Position Type:
Human Resources
Date Posted:
5/19/2025
Location:
Educational Service Center
Closing Date:
Until Filled
Job summary: The Lead Human Resources Leave Specialist is responsible to inspire and prepare all students with the confidence, courage and competence to achieve their dreams; contribute to community; and engage in a lifetime of learning by processing, verifying and tracking the long-term, partial, intermittent, medical, and childcare leaves for all district staff. This position leads and supports the leave specialist in managing the leave process, ensuring compliance with federal and state rules, laws, and district contract language. This position leads and supports the attendance specialist in managing employee attendance and short-term leaves in accordance with district contract language. Supports the HR Coordinator in maintaining wellness and benefits programs for district employees. Provides exceptional customer service to employees, managers, and HR team members.
Responsibilities and tasks include:
- Lead the employee leave process in accordance with state and federal laws and contractual obligations.
- Leads and manages the daily, weekly, monthly, and annual processing of leave management.
- Acts as a backup to the Leave Specialist providing day-to-day support to employees as needed.
- Partners with the Leave Specialist on complex leaves providing guidance and recommendations.
- Stays up to date on proposed and upcoming changes to state and federal leave laws and makes recommendations for process and procedure updates and changes. Attends continuing education opportunities as requested and shares information back with impacted team members.
- Determine leave eligibility and designating applicable leaves that qualify under state and federal programs including but not limited to FMLA qualifying and MN Parental Leave qualifying.
- Approves and denies leaves based on provided documentation, contractual obligations, and state and federal leave laws.
- Serves as a subject matter expert for medical and parental leaves in alignment with the general direction and guidance of HR leadership, bargaining contracts, and the legal department.
- Oversees the tracking of employee leaves including accounting for intermittent and reduced schedule leave use.
- Communicates via email, written documentation, in person, and over the phone with employees and managers regarding their needs for leave and/or modified work schedules or restrictions.
- Advises managers and employees on applicable leave laws and available contractual leaves available based on specific employee needs.
- Creates and maintains leave documentation including employee communications, internal processes and best practices in collaboration with internal stakeholders and labor relations.
- Partners with payroll staff to review pay and leave calendars, providing direction to payroll on employee pay during their leaves.
- Proactively produces and manages leave related reporting metrics and presents to HR leadership as requested.
- Responds to questions from LTD provider, partnering on complex and in-depth claims.
- Manage the long-term disability process from the employee’s initial eligibility through the term of the disability.
- Serve as a subject matter expert and liaison between employees and the LTD carrier for long-term disability eligibility and questions.
- Partner and communicate with employee supervisors to inform them of employee status including employee status, anticipated return to work dates, and restrictions.
- Makes recommendations to revisions to company leave practices in bargaining contracts based on best practices and changing state and federal guidance.
- Provides training and guidance to HR staff on leaves and applicable rules and laws.
- Provides employee benefit and wellness program support.
- Provides support to the HR Coordinator to implement and maintain employee benefit programs.
- Creates and distributes employee communications regarding benefits including but not limited to, open enrollment opportunities, benefit updates, and employee resources.
- Assists in creating, implementing, and supporting the Districts employee wellness programs.
- Supports District benefit open enrolment processes including employee communications, gathering and tracking data, and data validation.
- Partners in the creation and distribution of employee benefit education opportunities.
- Assists in the development and delivery of benefit-related training opportunities.
- Responds to questions from employees and vendors regarding benefit questions and/or concerns.
- Resolves discrepancies by collaborating with the HR Coordinator and stakeholders to resolve as needed.
- Analyzes data and trends and make recommendations for proactive communications and adjustments to internal practices.
- Requests escalation to HR Coordinator when appropriate.
- Serves as a backup to support the HR Attendance Specialist responsibilities.
- Leads the daily, weekly, monthly, and annual processes for attendance management.
- Makes recommendations for attendance management software changes and workflow efficiencies.
- Supports the Attendance Specialist to provide training and regular communication to employees and managers regarding attendance best practices and procedure updates.
- Acts as a backup to the Attendance Specialist providing day to day support to employees as needed which may include, but is not limited to, monitoring the continuous building subs, tracking District high usage days, administering short term leave requests, and monitoring employee time off usage .
- Performs other comparable duties of a like or similar nature as assigned.
- Attending district in-service training sessions and meetings.
- Stays up to date on federal, state, and local laws and regulations pertinent to job responsibilities.
- Performs other duties as assigned
Skills, Knowledge & Abilities include:
- In depth knowledge of state and federal leave laws and regulations.
- Basic understanding of human resources functions, programs, and activities.
- Basic understanding of payroll functions and operations.
- General knowledge of bargaining agreement terms and conditions dealing with salary setting, pay rates and benefits.
- Fundamentals of general office and general administrative procedures and operational requirements.
- Office equipment and typical productivity software, databases or customized systems/applications used within the district for processing payrolls.
- Knowledge of basic record retention, record/file/database maintenance requirements.
- Understanding of data privacy requirements, laws and rules as it pertains to job assignments.
Minimum qualifications include:
- 2 years college and 2 years previous experience administering employee leave requests in accordance with state and federal laws and regulations.
- Or 4 years of previous experience administering employee leave requests in accordance with state and federal laws and regulations.
- Working knowledge of state and federal leave laws and regulations.
Preferred qualifications include:
- Customer service and human relations skills in assisting, dealing with, and applying proper written and verbal communication and assistance.
- Interpreting, applying, and following state and federal laws and regulations.
- Interpreting, applying, and following bargaining contracts.
- Attention to detail, precision, and accuracy.
- Completing assignments with minimal direction according to established work methods.
- The attributes of an efficacious learner: resourceful, self–directed, responsible, problem solver and skilled communicator.
- Organized, efficient and process oriented.
- Tactfully, exercises independent judgment, discretion and confidentiality.
- Intermediate knowledge of spreadsheet and database management software and word processing skills.
- Basic math skills needed to add, subtract, multiple and divide units of measure using whole numbers, fractions and/or decimals.
- Verifying, reviewing, proofing and auditing employee records to ensure salaries and benefits are correct and processed appropriately.
- Performing work assignments requiring attention to detail, precision and accuracy and in accordance with set deadlines.
- Performing assigned functions with minimal direction in accordance with established set departmental operations.
Job Type: Full-Time
Bargaining Unit: Confidential Support Specialists
Salary Range: $32.48 - $48.32/hour
Benefits: Medical, dental, life insurance, long term disability, employee assistance program, and 403b (tax sheltered annuity) employer match program - Benefits Site
Osseo Area Schools offers:
- Meaningful and impactful work
- Opportunities to grow professionally
- A variety of benefits
- Summer opportunities
- and more
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement:
Osseo Area School District ISD 279 is an Equal Opportunity, and veteran-friendly employer.
Osseo Area School District ISD 279 ensures equal employment opportunities regardless of race, creed, gender, color, national origin, religion, age, sexual orientation or disability. Osseo Area School District is committed to a workforce that reflects the diversity of the district and strongly encourages persons to apply who can strengthen our diversity. For more information, view the District’s Equal Opportunity and Prohibition Against Discrimination, Harassment and Violence Policy.
Veteran’s Preference: If you are an eligible veteran, please submit a legible copy of your DD214 with your application.
Accommodation: If you have a disability that requires an accommodation during the selection process, please email Human Resources at HR@district279.org or call 763-391-7007.
Background Check Upon Conditional Offer:
Background checks are conducted upon receiving a conditional offer. Employees must complete a background check and are responsible for the background fee. A passing background is required. Criminal convictions are reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
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