Assistant Director of Financial Aid

Baylor University • Waco, TX

16h • Hybrid

About The Position

A humble college founded before Texas was a state, Baylor now stands as one of the premier institutions of higher education in the world. Baylor has continued to invest in research and doctoral education, both solidifying and elevating its unique status as a preeminent Christian research university. Baylor is among 187 R1 institutions, just 52 of which are private universities. Since 2011, Baylor has been named as one of the nation’s “ Great Colleges to Work For ”. Great Colleges to Work For® is one of the country’s largest and most respected workplace recognition programs. Each year, Great Colleges recognizes the colleges and universities that get top employee ratings regarding workplace practices and policies across 10 areas. This recognition is based on faculty and staff responses to a related annual survey. The survey, conducted by ModernThink, is a way for colleges and universities to gain a deeper understanding of how their employees experience and view various aspects of the institution. This continued recognition further affirms Baylor as a rewarding place to build a career. What We're Looking For This position will support the mission and vision of Baylor University by leading a Financial Aid team in maintaining a customer service focus in the administration of financial aid. Strong leadership, relationship building, and communication are critical components of this position. Demonstrating robust core competencies, most notably: facilitating a commitment to succeed, leading by example, a desire to continue professional development and learning, teaching, and developing others, being an innovative thinker and having an ability to be decisive with a service-minded attitude. These attributes will support the Financial Aid office in efficient, timely, and accurate administration of financial aid. A bachelor's degree and three years of relevant experience are required. Five years of relevant experience are preferred. Additional education or experience will be considered in lieu of one another.

Requirements

• Financial Aid and Higher Education experience
• Ability to maintain a high level of accuracy, professionalism, integrity, and customer service focus
• Proven leadership results
• Ability to lead, inspire, monitor, and supervise employees to achieve goals that contribute to the mission of Baylor University
• Proven ability to lead individuals and groups where duties involve instruction, training, reviewing work, documenting procedures, presenting information, and problem-solving
• Proven ability to plan and complete assignments, resolve conflicts, coordinate, and direct work with others between cross-functional teams
• Handle and delegate responsibilities
• Support effective collaboration with cross-functional teams
• Commitment to active listening and effective communication
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Accurately estimate timelines and meet deadlines
• Ability to take initiative, work independently, collaboratively, and thrive in a dynamic work environment
• Strong working knowledge of industry policies and regulations
• Curious learner driven to grow in and understand more about Financial Aid, Higher Education, systems, and development of skills
• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills to review work and proactively act on error resolution
• Exercise good judgement and discretion when working with confidential and sensitive information and situations
• Intermediate experience with Excel, Banner, Federal Student Aid, COD, NSLDS, and other related agencies, systems, and platforms
• A bachelor's degree and three years of relevant experience are required.
• Applicants must currently be authorized to work in the United States on a Full-Time basis.
• Must be able to travel outside of the state of Texas.

Nice To Haves

• Five years of relevant experience are preferred.
• Additional education or experience will be considered in lieu of one another.
• Knowledge of current Department of Education Financial Aid Regulations and Title IV Aid programs
• Knowledge of institutional, state, and private aid programs, requirements, and regulations
• Knowledge of aid administration in conjunction with athletic aid eligibility, including NCAA, Big 12, and Baylor policies and regulations
• Advanced Excel skills and experience with reporting and data analysis
• Strong analytical and critical thinking to identify patterns, gaps, research solutions, assess performance, and support implementation of processes, procedures, and policies.

Responsibilities

• Responsible for direct supervision and leadership of a Financial Aid team
• Lead in development and coaching of staff
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge in aid administration to ensure accurate and timely processing
• Leadership in daily, monthly, and annual audits and reconciliation of financial aid programs
• Analyze data to provide proactive identification of error resolution to support compliance and student experience
• Report patterns in data to supervisor to address areas of needed training, and/or changes to policy and procedure for efficiency, effectiveness, and compliance
• Heightened awareness in the stewardship and responsibility of accurate, compliant, aid administration
• Maintain a thorough knowledge of federal, state, NCAA, Big 12, and university regulations, policies, and procedures to ensure compliance
• Development of necessary policies and procedures
• Support training efforts for the Financial Aid Processing team, as well as cross-functional training in Financial Aid, Enrollment Management, and Baylor University
• Research and respond to requests from team members to support customer service and student experience
• Partner with Student Financial Aid Tech Team in automation setup, performance, and preparing reports to support Financial Aid Operations
• Assist with special projects and any other task assigned by the supervisor
• Some travel for training and events
• Perform all other duties as assigned to support Baylor’s mission
• Ability to comply with University policies
• Maintain regular and punctual attendance

Benefits

• As part of the Baylor family, eligible employees receive a comprehensive benefits package that includes medical, dental, and vision insurance, generous time off, tuition remission, and outstanding automatic retirement contributions.
• Baylor has a comprehensive benefits plan that supports you and your family’s wellbeing and allows you to be a part of the life of a vibrant and active college campus.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 501-1,000 employees