Director, Financial Aid - Financial Women's Association : Job Details

Position Purpose

The Director of Financial Aid serves as a key strategic and operational leader at a private, nonprofit institution, overseeing the administration of federal, state, and institutional financial aid programs. This role ensures compliance with applicable regulations while supporting the institution's mission of access and student success. The Director is responsible for optimizing financial aid resources to support recruitment, retention, and completion, and for providing exceptional service to students and families.

Major Responsibilities/Duties/Functions/Tasks:

Leadership and Team Management

• Provide leadership, supervision, and mentorship to Three full time financial aid staff.
• Develop team goals and training plans that promote professional growth and service excellence.
• Foster a culture of collaboration, integrity, and student advocacy.
• The Director will collaborate closely with the AVP to develop, manage and monitor the department's annual budget

Regulatory Compliance and Reporting

• Ensure full compliance with all Title IV regulations and New York State financial aid programs (TAP, ETA, APTS, etc.).
• Process all Title IV funds, ensuring timely and accurate disbursement, reconciliation, and reporting.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of federal and state regulations; implement policy and procedural updates as needed.
• Ensure the timely and accurate submission of required reports, including FISAP, IPEDS, CDS, SIR, and NYSED reports.
• Serve as the institutional liaison for audits, program reviews, and government agencies.

Financial Aid Operations

• Direct the packaging, awarding, and disbursement of financial aid in accordance with federal methodology and institutional awarding policies.
• Oversee the review and processing of professional judgment, dependency overrides, and satisfactory academic progress appeals.
• Manage financial aid data systems PowerFAIDS, Ellucian, and Sonis ensuring integrity, accuracy, and efficiency.

Student-Centered Service

• Develop communication strategies to keep students and families informed about financial aid processes, deadlines, and policies.
• Lead financial literacy and outreach initiatives to support informed borrowing and financial planning.
• Partner with Student Accounts to streamline billing and aid disbursement processes.
• Ensure that accurate and current financial aid information is maintained in institutional publications, including the catalog, website, and the Net Price Calculator.

Strategic and Institutional Collaboration

• Collaborate with Admissions, Registrar, Academic Advising, and Student Affairs to support enrollment and retention initiatives.
• Analyze institutional data and aid utilization to support enrollment strategy and budget forecasting.
• Participates in Institutional committees to support strategic planning, policy development, and cross-departmental collaboration.
• Provide insight and recommendations to senior leadership regarding institutional aid policy and leveraging models.

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Education and/or Experience Requirements

• Bachelor's degree (master's preferred) in a relevant field.
• Minimum of ten years of progressive experience in financial aid administration, preferably in a nonprofit higher education setting.
• Deep understanding of federal and New York State financial aid regulations.
• Experience managing financial aid systems and reporting tools.
• Demonstrated leadership and minimum of seven years of supervisory experience.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, and analytical skills.

Preferred

• Experience in a mission-driven, private nonprofit college or university.
• Familiarity with strategic enrollment management principles and financial aid leveraging.
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) is a plus.

Work Environment

Office-based position with a standard work schedule; some evening and weekend work required during peak periods. Occasional local or regional travel for training and professional development.