year must have been in a project management, supervisory or managerial capacity or (C) any equivalent combination of the required experience and substitutions below.
Substitutions:
I. A certificate in a relevant or related field may be substituted for one (1) year of the required (A) experience.
II. A Bachelor's degree in a related field may be substituted for two (2) years of the required (A) experience.
III. A Graduate degree in a related field may be substituted for three (3) years of the required (A) experience.
IV. A Doctorate degree in a related field may be substituted for four (4) years of the required (A) experience.
Comprehensive Benefits
When you embark on a career with the Commonwealth, you are offered an outstanding suite of employee benefits that add to the overall value of your compensation package. We take pride in providing a work experience that supports you, your loved ones, and your future.
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An Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer. Females, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.
The Commonwealth is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, national origin, veteran status, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. Research suggests that qualified women, Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color (BIPOC) may self-select out of opportunities if they don't meet 100% of the job requirements. We encourage individuals who believe they have the skills necessary to thrive to apply for this role.