Senior Benefits Program Manager, Absence Management

About the teamThe Global Benefits team designs and operates Zillow’s health, welfare, time off, and family support programs across the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Serbia, and Germany, delivering a consistent, employee‑centered benefits experience that reflects our values of wellbeing, belonging, and financial security. Within that team, the Leave of Absence (LOA) group manages U.S. and global leave and disability programs, balancing compassionate support for employees with strong compliance, vendor governance, and cost stewardship. We partner closely with HR Business Partners, People Legal, Payroll, the Employee Service Center, and People Tech to simplify complex leave rules, improve internal and vendor workflows, and use data to guide decisions and continuous improvement.

About the role

We’re looking for a highly experienced leave-of-absence (LOA) professional who will use their experience and data-driven insights to inform decision-making, continuously improve processes, and deliver a best-in-class employee experience. In this role, you will partner with key stakeholders across the business, including HR Business Partners, People Legal, Payroll, and others to lead the following programs: Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA), Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Short Term Disability (STD), Long Term Disability (LTD), and Parental Leave (Bonding). 

You will get to

• Lead LOA vendor implementations, day-to-day vendor management, and optimization to ensure high-quality case management and support services.

• Partner with Tech to configure and maintain Workday leave modules and integrations with third-party vendors (file feeds, return files, status automation, pay triggers, accumulators).

• Develop and track key metrics on leave incidence, denial rates, average duration, claim types, and accommodation trends.

• Build and implement dashboards to provide up-to-date, self-service resources. 

• Provide regular reports and insights to senior leadership, and make data-driven recommendations to identify patterns and pain points and propose improvements. 

• Translate complex leave rules (state programs, company top‑ups, concurrency with FMLA/ADA) into system logic and testing scenarios.

• Responsible for self-insured disability pay  - troubleshoot systemic issues that create pay errors or inaccurate leave status and implement long-term fixes.  Support employee inquiries. 

• Lead compliance and policy governance for global LOA programs. 

• Through feedback from stakeholders, design and continuous prioritization of improvements to features, standard operating procedures, and process workflows to ensure compliance, scalability, and employee-friendliness.

• Work cross-functionally to develop and scale policies and handbook updates.

• Lead change management and communications for LOA-related change initiatives.

• Educate managers and employees on program resources and responsibilities.

• Stay current with evolving federal, state, country, and local leave regulations to ensure ongoing compliance.

• Support LOA specialists as back-up for managing and resolving escalated issues and day-to-day claims management.

This role has been categorized as a Remote position. “Remote” employees do not have a permanent corporate office workplace and, instead, work from a physical location of their choice, which must be identified to the Company. U.S. employees may live in any of the 50 United States, with limited exceptions.

In California, Connecticut, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Washington state, and Washington DC the standard base pay range for this role is $99,700.00 - $159,300.00 annually. This base pay range is specific to these locations and may not be applicable to other locations. In Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Minnesota, Nevada, Ohio, Rhode Island, and Vermont the standard base pay range for this role is $94,700.00 - $151,300.00 annually. The base pay range is specific to these locations and may not be applicable to other locations.

In addition to a competitive base salary this position is also eligible for equity awards based on factors such as experience, performance and location. Actual amounts will vary depending on experience, performance and location. Employees in this role will not be paid below the salary threshold for exempt employees in the state where they reside.

Who you are

• Minimum 8 years of experience in benefits administration, preferably significant experience in LOA and/or accommodations programs and disability program management (experience at a global scale a plus). 

• Strong knowledge of U.S. leave and accommodation laws and familiarity with global statutory leave laws. 

• Experience implementing LOA and disability vendors is a plus. 

• Strong analytical experience with the ability to effectively scrub data using Microsoft Excel/Google Sheets and create dashboards using third-party vendor business intelligence tools. 

• Experience working with leave-tracking HRIS systems (e.g., Workday); knowledge of configuration systems preferred.

• Proven experience in scaling processes and being agile in a highly innovative environment.

• Ability to work independently at a senior level and influence without authority. 

• Exceptional judgement, discretion, and ability to manage sensitive and confidential matters. 

• Experience working in an LOA management environment with an external third-party administrator.

Get to know us

At Zillow, we’re reimagining how people move—through the real estate market and through their careers. As the most-visited real estate platform in the U.S., we help customers navigate buying, selling, financing and renting with greater ease and confidence. Whether you're working in tech, sales, operations, or design, you’ll be part of a company that's reshaping an industry and helping more people make home a reality.

Zillow is honored to be recognized among the best workplaces in the country. Zillow was named one of FORTUNE 100 Best Companies to Work For® in 2025, and included on the PEOPLE Companies That Care® 2025 list, reflecting our commitment to creating an innovative, inclusive, and engaging culture where employees are empowered to grow.

No matter where you sit in the organization, your work will help drive innovation, support our customers, and move the industry—and your career—forward, together.

Zillow Group is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an inclusive, innovative environment with the best employees. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity or Veteran status. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please contact your recruiter directly.

Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with applicable state and local law.

Los Angeles County applicants: Job duties for this position include: work safely and cooperatively with other employees, supervisors, and staff; adhere to standards of excellence despite stressful conditions; communicate effectively and respectfully with employees, supervisors, and staff to ensure exceptional customer service; and follow all federal, state, and local laws and Company policies. Criminal history may have a direct, adverse, and negative relationship with some of the material job duties of this position. These include the duties and responsibilities listed above, as well as the abilities to adhere to company policies, exercise sound judgment, effectively manage stress and work safely and respectfully with others, exhibit trustworthiness and professionalism, and safeguard business operations and the Company’s reputation. Pursuant to the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.