Careers

Title: Associate Director of Financial Aid

Department: Financial Aid Office

Duration: Indefinite

Job Summary

Under the direction of the Director of Financial Aid, the Associate Director of Financial Aid serves as a critical member of the leadership team who assists in the planning, implementation and administration of financial aid policies and procedures. The Associate Director maintains the multiple systems used to process financial aid and represents the Office of Financial Aid in the absence of the Director. The Associate Director must possess a thorough knowledge of federal, state and institutional financial aid programs, policies and procedures to effectively aid students, parents and the community. In addition to analyzing student financial aid applications and counseling families, the Associate Director also maintains all of the technological needs of the Office of Financial Aid and collaborates with the Director to maintain compliance using both industry standard and cutting-edge technology.  This is a hybrid position, allowing the employee to work remotely 2 or 3 days per week depending on the time of year. This hybrid schedule will be determined at the time of hire

Job Duties

• Supervise the Financial Aid Coordinator. 
• Represent and supervise Office of Financial Aid in the absence of the Director of Financial Aid. 
• Demonstrate fluency in technology (e.g., federal systems under the SAIG umbrella, PowerFAIDS and NetPartner, IDOC, Technolutions Slate, Banner, Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace) and the effective collection and analysis of financial aid data.
• Evaluate financial aid applications and supporting documentation according to federal and institutional methodologies. 
• Create financial aid offers according to federal, state and institutional eligibility. 
• Counsel families on federal, state and institutional financial aid policies, processes, and procedures. 
• Oversee the disbursement of financial aid and collaborates with Business Office to ensure compliance with cash management policies including the timely delivery of ai. 
• Collaborate with the other college departments to provide accurate and timely financial aid data for external reports and surveys which includes independent research and interpretation of data. 
• Monitor the institution’s Satisfactory Academic Progress policy using institutional systems and knowledge of federal regulations. 
• Coordinate financial aid participation in the annual Single Audit with Business Office and outside auditors. 
• Create technical documentation of existing and new procedures. 
• Perform duties as the federal SAIG Primary Destination Point Administrator.
• Maintain knowledge of current financial aid related laws, regulations and trends. 
• Exercise sound judgment and maintains confidentiality according to federal and institutional policies. 
• Assist with staff training for both financial aid staff and other on-campus departments. 
• Coordinate PowerFAIDS Desktop to PowerFAIDS Cloud transition.
• Other duties as assigned. 

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in a financial, accounting, or business emphasis or related field.
• Four years of progressively responsible experience in financial aid.
• One year of direct technical financial aid experience.
• Demonstrated knowledge of federal and state financial aid programs, policies and eligibility criteria.
• Experience with the intricacies of federal need analysis formula.
• Strong mathematical and analytical skills to meet deadlines with accuracy and attention to detail.
• Extensive experience with Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace.
• Strong verbal, written, electronic presentation and customer service related skills.
• Ability to multitask and be flexible in a fast-paced but professional environment.
• A keen intellect, a collaborative spirit and demonstrated excellence in customer service.

Preferred Qualifications

• Masters degree in related field.
• Demonstrated knowledge of PowerFAIDS Desktop and PowerFAIDS Cloud functionality.
• Demonstrated knowledge of SQL databases.
• Experience with the College Board’s Institutional Methodology need analysis formula.
• Strong understanding of federal tax law as it relates to need analysis formulas.

EXPECTED HIRING RANGE:  $87,000 - $95,000/yr

If you are offered this position at Occidental College, your final base salary compensation will be determined based on factors such as skills, education, experience, and/or geographic location. In addition to those factors, Occidental complies with applicable pay equity laws and considers internal equity among current employees when developing the final offer. Please keep in mind that the range mentioned above is the base salary range for the role. Hiring at the maximum of the range would not be typical in order to allow for future and continued salary growth.  We also offer a generous compensation and benefits package.