[Hiring] Senior Associate, Vocational Rehabilitation Consultant @New York Life

Role Description

The Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist is a frontline professional resource within the Vocational Services Department who applies accredited rehabilitation counseling expertise to support absence management and disability insurance services delivered under employer-based group benefit policies and contracts. This role provides vocational, occupational, and workplace accommodation expertise across multiple functional areas, including:

• Pre-Disability and ADA accommodations
• Short-Term and Long-Term Disability return-to-work services
• Vocational analyses and reporting
• Participation in live claim staffings

This position is designed as a hybrid role, requiring knowledge, skills, and competencies necessary to support all core Vocational Services functions. The role does not adjudicate or pay claims but delivers expert vocational input, analysis, and customer-facing services.

What You’ll Do

• Vocational Expertise and Analysis
  • Analyze occupational, vocational, and labor market information to support decision-making.
  • Complete vocational analyses and reports, including own occupation analyses and transferable skills analyses.
  • Interpret medical, vocational, occupational, and functional information within policy definitions.
  • Document professional opinions, findings, and rationale in claims and vocational systems.
• Return-to-Work and Stay-at-Work Services
  • Provide direct vocational rehabilitation services to support stay-at-work and return-to-work outcomes.
  • Conduct telephonic or virtual vocational interviews to assess motivation and functional abilities.
  • Collaborate with customers, employers, health care providers, and internal partners to develop work plans.
  • Support employer accommodation and modified duty discussions.
• ADA, Pre-Disability, and Workplace Accommodation Support
  • Apply knowledge of ADA concepts and workplace accommodations.
  • Analyze job duties and functional requirements for potential accommodations.
  • Communicate vocational and accommodation considerations clearly.
• Live Claim Staffing and Collaboration
  • Participate in live claim staffings and consultations with claims managers and other partners.
  • Provide real-time vocational input related to occupational demands and return-to-work planning.
  • Serve as a subject matter resource for vocational concepts and labor market considerations.
• Collaboration, Quality, and Continuous Improvement
  • Work independently while collaborating with vocational peers and claims teams.
  • Apply established best practices and quality standards.
  • Identify trends and share observations with team leaders.
  • Participate in training and professional development activities.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling or a closely related field.
• Active Certification as a Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC).
• Demonstrated vocational rehabilitation counseling experience.
• Strong working knowledge of occupational classification systems.
• Ability to assimilate and apply policy language and vocational standards.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Outlook, SharePoint, and proprietary systems.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Effective time management skills.
• Commitment to ethical practice.

Requirements

• Experience supporting ADA accommodations and the interactive process.
• Experience completing own occupation analyses in a disability insurance environment.
• Additional relevant licenses or certifications (e.g., LPC, CVE, CCM, CDMS, CEAS).
• Experience providing job retention or return-to-work services.
• Experience working within a Continuous Improvement Management System.

Benefits

• Comprehensive insurance and absence management solutions.
• Leave programs, adoption assistance, and student loan repayment programs.
• Annual discretionary bonus eligibility.
• Incentive program participation.