Director, Financial Aid Operations, Student Financial Services

Pay Grade: 32E

Location: Newark/Hybrid

Context of the job:

The Director of Financial Aid Operations (DFAO) is a department leader in Student Financial Services within the division of Enrollment Management. Under limited direction of the AVP for Enrollment Management, the Director is responsible for the coordination and compliance of all activities pertaining to the administration of federal, state, and institutional financial aid programs. The Director leads the operations team with specific responsibilities in awarding, processing, and maintaining compliance in administration of all federal, state, institutional and private funding that includes, but not limited to loans, scholarships, grants, and work-study, and ensures compliance under Title IV regulations pertaining to federal Verification, Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) and Return of Title IV Funds (R2T4).

Major responsibilities:

• Manages financial aid operations across Student Financial Services to ensure compliant and timely administration of aid awards.
• Provides administrative oversight for accurate and effective disbursement of federal, state, university, and non-institutional funds.
• Collaborates with Systems and Service team to maintain and communicate key operational timelines, maintain operational calendar, and coordinates with service and other key staff, to meet expected deadlines.
• Directs development and implementation of support systems and procedures for processing, awarding, and disbursing Financial Aid and scholarships so that transactions are accurate, fair, equitable, accessible, timely and responsive to students’ needs.
• Provides support to university partners, such as athletics, colleges, and Development and Alumni Relations (DAR) in administration of athletic, gift, and endowed funding.
• Provides proactive leadership to develop goals and objectives for financial aid that support both the short- and long-range planning of the university.
• Recruits, hires, trains, supervises, and evaluates employees who administer and process Financial Aid. Participates in performance development as needed to ensure consistent and compliant administration of financial aid programs.
• Collaborates with the Director of Student Services and Communications to identify and eliminate operational bottlenecks and identify opportunities for increased transparency , communication, and continuous improvement in service delivery.
• Works with auditors and external federal and state agencies for any audit and program reconciliation requirements.
• Monitors allocation and distribution of federal funds and FWS matching dollars, with support by Compliance Manager, including all federal and state required reporting for SFS unit including but not limited to portions of A-133; IPEDS and FISAP.
• Initiates and responds to requests for mediation, interpretation, advice or opinion regarding all aspects of Financial Aid including defining professional judgement rules and oversight.
• Participates in annual training on federal programs and services to maintain current awareness and expertise of changes in federal regulations.
• Perform miscellaneous job-related duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with six years of related experience in administration of financial aid, or equivalent combination of education and experience. Master’s degree preferred.
• Progressive responsibility in processing and managing financial aid programs. Experience developing and implementing financial aid programs.
• Current knowledge of federal financial aid regulations, student employment programs, needs analysis and packaging principles, and financial aid programs.
• Experience working with financial aid systems such as Common Origination and Disbursement (COD), scholarship management tools, and ERP systems (Peoplesoft Campus Solutions for financial aid is highly desirable).
• Leadership and experience managing and developing a diverse team. Must be committed to maintaining a collaborative and positive work environment.
• Evidence of leadership in the development and execution of innovative strategies optimizing institutional resources; including re-engineering operations and procedures and recommending and implementing new strategies and procedures.
• Ability to prioritize and concurrently manage multiple tasks.
• High level of critical thinking/problem solving skills.
• Analytical skills and proficiency with report writing, data analysis, querying, and other reporting tools; proficiency in Microsoft Excel is essential; PS Query Manager and Tableau desirable.
• Comprehensive knowledge of trends in higher education as it relates to student financial aid preferred.
• Demonstrated understanding and consideration of the differing needs and concerns of individuals with varying identities, cultures, and backgrounds.
• Committed to fostering a workplace culture of belonging, where diversity is celebrated, and equity is a core value