Lead LOA & Compliance Administrator

General Summary The Lead Leave of Absence & Compliance Administrator oversees the administration and continuous improvement of LAIKA's leave of absence, accommodation, and employee support programs. Serving as a primary resource for employees, managers, medical providers, and third-party administrators, this role provides guidance throughout the leave and accommodation process and helps ensure compliance with applicable laws and company policies. The position also identifies opportunities to improve processes, support employees, and strengthen program effectiveness. Job Functions Administer all leave of absence programs, including FMLA, company leaves, and state-specific programs in Oregon, Washington, and California; serve as a primary resource for employees and managers regarding leave eligibility, requirements, documentation, and timelines. Coordinate with third-party vendors, healthcare providers, and internal departments to ensure accurate and efficient processing. Review and track leave requests, ensuring cases are managed in compliance with federal, state, and company policies; maintain accurate leave records, documentation flow, and communication logs. Act as the first point of contact for employees seeking workplace accommodations, and facilitate the ADA interactive process, partnering with employees, managers, Legal, and medical providers to determine reasonable accommodations. Work closely with Payroll to calculate leave pay, including supplemental pay and company-provided wage replacement outside of state programs; ensure accurate pay alignment with leave status, available benefits, and state program integration, and support auditing and reconciliation of leave pay data. Partner closely with Safety to support the administration of Workers' Compensation claims, including claim coordination, employee communication, and return-to-work planning. Monitor and ensure compliance with federal and state leave laws, applicable benefit regulations, and internal policies. Contribute to development and maintenance of leave-related and broader benefits policies, guidance documents, manager tools and training, and employee resources. Collaborate with People & Culture, Legal, Employee Engagement, Safety and other key partners to support consistent application of policies and processes, streamlining leave and accommodation workflows. Assist the broader Benefits team during annual open enrollment, audits, reporting, and support ongoing projects and initiatives; serve as a backup to the Benefits Specialist. Qualifications 5+ years of experience in leave administration, Benefits administration, HR compliance, or related field. Strong knowledge of FMLA, ADA, Workers’ Compensation, and state leave programs; OR, WA, CA experience strongly preferred. Experience working with third-party leave administrators and payroll systems. Ability to interpret and apply federal and state laws and related HR policies. Exceptional communication, customer service, and problem-solving skills. High attention to detail with strong organizational and case management skills. Ability to handle confidential information with professionalism and discretion. Proficiency in HRIS systems and Microsoft Office Suite. Physical Demands and Work Environment The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Physical demands: While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to walk; stand; sit; use hands to operate standard office equipment; reach with hands and arms; balance; stoop; talk or hear both in person and by telephone. The employee must lift and/or move up to 15 pounds. Vision abilities include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus. Work environment: While performing th