What are the responsibilities and job description for the Associate Director, Financial Aid position at Lindenwood University?
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Benefits of Being a Lindenwood Employee:
- Upon hire, employer-paid tuition benefits for bachelor’s (employee, spouse, and dependent) and master’s degree programs (employee and spouse only).
- Tuition discounts for doctoral programs (employee only).
- Comprehensive benefits plan: medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability insurance, and retirement options.
- Paid holidays: MLK Jr. day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving break (Wednesday – Friday), and winter break (Dec. 23 – Jan. 1).
- Free lunch Fridays: LU employees are eligible for a free meal on Fridays at the Evans Commons Dining Hall or Spellman Dining Hall; Chick-fil-A and Qdoba included.
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Professional development opportunities through the Lindenwood Learning Academy.
JOB TITLE SUMMARY
Job Title: Associate Director, Financial Aid
Division: Enrollment and Marketing
Evaluation Group: Staff Administrator
FLSA Status: Exempt
Reports To: Director, Student Financial Services
Positions Supervised: Financial Aid Advisor; Online Financial Aid Advisor; Team Lead, Financial Aid
Job Summary
The associate director of financial aid is responsible for overseeing the daily operations of the financial aid office, ensuring efficiency, productivity, and compliance with federal, state, and institutional regulations. This role requires proactive monitoring of staff performance, supporting compliance efforts, and fostering continuous improvement in daily financial aid operations. The associate director of financial aid also manages the department’s communication efforts, including student announcements, nudging initiatives, and website updates to ensure students receive clear and timely financial aid information. The position will also provide continuous training related to federal and state regulatory updates along with written procedures. Additionally, this position is responsible for leading and supporting financial aid advisors and financial aid team leads, ensuring they provide exceptional customer service while guiding students through the financial aid process.
Essential Job Functions and Performance Indicators
The intent of this job description is to provide a representation of the types of duties and level of responsibility that will be required of positions given this title. This job description shall not be construed as a declaration of the total of the specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position. Employees may be directed to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description.
Job Responsibilities and Execution
- Monitors productivity of staff to ensure consistent efficiency and high performance
- Identifies day-to-day operations issues and implements solutions promptly to ensure efficient service delivery
- Oversees the day-to-day operations of financial aid advisors and financial aid team leads, ensuring consistent customer service, counseling, and financial planning techniques are utilized
- Creates and updates training materials to support the implementation of new and existing financial aid procedures in compliance with federal, state, and University policies and procedures
- Coordinates and oversees student communications, including email notifications, announcements, and nudging efforts, ensuring students receive accurate and timely financial aid information
- Manages the department’s website updates, ensuring information is current, clear, and accessible
- Ensures exceptional customer service is provided by financial aid advisors through continuous training, coaching, and support
- Ensures compliance with University and departmental policies and procedures, maintaining proper documentation of internal processes
Leadership and Strategic Thinking
- Establishes long- and short-term strategic goals based on assessment data and ensures standards for the department and its field are met or exceeded
- Adapts and modifies leadership based on new information and/or data; works to set and unite people on the new direction
- Utilizes effective strategies to build collaboration for maximum execution
- Aligns division/department purpose and actions with relevant University initiatives and higher education trends
- Leads the Student Financial Services (SFS) Office in areas of service
- Identifies areas of improvement and acts as a change agent
Employee Management and Development
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Supports the missionof the University and serves as an ambassador of the Q2 culture of service excellence
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Models, supports, and holds others accountable to the University’s values
- Recruits, interviews, recommends, welcomes, observes, and monitors performance of department staff
- Conducts annual employee evaluations based on evidence, observation, and feedback
- Communicates current SFS policies to the financial aid team
- Creates clear scheduling for financial aid advisors and team leads, ensuring students receive timely service
- Provides training, autonomy, and resources to enable staff to meet job expectations
- Sets clear performance expectations and holds employees accountable
- Ensures team participation and support for Admissions events
Job may require other duties as assigned.
Required Qualifications – An equivalent combination of education, training, and experience will be considered. Additional requirements may be designated by position.
- Bachelor’s degree
- Master’s degree preferred
- Minimum of 3 years’ experience in financial aid leadership
- Minimum of 3 years’ Federal Student Aid experience in areas such as verification, “C” code clearance, and Professional Judgments
- Experience with student financial services model preferred
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities – May be representative, but not all inclusive, of the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform this job competently
- Demonstrated ability to work effectively with individuals from diverse communities and cultures
- Clear understanding of federal regulations regarding Satisfactory Academic Performance (SAP), Professional Judgment, Return of Title IV Funds (R2T4) policies
- Working knowledge of enrollment management best practices
- Ability to interpret and implement federal and state regulations and institutional policies
- Familiarity with National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I financial aid compliance regulations
- Strong interpersonal skills and ability to communicate and collaborate effectively with staff and students
- Highly organized with the ability to direct multiple projects simultaneously
- Strong professional integrity and ability to maintain strict confidentiality
- Ability to use good judgment and think critically
- Proficiency with general office software, particularly Microsoft Office Suite and financial aid software
Work Environment – Environmental or atmospheric conditions commonly associated with the performance of this job’s functions. Please
click here
to view Lindenwood University’s flexible work designation descriptions.- General office setting
- Non-Standard Flex
Physical Abilities – The physical demands described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform this job’s essential functions. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.
- Ability to work effectively at a computer for extended time daily
- Ability to sit/stand for extended periods of time
- Ability to lift/carry items commonly found in an office setting including, but not limited to, documents, laptops, keyboards, etc.
- Ability to use repetitive wrist, hand, and finger movements to type regularly
- Regular attendance is a necessary and essential function
Equal Opportunity Employer
Lindenwood University is an Equal Opportunity employer. The University complies with appropriate federal, state, and local laws and provides equal employment opportunities and access to educational programs without regard to race, color, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, disability, or any other protected status to all qualified applicants and employees. Lindenwood University is committed to a policy of non-discrimination and dedicated to providing a positive discrimination-free educational work environment.
