Associate Director, Financial Aid Operations

General summary/purpose:

The University Student Services Financial Aid team of the Johns Hopkins University (JHU), one of the world’s premier research universities, is seeking three exceptional individuals to join our team as Associate Directors of Financial Aid Operations. Reporting to the Director of University Financial Aid Operations, the Associate Directors supervise the daily operation of Financial Aid shared services and serve as the primary point of contact for a specific group of JHU campuses/schools, working closely to escalate and resolve issues and concerns. They will supervise a team of 2-4 Assistant Directors and ensure that all aspects of federal, state, private and scholarship aid is administered to students according to specific school goals, agreed upon timeframes, and in keeping with established policies and procedures. They are responsible for determining students’ eligibility for aid adhering to institutional, federal and state guidelines.

In this role, they will work closely with the divisional offices to conduct file reviews, respond to financial aid appeals, and conduct workshops and presentations for current and prospective students and parents. The Associate Directors of Financial Aid Operations work closely with the University Financial Aid Compliance team to ensure all aspects of Title IV processing are conducted and aligned with established guidelines, systems, and procedures.

The ideal candidates must be committed to the principles of access and diversity, providing the best customer service and student support experience to our families, and thrive in a fast-paced environment where expectations for performance and productivity are high.

This position offers the option to work remotely, but candidates must have the ability to participate in meetings, receive and make phone calls, attend periodic in person meetings, help staff on-site events like orientation/open house, and attend in person training and conferences, as needed.

Specific duties & responsibilities (include but are not limited to):

• Manage and supervise daily operations of Financial Aid shared services staff and supervise, train, and evaluate Assistant Directors of Financial Aid Operations.
• Provide staff training for office policies, procedures, PowerFAIDS, OnBase, and the CRM; update and maintain training materials.
• Recommend and implement strategies for managing operations during high volume periods.
• Collaborate with campus partners including Admissions, Advising, Compliance, Development & Alumni Relations, IT, Registration, Student Billing, and Student Life to enhance the student experience.
• Process Federal, State, and Private aid including but not limited to Verification, Loan Processing, Reconciliation, and Return to Title IV Refunds in accordance with the policies, procedures and standards established by the Director of University Financial Aid Operations and University Compliance.
• Add outside/private as well as school-based merit scholarship awards to student records according to established policies.
• Prepare and provide workshops for students on a range of topics (debt management, how aid works, how tos, etc.)
• Review exception reports to ensure compliance with Title IV regulations and monitor/rebalance established workflows in OnBase.
• Coordinate the financial aid review process associated with awarding of aid to new and prospective students. This may include merit scholarships, as well as state, private and federal student aid.
• Analyze student need using Federal and Institutional Methodologies (IM), exercise professional judgment, and make recommendations on level of need.
• Support the management and stewardship of divisional institutional scholarship programs.
• Review gift agreements, maintain divisional scholarships lists, match students, coordinate external aid sources with institutional funds, and renew scholarships for returning students.
• Liaise with the Office of Development & Alumni Relations (divisional) and assist in the development and maintenance of scholarship related policies and procedures.
• Investigate student complaints and draft briefings and/or responses for senior administrators.
• Assist with student and other customer service contacts during peak periods and /or absence of other assigned staff.
• Other duties as assigned.

Minimum qualifications (mandatory):

• Bachelor’s Degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
• Proven leadership skills and previous supervisory experience.
• Five or more years of increasingly responsible financial aid experience required.
• Direct experience managing federal, state, institutional & private aid programs within a college or university setting.
• Clear and comprehensive understanding of Federal Title IV and State regulations. Ability to interpret and apply federal/state policies and regulations.
• Outstanding communication skills (both oral and written), and superior attention to detail.
• Strong student-based counseling experience.
• Knowledge of highly selective college or university settings where some form of institutional methodology is practiced.
• Experience managing/stewarding scholarship programs.

JHU Equivalency Formula: 30 undergraduate degree credits (semester hours) or 18 graduate degree credits may substitute for one year of experience. Related experience may substitute for required education on the same basis. For jobs where equivalency is permitted, up to two years of non-related college course work may be applied towards the total minimum education/experience required for the respective job.

Preferred qualifications:

• Masters’ Degree from a regionally accredited college or university.
• Experienced PowerFAIDS user.
• Experience with MDCAPS, ELM, Salesforce, Jira and OnBase.

Special knowledge, skills, and abilities:

• Must have detailed knowledge of Federal, State, and Institutional Financial aid regulations.
• Demonstrated proficiency in use of Federal and state electronic filing and data interface (COD, NSLDS, MDCAPS etc.), and knowledge of financial aid reporting requirements.
• Ability to follow-through with policy and procedural implementations and effect beneficial change at all levels of the organization.
• Demonstrated experience in analyzing, evaluating, and recommending significant improvements in departmental operations.
• Strong conceptual, logical, and problem-solving abilities.
• Demonstrated ability to prioritize and work independently without direct supervision.
• Ability to successfully partner cross-functionally with other departments.
• Demonstrated ability to establish and meet objectives within limited timeframes and under tight deadlines.
• Candidates must possess unquestioned personal and professional ethical standards.
• Highly valued are innovative thinking, technological vision, and ability to work collaboratively.
• Commitment to the principles of access and diversity. Flexibility in dealing with a diverse culture, and commitment to diversity and to serving the needs of a diverse population.
• Ability to provide the best customer service and student support experience to families and other stakeholders.