Lead, Accommodations & Compliance

Important Information

Posted range is $81,120-$115,960

The base salary range represents a good faith salary range for this position. This position is eligible for annual incentive pay and has the opportunity for continued salary growth. If you are hired at American Water your base salary compensation will be determined based on factors such as market, geography, skills, education and/or experience. At American Water, we are committed to pay equity

This position may be eligible for annual incentive pay and you will have the opportunity for continued salary growth. In addition to compensation, you will be offered a comprehensive benefits package including 401(k), Defined Contribution Plan, Employee Stock Purchase Plan, medical, prescription, dental and vision coverage, plus disability, paid time off, life insurance, voluntary benefits, health and wellness programs and much more!  American Water is also proud to offer employees learning opportunities and work experiences to grow professionally!

In addition to compensation, you will be offered a comprehensive benefits package including 401(k),Defined Contribution Plan, Employee Stock Purchase Plan, medical, prescription, dental and vision coverage, plus disability, paid time off, life insurance, voluntary benefits, health and wellness programs and much more!

American Water is also proud to offer employees learning opportunities and work experiences to grow professionally! 

Primary Role

Responsible for leading and overseeing the comprehensive management of accommodation requests, ensuring compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act and other relevant federal and state laws, and maintaining up-to-date job descriptions. This role also spearheads the Fit-for-Duty process, manages remote work arrangements, and ensures adherence to sick leave laws. Additionally, this position may oversee background screening processes if deemed appropriate.

This role is critical to strengthening our compliance, enhancing employee support, and enabling consistent, legally sound accommodation practices across the business.

Work Environment

• Indoor office environment
• Hybrid work schedule 3 days in the office 2 days offsite.
• Reporting location can be based in the American Water footprint.

Key Accountabilities

Strategic Management of Accommodation Requests:

• Lead the intake process for all accommodation-related requests, ensuring timely and accurate documentation.
• Evaluate and determine eligibility for accommodation requests, making critical decisions on appropriate accommodations with key stakeholders, and ensuring such decisions are fair, consistent, and compliant with the ADA and other relevant federal and state laws, as well as religious accommodations.
• Collaborate with employees, managers, and medical professionals to develop and implement reasonable accommodations that support both employee needs and business objectives.
• Partner with LOA on accommodation issues related to leaves of absence.
• Maintain comprehensive records of all accommodation requests and resolutions, ensuring compliance with legal requirements and facilitating robust reporting.
• Collaborate with Legal and HR leadership to assess complex accommodation cases and, when necessary, make informed decisions regarding employment status, including terminations, in situations where reasonable accommodations cannot be provided under ADA guidelines.

Ensuring Compliance and Accuracy in Job Descriptions:

• Regularly review and update job descriptions to reflect current physical and cognitive requirements, ensuring they are accurate and comprehensive.
• Work closely with department heads and managers to ensure job descriptions align with organizational goals and comply with the ADA and other relevant federal and state laws.
• Lead initiatives to ensure job descriptions are consistently reviewed and updated, fostering a culture of compliance and accuracy.

Leadership in Fit-for-Duty Processes:

• Develop and implement Fit-for-Duty policies and procedures, ensuring they are aligned with best practices and legal requirements.
• Coordinate with LOA, Safety, and Risk/Workers’ Compensation teams to assess employees’ ability to return to work safely, making critical decisions on employee readiness.
• Facilitate medical evaluations and consultations as needed, ensuring a thorough and fair assessment process.

Inclusive Policy Development

• Develop and update policies and procedures that go beyond compliance to promote accessibility and inclusion.
• Integrate inclusive design principles into workplace policies, facilities planning, and digital accessibility standards.

Culture & Awareness Building

• Champion a culture of inclusion by embedding disability awareness into company values and practices.
• Support employee resource groups (ERGs) focused on disability inclusion.

Key Accountabilities (cont.)

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with DEI, Facilities, IT, Legal, and Talent Acquisition to ensure accessibility is embedded across the employee lifecycle—from recruitment to offboarding.
• Collaborate with external vendors and consultants to assess and improve accessibility in physical and digital environments  

Data, Metrics & Continuous Improvement

• Use data to inform strategic decisions and report progress to leadership on accessibility and inclusion goals.
• Recommend and implement proactive accommodations and universal design strategies to reduce the need for individual requests.

Oversight of Remote Work Arrangements:

• Develop and implement policies for flexible workplace arrangements, such as remote work requests for personal (non-medical) reasons, ensuring the process is fair, consistent, and compliant with any applicable laws. 
• Lead the committee responsible for evaluating and approving flexible workplace arrangement requests, making decisions based on individual needs and job requirements.
• Ensure alternate / flexible work arrangements are effectively communicated and managed, supporting both employee well-being and organizational productivity.

Leadership in Compliance with Sick Leave Laws:

• Stay updated on federal, state, and local sick leave laws, ensuring the organization remains compliant with all relevant regulations.
• Lead efforts to update company policies and/or processes to reflect current sick leave regulations, ensuring they are effectively communicated to employees.
• Provide training and support to employees and managers on sick leave policies, fostering a culture of compliance and understanding.
• Partner effectively with Legal, HR Compliance, LOA, and other stakeholders to ensure required updates are completed timely and communicated to appropriate areas as needed.

Management of Background Screening (if applicable):

• Establish and oversee the review processes for background screening, ensuring decisions align with state and local laws.
• Maintain regular compliance updates from the background check vendor, ensuring alignment with regulations.
• Train HR team members to interpret background screening results accurately, ensuring fair and consistent decision-making.

Knowledge/Skills

• In-depth understanding of the ADA, PWFA, and other relevant laws, including religious accommodations. Familiarity with best practices for documenting and managing accommodation requests.
• Thorough knowledge of the ADA and other relevant laws that impact job descriptions. Understanding of the physical and cognitive demands of various roles within the organization.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively with employees, managers, and medical professionals.
• Strong analytical skills to evaluate accommodation requests and determine eligibility.
• Proficiency in maintaining comprehensive records for compliance and reporting purposes.
• Experience with remote work policies and sick leave laws is a plus.
• Leadership skills to develop and implement Fit-for-Duty policies and procedures. Coordination skills to work with various teams to assess employees’ ability to return to work safely. Ability to facilitate medical evaluations and consultations as needed
• Ability to lead efforts to update company policies to reflect sick leave laws. Communication skills to effectively convey policy changes to employees and provide necessary training. Analytical skills to assess the impact of sick leave laws on the organization.
• Proven ability to navigate new federal laws that provide expanded accommodation protections.

Experience/Education

• Bachelor’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Minimum of 7 years of experience in HR, with extensive experience in managing accommodation requests, including religious accommodations, for both office and field roles.

Travel Requirements

• Ability to travel up to 15%
• Active State Driver's License required with the ability to pass a motor vehicle report. 

Other

• Partnering with Legal to compile documentation for EEOC and OFCCP inquiries and serving as a representative in depositions or testimony when required
• Develops and maintains a case management and tracking system to monitor accommodation trends across the organization.
• Provides guidance and training to HR and business leaders on handling temporary accommodations that may not fall under ADA.
• Ensures consistent, compliant practices in field-level accommodation interactions.

Competencies