Associate Director of Financial Aid

Directly responsible for (1) managing the disbursement and reconciliation of all institutional, private, state and federal aid funds; (2) managing all aspects of the student life cycle as it relates to packaging and payment plans (clearing process). (3) supervises the Financial Aid Specialist and provides support to the Director of Financial Aid.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

• Develops and maintains a strong culture of teamwork and collaboration within the Office of Financial Aid (OFA) and departments across the University.
• Process disbursements for institutional, private, state and federal aid (scholarships, grants and loans) and resolve disbursement errors.
• Reconcile aid payments with disbursements to ensure accuracy.
• Imports and processes files from CPS, COD, NSLDS etc. (such as entrance counseling and MPNs).
• Imports and processes data files to/from Jenzabar J1, PowerFAIDS, COD and other systems as appropriate.
• Responsible for development and oversight of processes as it relates to the clearing process. This includes but is not limited to communications with students, tracking deadlines and goals, updating clearing spreadsheets.
• Oversees Clearing Committee which includes; leading meetings, updating Clearing Committee SharePoint site, and recordkeeping of meeting minutes.
• Works with staff in business office and financial aid to ensure data is accurate and up to date.
• Supervise and train the Financial Aid Specialist
• Assists with professional judgment reviews.
• May be required to work with students in the University’s Prison Education Program at the student’s prison location.
• May be required to go to the prisons and meet with students for our PEP programs.
• Responsible for staying current with all federal, state, and institutional policies and regulations
• Prepares and conducts financial aid presentations.
• Assists the Director of Financial Aid in training and supporting other staff.
• Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor’s Degree
• 3-5 years related experience.
• Ability to successfully pass background screening and entry requirements specific to the Prison Education Program locations.
• Proven ability to work effectively and efficiently in a fast-paced work environment.
• Effective interpersonal and communication skills using tact and patience in a diverse environment.
• Proven success with prioritizing work and projects.
• Proficient in MS Office (e.g., Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Effective analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Think critically and creatively, have a high standard of integrity, and be motivated to incorporate best practices into the organizational culture.
• Able to take initiative and independently plan, organize, coordinate and perform work in various situations where numerous and diverse demands are involved.
• Ability to research federal and state regulations and guidance.
• Strong knowledge of federal financial aid programs and regulations.
• Extensive experience with current technologies in programs and financial aid processing; PowerFAIDS (financial aid software), Jenzabar J1, Info Maker, federal and state processing websites (i.e.: NSLDS/COD/EdConnect etc.).

TO APPLY:
Submit a cover letter, resume and contact information for at least three current professional references.

Saint Mary is an Equal Opportunity Employer.