Manager- Accommodations & Leaves

About the Opportunity

Job Summary:

Reporting to the Associate Vice-President, Total Rewards, Global Mobility and Compliance, the Manager, Accommodations & Leaves (Canada) leads Northeastern University’s accommodations and leave programs across its U.S. and Canadian locations. For the Canadian campuses in Toronto and Vancouver, the Manager directly manages both workplace accommodations and leaves of absence, ensuring compliance with the Ontario and British Columbia Human Rights Codes, the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), provincial employment standards legislation, and university policy. For the U.S., the Manager oversees the accommodations program delivered through a direct report (ADA Specialist) in adherence to the ADAAA, the PWFA, Massachusetts Chapter 151B, and other applicable state and local law. Leaves of absence in both countries are administered by the university’s third-party vendor; U.S. leave administration is fully outsourced. The Manager, Accommodations & Leaves serves as the university’s primary point of accountability for that vendor, overseeing service quality, the internal administrative work that supports each leave, and the accuracy of leave-related payments. The Manager partners closely with HR Business Partners, Payroll, Benefits, Talent Acquisition, and the Office of General Counsel.

Responsibilities:

Accommodations Program Management (U.S. & Canada):

• Directly manages the disability and pregnancy-related accommodations process for Canadian faculty, staff, and applicants, engaging in the interactive process, reviewing medical documentation, and issuing written determinations and individual accommodation plans to the point of undue hardship.
• Oversees the U.S. accommodations program delivered by the ADA Specialist, serving as the escalation point for complex, high-risk, or precedent-setting cases. Ensures decisions are individualized, consistent across both countries, and fully documented in the system of record. Partners with Talent Acquisition to support applicants who require accommodations during recruitment.

Leave Administration & Vendor Oversight (U.S. & Canada): • Serves as the primary internal liaison with the university’s third-party leave administrator for U.S. and Canadian leaves, monitoring performance against contractual SLAs, auditing claim decisions and data, and escalating and resolving discrepancies. • For the fully outsourced U.S. program, oversees the internal administrative entries in Workday and the accuracy of leave-related payments, partnering with Payroll and Benefits on reconciliation, corrections, and overpayment recovery. • For Canada, manages leaves end to end, including job-protected statutory leaves under the Ontario and BC Employment Standards Acts, short- and long-term disability claims, Records of Employment, and any salary top-up or benefit continuation.

Compliance, Policy & Training: • Monitors U.S. federal and state and Canadian federal and provincial legislation, regulatory changes, and case law affecting accommodations and leave, and recommends updates to university policies, procedures, and communications. • Supports AODA employment-standard obligations, including individual accommodation plans, individualized workplace emergency response information, and documented return-to-work processes. • Delivers training to managers, HR Business Partners, and university partners in both countries. • Produces reporting on case volume, vendor performance, and payment accuracy to identify process improvements.

Return to Work & Case Coordination: • Coordinates return-to-work and graduated return plans for Canadian employees, aligning leave, disability claim, and accommodations outcomes, and ensures U.S. accommodations and leave outcomes are coordinated at return to work. • Manages the intersection of accommodations with workplace injury claims under WSIB and WorkSafeBC and refers U.S. workers’ compensation matters to the appropriate office. • Tracks leave exhaustion and LTD transitions, escalating complex cases to the AP, Total Rewards, Global Mobility and Compliance and the Office of General Counsel.

People Leadership: • Supervises the ADA Specialist, including caseload management, quality review of determinations, coaching, and performance and development planning. • Sets consistent standards, templates, and workflows for the accommodation and leave programs. • Serves as backup for U.S. accommodation casework as needed. • Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

Education & Experience • Knowledge and skills typically acquired through a Bachelor’s degree in human resources, disability management, psychology, social work, or a related field, plus 5–7 years of progressive experience in workplace accommodations, disability management, and/or leave administration, including casework in both the U.S. and Canada. • At least two years of experience supervising or leading staff. • Experience overseeing a third-party leave or disability claims administrator, including SLA monitoring, auditing, payment reconciliation, and escalation management.

Required Knowledge & Skills • Working knowledge of U.S. accommodations and leave law, including the ADAAA, the PWFA, the FMLA, Massachusetts Chapter 151B, Massachusetts Paid Family and Medical Leave, and other applicable state and local requirements. • Working knowledge of the duty to accommodate under the Ontario and British Columbia Human Rights Codes; the AODA and its Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation (IASR); the Ontario and BC Employment Standards Acts; Employment Insurance special benefits; and WSIB / WorkSafeBC. • Ability to interpret medical and functional-abilities documentation and communicate clearly with treating providers, employees, and managers. • Strong understanding of how leave status drives pay, benefits, and payroll processing, with the analytical skills to identify and resolve payment discrepancies. • Sound judgment and discretion in handling sensitive and confidential information. • Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage competing priorities across two countries. • Excellent written and oral communication skills, including drafting determination letters and training content. • Ability to build collaborative relationships and influence stakeholders at all levels across U.S. and Canadian teams. • Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel); Workday experience a plus.

Preferred • CHRP/CHRL, Certified Disability Management Professional (CDMP), Certified Return to Work Coordinator (CRTWC), or ADA Coordinator certification • Experience in higher education or a multi-state / multi-country organization.

Position Type

Human Resources Additional Information

Northeastern University considers factors such as candidate work experience, education and skills when extending an offer.

Northeastern has a comprehensive benefits package for benefit eligible employees. This includes medical, vision, dental, paid time off, tuition assistance, wellness & life, retirement- as well as commuting & transportation. Visit https://hr.northeastern.edu/benefits/ for more information.

All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Compensation Grade/Pay Type: 110S Expected Hiring Range: $76,335.00 - $107,823.75 With the pay range(s) shown above, the starting salary will depend on several factors, which may include your education, experience, location, knowledge and expertise, and skills as well as a pay comparison to similarly-situated employees already in the role. Salary ranges are reviewed regularly and are subject to change.