Associate Director Financial Aid - Operations

Murray State University - Murray, KY

Part-time - Mid Level

Murray, KY

Educational Services

About the position

The Associate Director of Financial Aid - Operations at Murray State University is a pivotal role responsible for overseeing the daily operations of the Financial Aid office. This position entails managing and training operational staff, ensuring the awarding of financial aid, conducting verifications, and handling Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) appeals. The Associate Director will also be responsible for performing Return to Title IV (R2T4) calculations, ensuring compliance with federal, state, and institutional regulations, and driving process improvements within the department. In this role, the Associate Director will maintain a comprehensive understanding of all relevant regulations and will develop and implement departmental procedures to ensure ongoing compliance. Leadership is a key component of this position, as the Associate Director will provide training, supervision, and professional development opportunities for staff members. Additionally, the role involves executing auditing and quality assurance procedures to monitor staff performance and troubleshoot any issues related to the awarding and disbursement of financial aid. The Associate Director will also engage with students and parents, providing counseling as needed, and will participate in various outreach activities such as college nights, summer orientation sessions, and workshops. Collaboration with federal, state, and internal auditors is essential, as is coordination with other departments to maintain compliance with Title IV funding eligibility. The Associate Director will work closely with the Associate Director of Systems to ensure the quality of awarding and reporting processes, and will perform other duties as assigned to support the overall mission of the Financial Aid office.

Responsibilities

• Assume overall responsibility for daily operations of the Financial Aid office.
• Train and manage operational staff.
• Award financial aid and conduct verifications.
• Handle Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) appeals and Return to Title IV calculations (R2T4).
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and institutional regulations.
• Develop and maintain departmental procedures for compliance.
• Provide leadership, training, supervision, and professional development for staff members.
• Develop and execute auditing and quality assurance procedures to monitor staff performance.
• Troubleshoot awarding and disbursement of aid and resolve discrepancies.
• Counsel students and parents as needed.
• Participate in college night functions, summer orientation sessions, workshops, and classes.
• Work closely with federal, state, and internal auditors.
• Coordinate with other departments to maintain compliance with Title IV funding eligibility.
• Collaborate with the Associate Director of Systems to ensure quality of awarding and reporting processes.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.
• Exceptional communication and customer service skills.
• Two years of supervision experience.
• Minimum of three years' experience with administering federal financial aid and working with federal regulatory guidelines and financial aid software systems.

Nice-to-haves

• In-depth understanding of the Banner higher education administration system.

Benefits

• Health insurance
• Retirement
• Tuition waivers
• Generous paid holidays
• Vacation
• Sick leave
• Paid parental leave