Senior Associate, Vocational Rehabilitation Consultant

About this role

Location Designation: Fully Remote
Group Benefit Solutions deliverscomprehensive insurance and absence management solutions for mid-sized and large companies. Our work fosters a healthier, happier, and more secure workforce, contributing to New York Life’s legacy of beingthere when we’re needed most. Here, you'll design, implement, and support these solutions directly impacting employees’ lives. At our core, we provide financial security and peace of mind to people through our absence, accident, disability, voluntary benefits, and life insurance solutions. Click here to learn more about Group Benefits solutions.

Role Overview:

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, and participation in live claim staffings.
The position is designed as a hybrid role. While individual work assignments may emphasize specific functional areas at different times, the Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist is expected to maintain the knowledge, skills, and competencies necessary to support all core Vocational Services functions. The role does not adjudicate or pay claims. Instead, it delivers expert vocational input, analysis, and customer-facing services that claims professionals and employer partners use to inform benefit decisions and support safe, productive work outcomes.
This role requires in-depth practical expertise, independent problem-solving, sound professional judgment, and the ability to serve as a reliable vocational resource for internal and external clients, partners, and customers.

What You’ll Do:

Vocational Expertise and Analysis

• Analyze occupational, vocational, and labor market information to support disability, accommodation, and return-to-work decision-making.

• Complete vocational analyses and reports, which may include own occupation analyses, transferable skills analyses, and related vocational assessments, following established standards, workflows, and templates.

• Interpret medical, vocational, occupational, and functional information within the context of policy definitions and program guidelines, escalating complex issues as appropriate.

• Clearly document professional opinions, findings, and rationale in claims and vocational systems to ensure accuracy, transparency, and long-term usability.

Return-to-Work and Stay-at-Work Services

• Provide direct vocational rehabilitation services to employees of client organizations to support stay-at-work and return-to-work outcomes following disability.

• Conduct telephonic or virtual vocational interviews to assess motivation, functional abilities, work history, transferable skills, and vocational goals.

• Collaborate with customers, employers, health care providers, and internal partners to develop realistic, safe, and sustainable work plans.

• Support employer accommodation and modified duty discussions within defined processes, including participation in the interactive process when applicable.

ADA, Pre-Disability, and Workplace Accommodation Support

• Apply working knowledge of ADA concepts, job demands, and workplace accommodations to support Pre-Disability and accommodation-related referrals.

• Analyze job duties and functional requirements to identify potential accommodations or work adjustments.

• Communicate vocational and accommodation considerations clearly to internal partners and employer representatives.

Live Claim Staffing and Collaboration

• Participate in live claim staffings and consultations with claims managers, nurses, behavioral health professionals, and other partners.

• Provide real-time vocational input related to occupational demands, work capacity, accommodation feasibility, and return-to-work planning.

• Serve as a subject matter resource, explaining vocational concepts, industry practices, and labor market considerations in a clear and practical manner.

Collaboration, Quality, and Continuous Improvement

• Work independently while collaborating closely with vocational peers, claims teams, and other internal partners to deliver consistent, high-quality services.

• Apply established best practices, procedures, and quality standards across all functional areas.

• Identify trends, issues, or opportunities for improvement and share observations with team leaders or senior vocational staff.

• Participate in training, onboarding, calibration, and professional development activities.

What You’ll Bring:

Required

• Master’s degree in Rehabilitation Counseling or a closely related field.

• Active Certification as a Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC).

• Demonstrated vocational rehabilitation counseling experience with practical application of occupational analysis, vocational assessment, and return-to-work principles (This may include practicum and/or internship experience).

• Strong working knowledge of occupational classification systems, assessment of material duties and demands as well as reasonable modifications, and transferable skills.

• Ability to assimilate and apply policy language, program guidelines, and vocational standards.

• Proficiency with Microsoft Word, Outlook, SharePoint, and the ability to learn proprietary claims and vocational systems.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain complex vocational information to diverse audiences.

• Effective time management and ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.

• Commitment to ethical practice in accordance with company standards and…