Di'Andra Hillard
Scotch Plains
Summary
Dynamic Human Resources professional with over 10 years of comprehensive experience in all facets of HR, including operations, employee and labor relations, HRIS, leave administration, and full-cycle recruiting. Proven expertise in managing leave of absence procedures while ensuring strict regulatory compliance. Strong organizational skills streamline leave requests and maintain accurate records. Recognized for effective communication and unwavering support for employees during leave periods, fostering a positive workplace environment.
Overview
11
11
years of professional experience
1
1
Certification
Work History
Sr. LOA SPECIALIST
EXTENSISHR
Woodbridge, NJ
06.2022 - Current
- Oversee leave, disability, and absence management programs to ensure compliance with legal regulations.
- Managed the comprehensive vendor selection and implementation process for the LOA database, achieving a 10% improvement in response and processing times.
- Monitors and tracks FMLA leave usage, ensuring compliance with leave entitlements and any applicable state or federal regulations throughout the USA.
- Achieved prompt resolution of benefit inquiries by facilitating communication between employees and vendors. Enhanced issue resolution processes by collaborating with team members on complex cases.
- Utilizes technical skills with respect to leave data to conduct analysis, problem solve, conduct process improvements, spot trends, and resolve discrepancies.
- Conducts and facilitates education and presentations of leave of absence programs and provisions to teammates and external partners.
- Partnered with Benefits and/or Payroll Team on coordinating benefit and pay impact while on leave.
- Collaborated with HR teams to streamline leave processes, enhancing overall efficiency and communication.
ACTING LEAVE MANAGER
RUTGER’S UNIVERSITY
New Brunswick, NJ
03.2022 - 06.2022
- Spearheaded the Leaves Administration department, establishes operational goals & objectives of the University while supervising a team of 5-10 employees.
- Managed day-to-day activities of leaves administration specialists to maintain compliance and service quality.
- Managed FMLA, NJFLA, Military and Medical/Disability matters submitted to our office.
- Delivered expertise and resources in Leave Administration to the faculty, staff, and university community.
- Oversaw team coaching on service delivery protocols, ensuring adherence to operational accuracy and alignment with target KPI benchmarks.
- Collaborated with leadership, internal/external stakeholders to identify business process improvement opportunities, growth strategies, and present recommendations.
- Resolved 67% of discrepancies related to Leave of Absence (LOA) cases.
- Enforced policies & procedures in concurrence with compliance of regulatory laws & guidelines.
- Led strategic planning initiatives to enhance departmental efficiency and effectiveness.
SR. FUNCTIONAL LEAVE SPECIALIST
RUTGER’S UNIVERSITY
New Brunswick, NJ
08.2020 - 03.2022
- Directed a team of six specialists on the Leave Administration Team with 80 – 200 caseloads per specialist.
- Coordinated all aspects of employee leave including Sabbaticals, FMLA, Worker’s Comp, STD/LTD, ADA, COBRA, non-FMLA, and paid & unpaid leave of absences.
- Developed and implemented training materials for staff on leave policies and procedures.
- Ensured HRIS and other systems data is current; partnered with HRIS and Payroll teams in report creation, updating leave types and related information.
- Accountable for meeting 92% of our monthly Service-Level Agreements (SLA) and ensured that each case with medical documents met regulation guidelines.
- Managed leave administration processes, ensuring compliance with university policies and federal regulations.
ADMINISTRATIVE SPECIALIST III
Superior Court of New Jersey
Newark, NJ
09.2016 - 08.2020
- Leave Specialist & Internship Coordinator Essex Vicinage Judiciary Courthouse.
- Served as Leave of Absence liaison & Internship Coordinator with the Superior Court and ensured all cases in compliance.
- Directed all aspects of case management and administration to ensure adherence to Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) regulations.
- Educated employees and students on their responsibilities and any documentation required to qualify for and take leave.
- Ensured compliance with leave policies through thorough verification of medical documentation.
- Ensured compliance with HIPAA & Employee Privacy guidelines.
- Generated and managed reporting metrics and analytics for all leave cases.
- Coordinated off-boarding tasks, encompassing exit interviews, retirement processing, and termination documentation, while distributing COBRA packages.
- Facilitated onboarding of an average of 150 interns per year, including recruiting, training, and orientation.
ADMINISTRATIVE SPECIALIST II
Superior Court of New Jersey Essex
Newark, NJ
05.2015 - 09.2016
- Administered orientation & onboarding, developed training and best practices, and coached sessions contributing to strategic HR operational decisions.
- Developed and maintained comprehensive filing systems for improved document retrieval.
- Facilitated recruiting activities, benefits administration, and compliance areas including applicant pool maintenance, new hire orientations, benefits calculations, billing audits, and record tracking for internal and federal/state requirements.
- Developed new training programs resulting in improved performance metrics.
- Managed sensitive and confidential information, including coaching documents, wages, and performance action plans.
- Established and nurtured connections with diverse employment service providers, focusing on collaborative opportunities.
Education
MASTER'S DEGREE - Management
Walden University
MN08-2015
BACHELOR'S DEGREE - Business Administration/HR
DeVry University
IL10-2012
Skills
- Relationship management
- FMLA expertise
- Absence & Disability management
- Employee relations
- Benefits administration
- Policy interpretation
- Employment law
- HRIS proficiency
- ADA knowledge
- Discretion and confidentiality
- Compliance monitoring
- Workers' compensation
Certification
- Certified Leave Management Specialist, Disability Management Employer Coalition (DMEC) - Exp. 12/2026
Timeline
Sr. LOA SPECIALIST
EXTENSISHR
06.2022 - Current
ACTING LEAVE MANAGER
RUTGER’S UNIVERSITY
03.2022 - 06.2022
SR. FUNCTIONAL LEAVE SPECIALIST
RUTGER’S UNIVERSITY
08.2020 - 03.2022
ADMINISTRATIVE SPECIALIST III
Superior Court of New Jersey
09.2016 - 08.2020
ADMINISTRATIVE SPECIALIST II
Superior Court of New Jersey Essex
05.2015 - 09.2016
MASTER'S DEGREE - Management
Walden University
BACHELOR'S DEGREE - Business Administration/HR
DeVry University
Extra
Notary Public, New Jersey, 2027
Professional Development
- Certified Leave Management Specialist, Disability Management Employer Coalition, 2022
- Human Resources Certification, Fairleigh Dickinson University, 2014
- Member, Society of Human Resources Management (SHRM), 2013