Return to Work Coordinator

Summary

The University of Southern California is seeking a Return-to-Work Coordinator responsible for processing and coordinating overall return-to-work administration. The role involves analyzing medical work restrictions, ensuring compliance with relevant laws, and serving as a liaison for all matters related to workers' compensation and return-to-work eligibility.

Responsibilities

• Analyzes medical work restrictions, makes recommendations to return injured employees back to gainful employment, and maintains best practices by facilitating interactive processes. Creates, analyzes and evaluates statistical data, developing monthly and annual metrics on accommodation processes
• Serves as university liaison on all matters related to workers’ compensation and return-to-work eligibility and/or certification, as well as point of contact for internal/external stakeholders – including the injured employee requiring accommodations. Provides ongoing consultation and problem-solving assistance to employees on the return-to-work process and temporary transitional assignments within and outside the university, all while maintaining transparency with their home department
• Ensures compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations (e.g., workers’ compensation, Americans with Disabilities Act, Fair Employment and Housing Act) and university policies and procedures
• Stays current with latest return-to-work program knowledge, best practices and initiatives. Supports continuous performance improvements with guidelines, policy development, workflows, training and quality standards
• Develops strong, credible relationships from demonstrated ethical judgment, behavior and practiced confidentiality. Encourages a workplace culture where all employees are valued, value others and have the opportunity to contribute through their ideas, words and actions, in accordance with the USC Code of Ethics

Skills

• Bachelor's degree and 1 year of working experience
• Certified Professional Disability Management and/or California Workers' Compensation Claims Administration certifications
• Demonstrated working knowledge of FMLA, CFRA, ADA, FEHA requirements and workers' compensation laws
• Ability to handle sensitive information with discretion and maintain confidentiality
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, able to maintain a consistently positive attitude and courteous phone/email tone
• Strong organizational and analytical skills, able to think strategically and creatively
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office
• Bachelor's degree in business administration, human resources, law, communication or in related field(s)
• 3 years in HR, workers' compensation claims, or return-to-work coordination
• Experience in higher education and/or health care
• Experience reconciling discrepancies across documentation and driving resolutions of differences
• Ability to provide clear and concise instructions to employees, simplifying the policies and procedures needed to complete processes
• Ability to provide high level overview of return-to-work strategies and coordinate across multiple teams
• Experience partnering with external providers
• Ability to translate meaning, identify issues and make process improvement recommendations
• Experience reporting and presenting findings after analyzing data
• Excellent interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence, and relationship-building abilities

Qualifications

Must Haves

• Bachelor's degree and 1 year of working experience
• Certified Professional Disability Management and/or California Workers' Compensation Claims Administration certifications
• Demonstrated working knowledge of FMLA, CFRA, ADA, FEHA requirements and workers' compensation laws
• Ability to handle sensitive information with discretion and maintain confidentiality
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, able to maintain a consistently positive attitude and courteous phone/email tone
• Strong organizational and analytical skills, able to think strategically and creatively
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office

Nice to Haves

• Bachelor's degree in business administration, human resources, law, communication or in related field(s)
• 3 years in HR, workers' compensation claims, or return-to-work coordination
• Experience in higher education and/or health care
• Experience reconciling discrepancies across documentation and driving resolutions of differences
• Ability to provide clear and concise instructions to employees, simplifying the policies and procedures needed to complete processes
• Ability to provide high level overview of return-to-work strategies and coordinate across multiple teams
• Experience partnering with external providers
• Ability to translate meaning, identify issues and make process improvement recommendations
• Experience reporting and presenting findings after analyzing data
• Excellent interpersonal skills, emotional intelligence, and relationship-building abilities