Assistant Director, Student Financial Services Operations

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Benefits of Being a Lindenwood Employee:

• Upon hire, employer-paid tuition benefits for bachelor’s (employee, spouse, and dependent) and master’s degree programs (employee and spouse only).
• Tuition discounts for doctoral programs (employee only).
• Comprehensive benefits plan: medical, dental, vision, life insurance, disability insurance, and retirement options.
• Paid holidays: MLK Jr. day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving break (Wednesday – Friday), and winter break (Dec. 23 – Jan. 1).
• Free lunch Fridays: LU employees are eligible for a free meal on Fridays at the Evans Commons Dining Hall or Spellman Dining Hall; Chick-fil-A and Qdoba included.
• Professional development opportunities through the Lindenwood Learning Academy .

JOB TITLE SUMMARY

Job Title: Assistant Director, Student Financial Services Operations

Division: Enrollment Management

Evaluation Group: Staff Administrator

FLSA Status: Exempt

Reports To: Director, Student Financial Services

Positions Supervised: Senior Coordinator, Student Financial Services; Coordinator, Student Financial Services

Job Summary

The assistant director for student financial services (SFS) is responsible for managing and leading SFS programs, including financial aid processing; monitoring compliance with federal, state, and institutional policies; and monitoring regulations related to financial aid management.

Essential Job Functions and Performance Indicators

The intent of this job description is to provide a representation of the types of duties and level of responsibility that will be required of positions given this title. This job description shall not be construed as a declaration of the total of the specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position. Employees may be directed to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description.

Job Responsibilities and Execution

• Oversees timely review and processing of financial aid applications, award letters, needs analyses, and fund disbursements
• Verifies students’ academic progress as adequate in relation to federal and state regulations
• Oversees staff performing return of Title IV calculations
• Assists the SFS director and Office of Institutional Research in the development of all required reports and studies by federal, state, and institutional agencies
• Ensures adherence to National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II rules and regulations
• Trains staff and implements new policies/procedures related to external and internal regulations/rule changes
• Manages human resources reporting, including time keeping and other personnel matters, for the department
• Selects new personnel and performs integral role in their training
• Sets up and maintains the student information system, Workday, to automate and streamline SFS processes and communications
• Utilizes report tools such as Workday, BIRT, and Tableau to generate data for campus use
• Supervises SFS operations staff and other colleagues
• Reports gainful employment to the Department of Education and prepares data to be posted on website
• Assists with the Fiscal Operations Report and Application to Participate (FISAP) and A-133 preparation
• Coordinates student communications with Enrollment Management, the Business Office, and other student services offices

Leadership and Strategic Thinking

• Supports the mission of the University and serves as an ambassador of the Q2 culture of service excellence
• Leads the office in areas of compliance, reporting, and system integrations
• Oversees the financial aid staff, ensuring timely and accurate aid awarding, disbursement, and reconciliations
• Works with campus leadership to ensure financial strategies are established in order to promote enrollment and maximize tuition revenue
• Works with the SFS director to identify areas of improvement and acts as a change agent

Employee Management and Development

• Models, supports, and holds others accountable to the University’s values – integrity, dedication, excellence, creativity, and teamwork
• Recruits, interviews, recommends, welcomes, observes, and monitors performance of new employees
• Sets clear performance expectations and holds employees accountable
• Conducts thorough and timely performance evaluations based on evidence, observation, and feedback

Job may require other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications – An equivalent combination of education, training, and experience will be considered. Additional requirements may be designated by position.

• Bachelor’s degree
• Minimum of 3 years’ experience in financial aid in a leadership role
• Master’s degree preferred
• Experience with student financial services model preferred

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities – May be representative, but not all inclusive, of the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform this job competently.

• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with individuals from diverse communities and cultures
• Ability to generate and interpret ad hoc data reports related to financial services, financial aid programs, and discount rates, etc., for use by internal and external groups
• Working knowledge of enrollment management best practices
• Ability to interpret federal, state, and institutional awarding rules and implement them correctly
• Familiarity with NCAA Division II financial aid compliance regulations
• Ability to coordinate with other departments
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to communicate effectively with staff and students
• Highly organized and able to direct multiple projects simultaneously
• Strong professional integrity and ability to maintain strict confidentiality
• Ability to use good judgment and think critically
• Experience with general office software, particularly Microsoft Office Suite and financial aid proprietary applications (Workday, COD, EDExpress, and the National Student Loan Data System [NSLDS])

Work Environment – Environmental or atmospheric conditions commonly associated with the performance of this job’s functions.

• General office setting

Physical Abilities – The physical demands described below are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform this job’s essential functions. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

• Ability to work effectively at a computer for extended time daily
• Must be adequately mobile to attend meetings and events throughout campus
• Regular attendance is a necessary and essential function

Equal Opportunity Employer

Lindenwood University is an Equal Opportunity employer. The University complies with appropriate federal, state, and local laws and provides equal employment opportunities and access to educational programs without regard to race, color, religion, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran status, disability, or any other protected status to all qualified applicants and employees. Lindenwood University is committed to a policy of non-discrimination and dedicated to providing a positive discrimination-free educational work environment.