Head of Leave Management

Position Summary

Do you bring strategic leadership, operational excellence, and people-first thinking to complex leave programs? Are you a seasoned leader who can guide managers, oversee multi-faceted functional operations, and shape enterprise policies that enhance compliance and the employee experience? If so, we are seeking a Head of Leave Management (L‑08) to lead our leave programs, manage a high-performing team, and partner with senior HR leaders to modernize and strengthen our leave strategy.

In this role, you will set short-term strategy for the Leave Administration function, oversee end‑to‑end processes, ensure compliance with federal and state regulations, guide managers and professional staff, and manage critical vendor relationships. You will influence policies, negotiate with external partners, and deliver results that ensure employees receive the support they need while safeguarding the organization against risk.

You Are:

• A strong communicator who can convey complex information to diverse audiences
• A critical thinker who applies knowledge of business drivers to maximize performance
• A confident negotiator who builds strong vendor, partner, and stakeholder relationships
• An inclusive leader who drives engagement, develops talent, and creates clarity in ambiguity

You Have:

• 12-15+ years of HR, leave administration, or HR operations experience
• Experience leading managers and professional-level employees
• Deep knowledge of federal and state leave and disability laws (FMLA, ADA, state programs, STD/LTD)
• Demonstrated ability to develop policies, set strategy, and oversee complex operations
• Strong vendor-management and contract negotiation experience
• Ability to analyze data, prepare business cases, and influence senior leaders
• Excellent communication, relationship-building, and coaching skills

You Will:

• Lead the Leave Administration team, including managers and professional staff
• Set short-term strategy and priorities for the Leave Administration function
• Develop, maintain, and evolve leave policies and operating procedures
• Ensure compliant, timely, and high-quality management of all leave and disability cases
• Serve as the primary escalation point and strategic partner for the third‑party leave administrator
• Negotiate key vendor agreements and monitor performance against service expectations
• Guide employees, leaders, and HR partners through complex leave scenarios
• Create and deliver training and education to increase understanding of leave programs
• Conduct benchmarking and market research to ensure competitive leave benefits
• Provide coaching, feedback, and regular check-ins with direct reports
• Drive engagement through inclusive leadership and transparent communication
• Prepare analyses, dashboards, and insights to inform senior leadership decision-making

Reporting Relationships

This role reports to the Head of HR Service Delivery

Salary Range:

The salary range reflected above is a good faith estimate of base pay for the primary location of the position. The salary for this position ultimately will be determined based on the education, experience, knowledge, and abilities of the successful candidate. In addition to salary, this role may also be eligible for annual, sales, or other incentive compensation.

Our Promise

At Guardian, you’ll have the support and flexibility to achieve your professional and personal goals.  Through skill-building, leadership development and philanthropic opportunities, we provide opportunities to build communities and grow your career, surrounded by diverse colleagues with high ethical standards.

Inspire Well-Being

As part of Guardian’s Purpose – to inspire well-being – we are committed to offering contemporary, supportive, flexible, and inclusive benefits and resources to our colleagues. Explore our company benefits at www.guardianlife.com/careers/corporate/benefits. Benefits apply to full-time eligible employees. Interns are not eligible for most Company benefits.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Guardian is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to age, race, color, creed, religion, sex, affectional or sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, marital status, disability, military or veteran status, or any other classification protected by applicable law.

Accommodations

Guardian is committed to providing access, equal opportunity and reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities in employment, its services, programs, and activities. Guardian also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified job applicants (and employees) to accommodate the individual's known limitations related to pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions, unless doing so would create an undue hardship. If reasonable accommodation is needed to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and/or to receive other benefits and privileges of employment, please contact [email protected]. Please note: this resource is for accommodation requests only. For all other inquires related to your application and careers at Guardian, refer to the Guardian Careers site.

Visa Sponsorship

Guardian is not currently or in the foreseeable future sponsoring employment visas. In order to be a successful applicant. you must be legally authorized to work in the United States, without the need for employer sponsorship.

Current Guardian Colleagues: Please apply through the internal Jobs Hub in Workday.