Director of Student Finance

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Arizona.

📋 Description

• Manage the complete student funding lifecycle from the initial determination and packaging of funds through to administration, graduation or withdrawal, and repayment.

• Direct the Student Finance department, ensuring that students receive optimal service throughout their funding journey.

• Guarantee the timely, accurate, and compliant administration of Title IV, VA education benefits, DoD Tuition Assistance, employer assistance, self-pay, and other funding sources.

• Supervise both student-facing funding and packaging functions as well as back-office Student Finance processing and operations.

• Create and uphold Student Finance procedures, standard operating procedures (SOPs), training materials, and operational controls.

• Collaborate with the Director of Funding Compliance regarding institutional policy and regulatory interpretation.

• Maintain compliance with federal, state, accreditor, VA, DoD, and institutional funding regulations.

• Oversee data exchanges and processing between the Student Information System (SIS) and federal, military, and other funding systems.

• Act as an escalation point for complex student funding, operational, and cross-functional issues.

• Ensure adequate staffing levels and manage personnel, including hiring, disciplinary actions, annual reviews, and terminations.

• Supervise operational reporting, data quality, processing timelines, service levels, workload, staffing requirements, and performance metrics.

• Manage R2T4 determinations, calculations, post-withdrawal disbursements, and necessary returns.

• Oversee credit balance stipends and refunds in coordination with Student Accounts.

• Ensure compliant batching of Title IV funding and its accurate posting to student ledger accounts.

• Provide timely, accurate, clear, and compliant communications and counseling regarding student funding.

• Identify operational gaps and inefficiencies, implementing necessary corrections.

• Participate actively in institutional committees and leadership meetings.

• Offer operational insights and recommendations to institutional leadership.

• Supervise FAFSA/ISIR processing, verification, C-code resolution, conflicting information, professional judgment, file completion, packaging, and repackaging.

• Oversee funding adjustments, overawards, COD processing, reconciliation, and other post-packaging operations.

• Maintain relationships with third-party vendors and consultants, assisting with contract renewals and terminations.

• Serve as the primary operational contact for audits, program reviews, VA compliance surveys, TA audits, and regulatory examinations.

• Provide insights on changing funding requirements and new program offerings.

• Collaborate with Compliance and Quality Assurance on errors, trends, findings, and corrective actions.

• Perform additional tasks as assigned.

⛳️ Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, education, administration, or a related field.

• At least 8 years of progressive experience in student financial aid, student finance, or related higher education operations.

• Significant leadership and supervisory experience.

• Proven experience in overseeing Title IV financial aid operations.

• Strong understanding of student funding operations, Title IV administration, VA and TA benefits, scholarships, employer reimbursement, internal controls, and relevant regulatory requirements.

• Proficiency with student information systems, financial aid, federal funding systems, and data/reporting tools.

• Ability to analyze operational data to identify risks and process gaps.

• Familiarity with online and modular delivery models is a plus.

• Demonstrated leadership skills with a player-coach mentality, capable of inspiring, motivating, training, and developing teams.

• Excellent written and verbal communication, interpersonal, and influencing skills.

• Capacity to build strong relationships and collaborate across departments.

• Highly organized, results-oriented self-starter with strong multitasking abilities.

• Ability to lead cross-functional initiatives and implement sustainable process improvements.

• Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S.

• Employment visa sponsorship is not available.

🏝️ Benefits

• Highly competitive compensation.

• Award-winning culture.

• Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP).

• Comprehensive benefits package with a 100% company-paid medical option for employees.

• 401(k) with a generous company match.

• Employee Assistance Program (EAP).

• Pet Insurance.

• Company-paid Life Insurance.

• Paid Time Off (Vacation, Sick, and Volunteer time off!).

• 14 Paid holidays.

• Referral program.

• Education Tuition Benefit program.

• Career development opportunities with a growing company.

• A dedicated team focused on your success.