Director of Financial Aid

JOB SUMMARY AND DUTIES

SUMMARY
If you are considering a new job, work environment or career opportunities you should look at Mercer County Community College. MCCC is a publicly supported college that is open to all and dedicated to student success. In order to support that mission Mercer seeks to attract, retain, and support a skilled diverse workforce, which is our most valuable resource. We thrive on and are proud of our diversity and open access. Our students and employees find the College large enough for a multitude of offerings yet small enough to keep the “Community” feel for all. The College consists of two campuses, the James Kerney Campus (JKC) in the capital city of Trenton, NJ and a larger 292-acre suburban campus just six miles north of Trenton.
As part of the comprehensive and valuable benefits package, the College offers credit course tuition waivers for employees, spouses and dependents. This allows for employees and their families to take advantage of earning a higher education degree without the high cost. The College offers students 69 Degree Program Options and 35 Credit Certificates from which to choose.

JOB DUTIES

• The Director of Student Financial Aid is responsible for developing financial aid strategies that are consistent with the student success objectives of the College, within the framework of federal and state regulations.
• Administer financial aid, financial literacy, and student employment programs that support the recruitment and retention of students through appropriate awarding strategies.
• Devise and implement packaging policies and procedures for awarding institutional aid and interpret and implement federal and state regulations pertaining to compliance.
• Establish and maintain a service-oriented financial aid team that is committed to creating an excellent student experience.
• Ensure accurate and secure student financial data, providing timely information to students and families, serve as a compliance officer for Title IV federal aid and state regulations and provide demonstrated leadership in the use of new and existing technology.
• Responsible for all operations of financial aid including budget, program direction, policy and procedure implementation, training, reporting, and overall effectiveness of Student Financial Aid.

• Responsible for ensuring the institution is in compliance with regulations related to federal and state financial aid programs. Assist with audit preparation and provide information to the auditors as requested.
• Complete all Federal Reports - Fiscal Operation Report and Application to Participate in Federal Programs (FISAP), Eligibility and Certification Report (ECAR), Integrated Post-secondary Education Data System (IPEDS), Financial Value Transparency & Gainful Employment (FVT/GE), etc.
• Oversee staff in guiding students and families through all stages of financial awards via interpersonal counseling, publications, workshops, and correspondence with a keen eye towards constituent service.
• Select, train, supervise, and evaluate all staff, with responsibility for meeting all state and federal compliance goals.
• Develop and coordinate programming and advising tools related to financial aid and financing options, including Open House and orientation sessions, entrance and exit counseling, and financial literacy workshops.
• Provide oversight for federal work study and college-funded student employment programs.Tracks Campus-Based (FWS & SEOG) expenditures to prevent overspending of net authorized fund.
• Confers regularly with the directors in other departments, state guarantor agency, professional associations, and office staff to coordinate activities, information dissemination, and training.
• Ensure that collaborative, positive relationships are maintained with colleagues and develop programs and services that enhance cooperative efforts among on campus offices (i.e. Enrollment Center, EOF, Athletics, Academic Deans, Academic Advising, Campus Security, Testing Center, etc.).
• Serve as the primary point of contact for all matters that pertain to financial aid processes, and ensure functional testing for new and existing queries and software is outlined and executed.
• Work closely with key stakeholders and IT to design, develop and maintain continuous improvements/automation for program operations and processes.
• Provide strategic training utilizing various professional development opportunities (i.e.: NASFAA U credential courses, financial aid association conferences, self-study guides, authorized events, webinars, etc.) to internal and external staff members on Federal & NJ State aid programs, R2T4 calculations, SAP, FAFSA, effective communication, customer service, etc.
• Coordinate with Ellucian Colleague and other FA software such as COD, FAFSA Partner Portal, FSA Partner Connect, NSLDS, SAIG Mailbox, FTI SAIG Mailbox, FA Systems, Finance/Bursar, Student Accounts, etc. to identify and develop ongoing improvements to Title IV fund delivery methods.
• Develop and prepare annual report for supervisor with quantitative and qualitative data related to accomplishments towards the Colleges’ strategic plan, the strategic enrollment management plan, departmental/wildly important goals, professional development, and future goals.
• In collaboration with supervisor, prepare and manage department budget.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for financial aid on all escalated students issues.
• Create and execute affordability strategies and financial literacy programs.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

• The Director of Financial Aid will supervise full-time and part-time office staff.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS, KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Master's degree from an accredited university in Student Affairs, Education, Business Administration, or Management.
• Four to six years of progressive experience at a management/leadership level. Candidates must demonstrate a working knowledge of student information systems.
• Demonstrated experience supervising team members providing opportunities for training, professional development, regular key performance reviews and annual reviews in a multi-union environment
• Demonstrated experience of working with a variety of diverse people (faculty, students, and staff).
• Must have a valid Driver’s License

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS, KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Community College or Higher Education experience.
• Experience in financial aid higher education administration and hands-on experience administering/managing federal aid programs.
• Proficient working knowledge of Ellucian Colleague financial aid module
• 10 years of progressive experience at a management level in the Office of Financial Aid

CORE COMPETENCIES

CORE COMPETENCIES
To perform the job successfully, an individual should demonstrate the following competencies:

Adaptability: Maintaining effectiveness when experiencing major changes in work tasks or the work environment; adjusting effectively to work within new work structures, processes, requirements, or cultures.

Contributing to Team Success: Actively participating as a member of a team to move the team toward the completion of goals.

Decision Making: Identifying and understanding issues, problems, and opportunities; comparing data from different sources to draw conclusions; using effective approaches for choosing a course of action or developing appropriate solutions; taking action that is consistent with available facts, constraints, and probable consequences.

Communication: Clearly conveying information and ideas through a variety of media to individuals or groups in a manner that engages the audience and helps them understand and retain the message.

Contributing to Team Success: Actively participating as a member of a team to move the team toward the completion of goals.

Diversity & Inclusion: Working with situations involving different cultures/languages and responding to the ambiguity of unexpected/unfamiliar approaches.

Facilitating Change: Encouraging others to seek opportunities for different and innovative approaches to addressing problems and opportunities; facilitating the implementation and acceptance of change within the workplace.

Stress Tolerance: Maintaining stable performance under pressure or opposition (such as time pressure or job ambiguity); handling stress in a manner that is acceptable to others and to the organization.

Managing Conflict: Dealing effectively with others in an antagonistic situation; using appropriate interpersonal styles and methods to reduce tension or conflict between two or more people.

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Mercer County Community College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, marital status, religion, age, disability, handicap or other legally protected status in its provision of employment, education, and activities, or other services.

Mercer County Community College is an EEO/AAP Employer/Protected Veteran/Disabled

Disclaimer: This job description outlines the general nature and key features performed by various positions that share the same job classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties and qualifications required of all employees assigned to the job. Nothing in this job description restricts management’s right to assign or re-assign duties to this job at any time due to reasonable accommodations or other business reasons.