Assistant Director - Financial Aid Counseling

Utah Valley University • Main Campus - Orem, UT

3d • Onsite

About The Position

Utah Valley University offers an opportunity to make a meaningful impact on students' educational journeys while serving in a leadership role within Financial Aid and Scholarships. As the Assistant Director, you will help ensure students have access to the financial resources they need to achieve their academic goals by overseeing federal aid compliance, maintaining high standards of accuracy, and guiding a team dedicated to student success. This position combines leadership, regulatory expertise, and service, providing a rewarding opportunity to influence both operational excellence and the student experience. At UVU, you will join a student-focused institution that values collaboration, continuous improvement, and professional growth. The role offers the opportunity to hire, mentor, and develop staff; lead critical compliance initiatives; and work directly with students and families as they navigate the financing of their education. For professionals passionate about leadership, problem-solving, and helping students access opportunities through higher education, this position offers a meaningful and impactful career path.

Requirements

• Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree in a directly related field and two years' experience related to the Summary of Duties; OR a combination of education and/or experience totaling six years.
• For Example: Bachelor's degree in a related field and two years of related professional experience.
• OR an associate's degree in a related field and four years of related professional experience.
• OR one year of college coursework in a related field and five years of related professional experience.
• OR two years of college coursework in a related field and four years of related professional experience.
• OR three years of college coursework in a related field, and three years of related professional experience.
• OR six years of progressively responsible experience related to the duties of the position.
• Knowledge of federal regulations pertaining to financial aid, including need analysis, eligibility assessment, verification, packaging strategies, loan awarding, default prevention, Federal Work Study, Return of Title IV, Gainful Employment, and evaluation of academic progress.
• Knowledge of financial aid institutional policies and procedures.
• Knowledge of computerized financial aid systems, preferably Banner.
• Knowledge of computer applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, databases, PowerPoint, internet tools, email systems, and other general computer skills.
• High technical aptitude and skill in problem solving, technical troubleshooting, decision-making, and prioritizing.
• Effectively uses interpersonal skills and communication skills, including tact, diplomacy, understanding, compassion, and valuing all contributions, while maintaining adherence to policies.
• Skills in leading a group of employees to accomplish common departmental and university goals.
• Skills in maintaining an established work schedule, including occasional evenings and weekends for outreach programs.
• Skills in making public presentations to large and small groups, and one-on-one.
• Effectively using organizational and planning skills, with acute attention to detail, exacting accuracy, and follow-through.
• Skills in maintaining confidentiality of work-related information and materials, including information from student records.
• Ability to work effectively with individuals from all different backgrounds.
• Ability to analyze and solve problems in an effective and professional manner.
• Shows initiative and has the ability to effectively prioritize tasks to meet deadlines.
• Ability to learn quickly.
• Ability to effectively provide knowledge, training, and expertise to students, faculty, and staff.
• Experience working in a team-oriented, collaborative environment.
• Ability to gain and maintain access to federal student aid databases.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality pertaining to all student records in compliance with federal and state regulations (i.e., FERPA, GRAMA, etc.).
• Ability to effectively create, compose, and edit written materials.

Responsibilities

• Oversees the operation and processes of the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office, Financial Aid Counseling II team.
• Ensures all tasks and reports are completed accurately and on time.
• Coordinates with the Business Systems Analyst to ensure all reports in the coordinator area are received on time and contain accurate information.
• Oversees compliance with Return of Title IV, Federal Work Study, Direct Loan, Pell Grant, and Gainful Employment.
• Provides regular training for the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office staff in regulations, policies, and procedures.
• Assists co-workers in answering questions, researching student accounts for accurate processing of federal student aid funds, and looking for system abnormalities and processing errors.
• Conducts regular spot checks on each employee's work to ensure accurate processing.
• Hires and supervises Financial Aid Counseling II employees.
• Trains and counsels all Financial Aid and Scholarship staff.
• Consults with the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office Director, Associate Directors, and other Assistant Directors regarding development, implementation, and maintenance of training materials, emails, and forms.
• Verifies the accuracy of printed materials and the website.
• Assists co-workers as needed to ensure the department's successful operation.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level