Support Center - Irving

We are seeking a highly motivated and technically proficient Sr. Analyst, Leave, Life & Disability, and Absence Programs to serve as our North American Subject Matter Expert (SME). Reporting directly to the Manager of Benefits & Wellness, this role will be responsible for the governance, administration, vendor oversight, compliance, and continuous improvement of absence-related programs across the US and Canada.

This is a highly influential, operational role in a fast-paced environment that requires independent judgement, strong vendor management capabilities, and deep regulatory expertise. This role will oversee Third Party Administrators (TPAs), develop and manage time-away-from-work programs, monitor evolving legislation, evaluate state/local/provincial time-off mandates, and deliver data-driven recommendations to leadership. Once established in the role, this individual will assume full ownership of program compliance, operational excellence, and vendor performance across all jurisdictions.

Key Responsibilities

• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with HR Business Partners (HRBPs), Team Member Service Center, Legal, Payroll, and Operations to manage complex leave and medical accommodations, resolve escalated claim issues, and ensure proper payroll tax administration and direct billing processes associated with paid leave mandates.
• Vendor Governance & Relationship Ownership: Serve as the primary relationship owner and operational liaison for our Life, Disability (STD/LTD), AD&D, Voluntary Programs (e.g., Critical Illness, Accident, Hospital Indemnity), and Leave of Absence TPAs. Monitor vendor performance against established SLAs/KPIs, lead regular business reviews, audit claim determinations, and manage billing/financial reconciliations, including Team Member leave billing processes.
• Legislative & Regulatory Lead: Serve as the primary technical expert on all US federal, state, and local time-off mandates (FMLA, ADA, state/city paid family and sick leave laws), Canadian federal and provincial leave/statutory standards, and internal paid time-off structures.
• Policy & Program Optimization: Design, implement, maintain, and continuously enhance leave, disability, and voluntary benefit programs. Proactively analyze program results, gaps, assess operational effectiveness, monitor legislative changes, and implement scalable solutions across the US and Canada.
• HRIS & Compliance Oversight: Lead routine audits across Workday, payroll feeds, and carrier records to ensure data accuracy, correct premium deductions, and regulatory compliance. Manage required annual filings, reporting, and regulatory disclosures.
• Group Health Benefits Support: Provide secondary support to the broader Benefits team, including but not limited to assisting with open enrollment, benefit communications, and responding to Team Member inquiries through the company's case management system.

Qualifications & Required Experience

• Experience: 5+ years of dedicated, progressive experience managing corporate leave administration, disability programs, voluntary benefit plans, and vendor management.
• Geographic Scope: In-depth, practical knowledge of both US multi-state/local regulations and Canadian provincial leave legislation and statutory benefit structures.
• Systems Experience: Workday experience strongly preferred (specifically within Leave of Absence tracking, vendor integrations/EIBs, and reporting).
• Operational Agility: Proven ability to manage complex strategic initiatives while maintaining day-to-day program administration without losing momentum.
• Education / Certification: Bachelor's degree in HR, Business, or equivalent work experience preferred. Certified Professional in Disability Management, Certified Leave Management Specialist, or Certified Employee Benefit Specialist certification is a plus.

Technical & Behavioral Competencies

Technical Competencies

• Vendor & Carrier Oversight: Expertise in managing third-party administrators and insurance carriers across Life, Disability, Voluntary, and Leave programs-holding vendors accountable to SLAs, evaluating clinical/administrative decisions, and managing contract requirements.
• HRIS & Workday Technical Skills: Strong familiarity with Workday Leave of Absence and Absence Management features, integration concepts (vendor demographic and status feeds), and reporting capabilities.
• Data Synthesis & Financial Reconciliation: Advanced proficiency in Excel (XLOOKUP, INDEX/MATCH, SUMIFS, Pivot Tables) to reconcile TPA reports, carrier billing, payroll deductions, and internal HRIS data into clean, executive-level reports.
• Statutory & Accommodation Mastery: Deep understanding of the interplay between FMLA, state/local paid leaves, ADA interactive processes, workers' compensation, and Canadian provincial standards (e.g., job protection triggers in Ontario or BC vs. US regulations).

Behavioral Competencies

• Project Leadership & Drive: Takes decisive ownership of continuous improvement initiatives, effectively aligning cross-functional teams and external vendors toward key milestones and launch deadlines.
• Strategic Partnership: Acts as a consultative expert to HRBPs, Team Member Services, Payroll, and Operations, conveying complex policy and legal requirements into clear business guidance.
• Critical Evaluation: Diagnoses root causes of administrative or system issues-distinguishing between vendor execution errors, system configuration bugs, or policy gaps-and implements permanent corrective actions.
• Empathetic Resilience: Balances compassion for team members during personal leave and disability events with firm governance of company policies, carrier contracts, and statutory mandates.

Applicants in the U.S. must satisfy federal, state, and local legal requirements of the job.

Michaels offers a range of benefits to support team members and their families. Depending on position and eligibility, team members may have access to a 401(k) with employer match, an Employee Assistance Program, medical, dental, and vision coverage, telemedicine services, flexible spending accounts, commuter benefits, tuition assistance, adoption assistance, and various voluntary insurance options. All team members enjoy everyday perks such as employee discounts and access to partner discount programs. For a summary of benefits, visit the Michaels Benefits at a Glance page. For additional information regarding benefits, visit MIKBenefits.com