LOA specialist sr

Sr. Leave of Absence Specialist (Hybrid - Toronto)

Now Brewing – LOA Specialists! #tobeapartner

From the beginning, Starbucks set out to be a different kind of company. One that not only celebrated coffee and the rich tradition, but that also brought a feeling of connection. 

This role contributes to Starbucks success by administering Starbucks leave of absence benefits and time off plans and communicating information about them to Starbucks partners. 

As a Sr. LOA Specialist, you will:

Day-to-Day Accountabilities

• Oversee large-volume day-to-day leave administration, short-term disability (STD), long-term disability (LTD), return-to-work (RTW), and accommodations.


• Develop and maintain relationships with internal and external business partners as part of the management of day-to-day plan administration


• Serve as a role model and mentor to the Canada Leave of Absence team members and assist in their development


• Maintain a thorough understanding of the systems and technology that support the administration of Starbucks leaves programs, and participate in their maintenance and development.


• Provide case management for escalated leave of absences situations, including requests for reasonable accommodations as defined by federal, state and ADA regulations.


• Represents the team at partner meetings, and provide information about Starbucks programs.


• Represents the Starbucks culture by educating other Starbucks partners, vendors and external customers, peers and the public on Starbucks Mission and Core Values.

Vendor/Project Management

• Build and maintain a direct relationship with Leaves vendors. Lead weekly/biweekly external meetings, and ensure that vendors are aware of, and adhering to the Mission and Values of Starbucks.


• Delivers project management support on leaves initiatives, including translating business needs into project plans, conducting impact assessments, defining milestones, timelines, deliverables, and quality standards.


• Design and implement communication strategy in partners’ education and engagement in partnership with internal stakeholders and external/third party vendors.

Reporting Analysis/Continuous Improvement

• Support strategy planning and conduct analyses of trends. Collaborate on design changes and assist or manage implementation of design changes to facilitate leaves administration and support Starbucks culture, business needs and budgetary goals


• Identify and implement process changes to Starbucks leaves policies. Enhances partner service, make more efficient use of resources, and support Starbucks culture and business needs. Serve as project lead for special projects, including system upgrades and changes, and communications to internal and external partners.


• Conduct analysis of plan design and utilization. Develop, recommend and implement changes to plans to facilitate administration and support of Starbucks culture, business needs and budgetary goals.


• Collaborate on policy/plan design changes and assist or manage the implementation of design changes to facilitate Leaves administration and support Starbucks culture, business needs, and budgetary goals. This includes requests for proposal (RFP) project tasks, SOW review, analysis, and implementation work.


• Maintain a thorough understanding of the systems and technology that support the administration of Starbucks leaves programs, and participate in their maintenance and development.


• Provide case management for escalated leave of absences situations, including requests for reasonable accommodations as defined by federal, state and ADA regulations.


• Represents the team at partner meetings, and provide information about Starbucks programs.


• Represents the Starbucks culture by educating other Starbucks partners, vendors and external customers, peers and the public on Starbucks Mission and Core Values.

We’d love to hear from people with:

• Disability Management and Return-to-Work – 5 years


• Employee benefits administration - 5 years


• Plan design and analysis - 3 years


• Team leadership - 3 years


• Project management experience with high level of collaboration - 2 years


• Technical knowledge of federal and provincial benefit legislation and regulations, and industry best practices


• Experience working with SAP or Success Factors as an asset

From free coffee to competitive pay, Starbucks is proud to offer a comprehensive compensation and benefits package to our eligible part-time and full-time partners. Benefits include tuition reimbursement, health coverage with a variety of plans to choose from, and stock & savings programs like our Future Savings plan and Bean Stock. What’s more, Starbucks offers flexible scheduling and opportunities for paid time off. Visit starbucksbenefits.ca for details. 

If you live in the greater Toronto area, we offer a flexible workplace that allows for hybrid work. Partners can work remotely up to two days per week.

Join us and inspire with every cup. Apply today!

At Starbucks, one of our values is to create a culture of warmth and belonging, where we treat each other with dignity and care in a diverse and welcoming workplace. We believe that enables us to better meet our mission and values while serving our customers from diverse communities.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital status, family status, genetic characteristics, disability, or language and any other factor protected by applicable law.

Self-declaration as a member of an employment equity group will not be used to make employment decisions, nor will it impact any aspect of employment with Starbucks. Through voluntary participation, candidates consent to Starbucks’ collection and use of self-declaration information for the statistical purposes of analyzing and monitoring hiring practices.

Starbucks Corporation is committed to offering reasonable accommodation to job applicants with disabilities. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, please contact us at [email protected].