Executive Director of Financial Aid

Job Description

About Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University

Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is an independent, culturally diverse institution providing quality education and research in aviation, aerospace, engineering and other related fields with residential campuses located in Daytona Beach, Florida and Prescott, Arizona. The University’s Worldwide campus provides educational opportunities online and at approximately 130 locations throughout the United States, Asia, Europe, and Central/South America.

As the largest and most comprehensive aviation and aerospace-focused university in the world, Embry-Riddle is a unique institution. Over the past 90 years, the University has evolved with the industry to break new ground and produce top-level graduates who serve the ever-changing needs of aviation and aerospace and other STEM-related disciplines. Embry-Riddle offers programs in seven primary fields of study including: Applied Science; Aviation; Business; Computers and Technology; Engineering; Safety, Security and Intelligence; and Space.

For Academic Year 2020-21, there were over 10,700 undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral students that attended the University’s residential campuses and approximately 32,700 students in total enrolled with the University around the world.

The Opportunity

Embry-Riddle is currently looking for an experienced Executive Director of Financial Aid to oversee this department on our Daytona Beach Campus. The Executive Director manages and coordinates all aspects of comprehensive student financial assistance programs by securing and delivering funds to students, by obtaining and maintaining institutional participation in financial assistance programs, and by adapting internal and external programs to meet the needs of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University students. Reporting to the Dean of Enrollment Management, the Executive Director has direct oversight of 15 employees as well as indirect oversight and accountability of the financial aid administered through the directors of financial aid at the other campuses. The position also has indirect oversight of ERNIE Central regarding their role of financial aid training, dissemination of information and administration.

Responsibilities include the following:

Administers federal, state, private, and institutional programs designed to assist students by:

• Developing policies that govern the financial aid operations of all campuses.
• Complying with federal laws and regulations, state statutes and rules, and donor criteria in the awarding of funds, including Title IV of the Higher Education Act, and other related legislation.
• Maintaining an understanding of external regulations through participation in training activities.
• Interpreting federal, state, and donor requirements as they apply to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
• Working with independent, internal, state, and federal auditors in the conducting of audits of the financial assistance.

Maintains a single university presence at the state and federal level, and with outside organizations by:

• Maintaining eligibility of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University campuses and locations, by coordinating with State Approving Agencies and the Department of Education at the federal and state level.
• Representing the university to external organizations involved in the financial aid delivery system and securing services, which meet the needs of students individually, as well as the overall expectations of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
• Completing reports and questionnaires for various organizations, which request data on costs, financial aid programs, and recipients.

Secures as much financial assistance as possible for Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University students by:

• Preparing the annual application for Title IV funding to assure the greatest allocation possible.
• Evaluating and implementing new programs for student or university use.
• Coordinating the distribution of funds to campuses based on their enrollment goals.
• Assisting Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement in the establishment of new scholarship programs funded by donors.
• Assessing institutional needs of students and recommending new programs, revisions to existing programs, or other means of addressing these needs.
• Coordinating the approval process of new locations and new academic programs for student financial assistance.

Manages the operational aspects of providing funds to students by:

• Coordinating the flow of information among students, external processors, lenders, state agencies, and Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
• Overseeing the development and enhancement of a financial assistance computer system that meets the functional and reporting needs of the university.
• Overseeing the development of timetables for all activities related to the awarding process, including application tracking, processing, disbursing, reporting, verifying eligibility, and reviewing renewal eligibility.
• Developing special aspects of the process through committee activities, such as the Appeal Committee and Scholarship Committee.
• Ensuring that the process is coordinated with other functions of the university, such as admission, registration, and payment processes.
• Implementing new strategies for improving the process of applying and receiving assistance for students.
• Assessing the impact of changing regulations and trends and incorporating activities to adjust to them.

Provides leadership, direction, and guidance to the staff who are involved in carrying out the functions of the Financial Aid offices campuses by:

• Developing goals and objectives for the functions and performance plans for the individuals assigned to carry out these functions.
• Coordinating the campuses’ activities and promoting standardization of activities where appropriate.
• Requesting and efficiently utilizing resources allocated for the financial assistance area.
• Providing input to university issues and initiatives as they pertain to Financial Aid.
• Identifying policies in other departments which affect students’ financial aid and working with those departments toward resolution.
• Coordinating resolution of problems that affect the operations.
• Providing oversight and guidance to the Directors of Financial Aid (operations) at all campuses.
• Providing leadership by creating an atmosphere of involvement and participation, providing training opportunities, making assignments and delegating authority, evaluating performance, making hiring and termination decisions and other human resource functions, setting an appropriate example, encouraging creativity, setting appropriate standards of performance and behavior, and applying other successful leadership skills to management style.
• Participates in professional development opportunities to expand knowledge and enhance performance.

Serves as part of a team that has a primary role to seek out ways in which student needs can be better served by:

• Assisting in identifying and resolving issues that negatively affect students.
• Reporting on issues that contribute to excessive student attrition.
• Recommending methods of improving the overall retention rates of students.
• Reporting on the impact of federal or state legislative and funding decisions upon students and/or Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.
• Assists the university in accomplishing other objectives by completing special projects or other work assigned.

Lead the university financial aid committee which sets and enforces compliance and policies that govern the financial aid operations at the university and is composed of the Directors of Financial Aid from the university campuses.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree and at least 5 years of director level experience in a financial aid department.
• Proficiency in knowledge of Department of Education rules and regulations, current issues in higher education and pending legislation.
• Membership and participation in professional associations.
• Experience in managing a large staff and complex financial aid programs
• Experience with multi-campus environment
• Ability to assimilate new information rapidly and assess any impact on the university.
• Ability to think logically and to analyze and solve problems.
• Thorough working knowledge of federal and state financial aid regulations, required.
• Experience in managing and supervising a diverse population
• Ability to work with people in a professional and concerned manner. Excellent communication and people skills. Strong ability to train, motivate and manage staff.
• Experience with automated financial aid systems.

Application Instructions

• To be considered, please include a resume, cover letter, and contact information for 3 professional references.