Job Description
Selected candidates can expect to start early July 2025.
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Branch is one of the state's largest employers with over 46,000 employees that span 11 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) union contracts; the Executive Department's Red Book leave policies for managers and employees not covered by a union contract; federal/state laws such as the federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) and Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) law; and other leave policies of the Executive Department.
Join Our Team as a Leave Administration Supervisor: Lead, Support, and Innovate!
Are you passionate about guiding teams, optimizing processes, and making a meaningful impact? Do you thrive in an environment where operational excellence meets compassionate employee support? OLPA is seeking Leave Administration Supervisors to lead and mentor teams of Leave Benefit Coordinators, ensuring Executive Department employees receive the leave benefits they need with clarity and care.
As a Leave Administration Supervisor, you'll play a pivotal role in driving efficiency, compliance, and a best-in-class employee experience. You'll lead a team navigating the complexities of family and medical leave benefits, shaping a high-performing, service-oriented culture that makes a real difference in employees' lives. This is an exciting opportunity to help build and refine a newly expanded team, contribute to operational improvements, and enhance leave administration for thousands of public employees in the Executive Department.
Why You Should Apply:
Leadership with Purpose: Mentor and develop a team that supports employees through important life transitions and serves as key management support for the OLPA leadership team.
Make an Impact: Help shape the future of leave administration and improve the employee experience across state agencies.
Process & Policy Influence: Influence policy updates by advising key managers on trends, improving service delivery, and ensuring compliance with evolving leave laws and policies.
Hybrid Flexibility: Enjoy the benefits of a role that blends in-person leadership with remote collaboration.
Key Responsibilities:
Lead & Develop a High-Performing Team
- Inspire & Support: Supervise and develop a team of Leave Benefit Coordinators, fostering a positive, service-driven culture.
- Mentorship & Training: Provide ongoing coaching to enhance expertise in leave administration, compliance, and customer service excellence.
- Performance Management: Set clear expectations, provide meaningful feedback, and ensure team members meet service-level commitments.
- Promote Inclusivity: Foster an environment that values diverse perspectives and encourages collaboration.
Drive Operational Excellence & Service Delivery
- Ensure Efficiency: Monitor team caseloads, balance workloads, and track key performance metrics to maintain high service standards.
- Streamline Processes: Identify opportunities to improve workflows, reduce processing times, and enhance the employee experience and serve as a key management support in proactively identifying issues in procedures or processes.
- Maintain Quality & Consistency: Conduct case audits to ensure accuracy, policy compliance, and adherence to best practices.
Ensure Compliance & Risk Management
- Expert Knowledge: Interpret, apply, and keep up-to-date with federal and state leave laws (FMLA, PFML, ADA), Executive Department collective bargaining agreements, and Executive Department policies.
- Risk Management: Proactively identify potential compliance risks or unauthorized leaves of absence and escalate complex cases as needed.
- Policy Alignment and Influence: Ensure uniform application of leave policies across agencies to maintain consistency and fairness and provide data on trends or issues to OLPA leadership to influence policy changes.
Enhance Employee Experience & Customer Service
- Resolve Complex Cases: Handle escalated employee inquiries with professionalism, ensuring clarity and fairness in leave determinations.
- Compassionate Communication: Provide guidance with compassion, ensuring employees understand their leave options and next steps.
- Collaborate Across Teams: Work closely with HR, payroll, labor relations, and legal teams to ensure a seamless and supportive leave process that is balanced with program integrity and legal rigor.
Leverage Technology & Data for Continuous Improvement
- System Utilization: Use HRIS and leave management platforms (e.g., AbsenceSoft, HR/CMS) to track and manage leave cases.
- Data-Driven Insights: Analyze trends, monitor key performance indicators, and recommend improvements based on findings.
What We're Looking For:
- Aptitude for Leadership: The ability to successfully lead and mentor a team in a high-volume, service-driven environment.
- Leave Administration Expertise: Strong understanding of leave laws, policies, and employee benefits programs. Familiarity with state employee benefits programs (such as GIC benefits, FSAs, and Extended Illness Leave Bank) is a plus!
- Strong Communication: Proficiency in written and oral communication-express your ideas clearly and effectively. OLPA isn't a call center, and we're looking for people who aren't afraid to pick up the phone or connect with our employee-customers by email.
- Problem-Solving Skills: Ability to analyze cases, interpret policies, and make sound decisions.
- Customer-Focused Mindset: Excellent communication and conflict resolution skills to support employees during sensitive situations.
- Process Improvement Orientation: Experience in refining workflows, managing performance metrics, and driving operational efficiency by developing procedures consistent with organizational policies and objectives.
- Tech-Savvy: Proficiency in HRIS, leave management software, and Microsoft 365 tools.
- Certifications (Preferred but Not Required): CLMS, PHR, or SHRM-CP certification.
Perks of Working with OLPA:
Career Growth: Access training, mentorship, and development opportunities to expand your HR expertise.
Impactful Work: Play a key role in shaping the future of leave administration for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Collaborative Culture: Join a mission-driven team that values innovation, inclusivity, and excellence in service.
If you're eager to grow as a strategic leader who values operational efficiency, employee advocacy, and continuous improvement, we invite you to apply and help shape the future of leave administration for the Commonwealth of Massachusetts!
Qualifications
F irst consideration will be given to those applicants that apply within the first 14 days.
Minimum entrance requirements:
Applicants must have at least (A) four years of full-time, or equivalent part-time professional experience in human resources work, (B) of which at least one year must have been in a supervisory, administrative, or managerial capacity; or (C) any equivalent combination of the required experience and the substitutions below:
Substitutions:
I. An Associate's degree may be substituted for a maximum of one year of the required (A) experience.
II. Bachelor's degree or higher may be substituted for a maximum of two years of the required (A) experience.
III. A Graduate degree with a major in Human Resources Management, Human Resources Administration or Public Administration may be substituted for a maximum of three years for the required (A) experience.
Education toward such a degree will be prorated on the basis of the proportion of the requirements actually completed.
NOTE: No substitution will be allowed for the required (B) 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.
Want the specifics? Explore our Employee Benefits and Rewards!
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.