Director of Financial Aid

The Director of Financial Aid serves as the chief administrator of the Office of Financial Aid. This role requires a highly collaborative leader to set the vision for the department while facilitating the planning, development, implementation, assessment, reporting and compliance activities of the college’s financial aid programs. The position is responsible for the oversight and coordination of financial aid policy and strategy in support of enrollment and broader college goals. The Director provides additional support for unit-wide report generation and data management.

Essential Functions of the Position:

• Through research and critical analysis of financial aid and admission data and trends, manage all components of the institutional financial aid budget, working with the Vice President for Enrollment Management, the Vice President and Chief Financial Officer and all associated and relevant staff to model the use of Marietta’s restricted and unrestricted funds in the College’s operating budget to maximize net tuition revenue.
• In partnership with the Vice President for Enrollment and the Director of Admissions, develop an enrollment management strategy to leverage the use of institutional financial aid and effective communication strategies of that plan for prospective student and parents, integrating financing as a critical component across the recruitment, yield and retention continuum.
• Manages coordination and delivery of all federal, state, institutional and private student aid funds. Overall responsibility for ensuring compliance with federal, state, and institutional financial aid regulations. Serves as the primary Compliance Officer in the financial aid office for Title IV federal aid regulations and state aid regulations.
• Coordinates completion of the FISAP report with other offices and submits the reports. Assists with Consumer Information reporting and oversees staff completion of financial aid sections of Common Data Set reporting and IPEDS reporting. Serves as the financial aid liaison with the single audit. Manages the overall financial aid budget. Creates/updates packaging formulas, algorithms, and reports to appropriately leverage available financial aid in congruence with established College's objectives.
• Ensures fiscal accountability in fund management, authorizations, disbursements, and recovery by coordinating technology and information systems for effective administration of student financial aid funds. Plans, develops, implements, and evaluates financial aid policies and procedures to meet students' needs while supporting the College’s enrollment goals.
• Administers and facilitates the awarding of new and continuing students financial aid packages which may include Federal Pell and SEOG Programs, State Aid and Tuition Waiver Programs, and Federal Work Study. Liaises with Admissions, Business Office, Registrar, Student Life, Student Accounts, and other offices to ensure that transactional activities are complementary and smoothly integrated.
• Collaborate with other university departments to ensure compliance with federal regulations not directly managed through the financial aid department. Maintains accountability for internal and external audits related to financial aid programs.
• Analyzes statistical data from both internal and external sources. Maintains a high-performance environment through the leadership, hiring, supervision, training, and development of office staff.
• Demonstrates knowledge of the preparation of detailed reports at the executive level and be a competent and effective public speaker.

Professional Expectations:

• Understand and fulfill job duties within the scope of the mission statement.
• Adhere to the policies and procedures of the College.
• Maintains professionalism in actions, communication, and behavior in every aspect of the position.
• Professional demeanor with the ability to interface with internal and external customers and staff with diplomacy and tact is essential.
• Attends and completes any required training, certifications, or other professional development.

Required Skills and Abilities:

• Ability to delegate effectively and manage a team with an effectiveness that is evident in the department’s success.
• Strong leadership skills in the areas of collaboration, communication, coaching and training.
• Incumbent must be able to write business correspondence, reports, and procedure manuals. Also, must be able to read, analyze, and interpret documents such as business and academic publications, statistical documentation, and procedure manuals.
• Ability to interpret technical and statistical data to analyze operations, anticipate problems, and plan for future needs.
• Ability to handle multiple priorities and assignments, organize work, make decisions, and function independently.

Required Experience & Education:

• Master's Degree preferred: a combination of Bachelors, specialized education, and financial aid and managerial experience may be substitutable.
• Preferred fields of study in technology, accounting, finance, management, and higher education. Seven to ten years of progressively responsible experience administering Title IV funds and financial aid resources and services, including supervision, in a regulatory environment. Proven supervisory experience developing and managing a cohesive and diverse team whose success is evident to the campus community. Strong acumen with technology, report writing, successful experience in Return to Title IV, loan reconciliation, FISAP and PPA reports, IPEDS Data collection, and other government reports. Knowledge of Title IV Regulations, GI Bill for Higher Education, Veterans Administration services, and state regulations related to financial aid. Expertise in financial aid systems including Colleague, Informer, and Slate or similar student information enterprise systems.