Leave Manager at Wilson Sporting Goods in Chicago, IL

Overview

We are a global group of iconic sports and outdoor brands such as Arc'teryx, Salomon, Wilson, Peak Performance, Atomic, and Armada. Our purpose is to elevate the world through sport. From courts to slopes, from cities to mountains, and everywhere in between, we inspire people to explore and experience the joy of sports and lead better, healthier lives.

With us, you get to inspire people to experience the joy of sports while building a network of like-minded people around the world. We have an open and relaxed culture that encourages you to grow professionally and tend to your wellbeing. Our core values are:

• Always authentic
• Better together
• Committed to impact
• Driven to excellence

Our global community of over 11,000 people operates in 41 countries. Just like our customers, we are dedicated to an active lifestyle and sports. Join us.

What You'll Do

The Leave Manager will oversee our leave of absence programs, workers’ compensation, and employee accommodation processes in the region. This role is responsible for the administration and operational workflow of the leave process to ensure employee productivity & experience while reducing organizational risk. The Leave Manager will work closely with the Sr. Manager, internal leave team, HR Business Partners, legal, and payroll to ensure compliance, efficiency, and employee‑focused leave and accommodation practices.

While based in Wilson’ Chicago office, this role supports Amer Sports team members across the U.S. consisting of multiple brands and various locations (warehouse, factories and administrative offices). Specific duties may include:

• Leave Program Management: While partnering with the internal leave team, oversee the administration of all employee leaves, including but not limited to: Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA), state and local paid family medical leave programs, Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and interactive accommodation process, Company sponsored leaves such as parental leave, short-term disability, long-term disability, and coordination of the return-to-work process. Ensure timely, accurate, consistent and compliant leave determination, tracking, and documentation.
• Policy & Procedures Management: Continually monitor our leave procedures and policies to identify gaps, risks and opportunities for improvement while implementing or revising protocols & policies to adapt to new laws or changes in business needs or best practices. Create and maintain the leave framework / protocol for leave administration consistency and compliance.
• Partner with the internal leave team and act as an escalation point for complex or sensitive leave cases. Provide coaching to the team to help develop knowledge, ensure compliance and consistency, and ensure a positive team member experience. Assist the team with weekly reporting of benefit premiums owed and leave status.
• Compliance & Risk Management: Proactively monitor legislative changes and assess operational impact; recommend and implement policy or process updates as needed to maintain compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local leave laws and regulations. Partner with Legal and the HR team to mitigate risk and address escalated or complex cases.
• Vendor Management: Manage the relationship with third‑party vendors for both leaves of absence and workers’ compensation. Meet with vendors to review outstanding inquiries and take corrective action when needed. Ensure accurate data exchange between the vendors and our internal systems (Workday and payroll) including the weekly file exchange. Review, process, and approve vendor invoices.
• Employee & Stakeholder Support: Serve as a subject matter expert for managers, HR partners, and employees on leave‑related matters. Provide guidance on sensitive, complex, or escalated leave and accommodation cases. Develop and deliver training and communication materials related to leave programs. Educate employees and leaders on the types of leaves and the Company’s leave programs.
• Reporting & Continuous Improvement: Analyze leave data and trends to identify risks, cost drivers, and improvement opportunities. Prepare reports and metrics for HR leadership and senior management as needed. Document and track all leave data for audit readiness.
• Participate in system implementations, upgrades, and process automation initiatives in partnership with the HRIS team when needed.
• Special projects and other duties as assigned.

What We're Looking For

This position requires a bachelor’s degree in human resources, business administration or related field preferred; equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered. We are seeking an individual with a minimum 5 years of leave administration experience with demonstrated hands‑on experience with FMLA, ADA, STD, WC and other federal, state, and local leave programs. Candidates should demonstrate a customer service attitude and ability to collaborate and coach fellow HR colleagues in this area. Other qualifications include:

• Strong understanding of leave processes and general HR topics
• Demonstrate the ability to maintain positive & professional work relationships with team members
• Organized, strong attention to detail, understands the importance of accuracy
• Excellent communication skills (written and verbal) are important
• Proactive, analytical mindset; ability to review, question & develop existing processes as necessary; ability to see the bigger picture while maintaining focus on details
• Ability to work independently as well as be part of the larger team; flexible and adaptable in a fast-moving, results-oriented work environment
• Strong work ethic and dedication to completing assigned tasks on a timely basis
• Experience with and ability to manage confidential information/documents
• Ability to work standard 9:00 to 5:00 hours to ensure coverage for region
• Prior experience with HR systems is required (preferably Workday)
• Proficiency in MS Office and a demonstrated technical aptitude

What We’ll Provide

Located in the vibrant, sports-centric city of Chicago, this role is based at the Wilson global headquarters which sits along the lakefront with first-class access to a burgeoning creative, innovative, energetic and active professional community. We offer an open, collaborative, high tech work environment with great benefits and perks, including:

• Medical, dental and vision
• 401(k) plan with company match
• Life insurance
• Pre-tax transit discounts
• Paid maternity/paternity leave
• Discounts on Amer Sports products
• Smart casual dress
• On-site health club
• Summer hours; generous paid holiday offering
• Hybrid working model

A reasonable estimate of the pay range is $80,000-$110,000 per year at the time of this posting. Within the range, individual pay is determined by factors such as job-related skills, relevant experience, education, and/or training. Please note that the range reflects the base pay only and does not include our competitive bonus program.

Amer Sports is an equal opportunity employer. Qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, protected veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected characteristics.