Associate Director for System Strategy

Brigham Young University • Provo, UT

1d

About The Position

The Associate Director for Systems Strategy serves as an authority for systems strategy, architecture, and modernization supporting the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office. This role defines and advances the long-term technical direction for systems that enable compliant, secure, and scalable delivery of financial aid and scholarship services across the university. Operating at a strategic level, the Associate Director addresses highly complex, ambiguous, and novel problems where no established solutions exist. The position establishes future-state architecture, system governance, and data standards; evaluates and selects technologies; and leads cross-functional initiatives that shape institutional systems capabilities and risk posture. Decisions made in this role have sustained, university-wide impact on compliance, operational resilience, and student experience. This position exercises broad discretion and original judgment, synthesizing regulatory requirements, emerging technologies, and institutional priorities into cohesive system strategies.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree and 3 years of Federal Financial Aid experience or equivalent.
• Minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible experience in systems management, project leadership, or technical administration, preferably within higher education or financial aid.
• Strategic systems planning and enterprise-level project management.
• Strong understanding of database and integration concepts (SQL, APIs, SFTP, data mapping).
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.
• Ability to lead teams through organizational change and systems modernization.
• Commitment to collaboration, innovation, and student-centered service delivery.
• Ability to balance long-term strategic vision with short-term operational needs.

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in Information Systems, Public Administration, Business, or related field.
• Experience with Financial Aid modules, Salesforce, or comparable ERP/SIS platforms.
• Experience with system integration, API management, SQL, and data governance frameworks.
• Project management certification (PMP, Agile, or ITIL) preferred.
• Familiarity with Title IV federal regulations and financial aid compliance processes.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Systems Planning and Governance Establishes, owns, and executes a multi-year systems strategy for Financial Aid and Scholarships in collaboration with OIT and aligned with institutional priorities and Enrollment Services’ digital transformation roadmap
• Collaboratively evaluates, selects, and recommends enterprise technologies, platforms, and architectural approaches to enhance operational efficiency, scalability, and student experience
• Designs, implements, and enforces a systems governance framework to ensure alignment, accountability, and consistency across Financial Aid, Scholarships, OIT, and campus partners
• Serves as a senior advisor to Financial Aid leadership on systems modernization, regulatory risk, data stewardship, and long-term sustainability
• Proactively monitors federal, technological, and institutional trends and translates them into strategic system initiatives and readiness plans Financial Aid and Scholarships Systems Architecture and Integration Leadership
• Owns the design, evolution, and optimization of systems architecture, ensuring seamless interoperability among the University SIS, Financial Aid systems, Salesforce, and related platforms. This is done in collaboration with OIT and aligned with university technology standards.
• Directs Financial Aid and Scholarships integration strategy, including APIs, automation, workflows, and data exchanges, in partnership with OIT and vendors
• Establishes Financial Aid and Scholarship standards for system configuration, documentation, performance metrics, and lifecycle management
• Implements technical solutions supporting scholarship management, aid packaging, compliance tracking, and reporting on an institutional scale
• Ensures data integrity, security, business continuity, and disaster recovery through deliberate architecture and redundancy planning Innovation, Project Management, and Implementation
• Leads high-impact system implementations, upgrades, and modernization initiatives from concept through post-implementation evaluation
• Exercises full ownership of project scope, timelines, dependencies, and outcomes for complex, cross-functional initiatives
• Directs the evaluation, piloting, and adoption of automation, analytics, and digital communication tools that improve accuracy, efficiency, and service delivery
• Liaison with OIT Portfolio Director who is responsible for vendor strategy, including RFP development, contract negotiation input, performance management, and service level accountability
• Champions a culture of continuous improvement through data-driven analysis and proactive innovation Collaboration, Leadership, and Mentorship
• Provides mentorship and professional guidance to systems staff, strengthening technical expertise, project leadership, and analytical capacity
• Cultivates a culture of accountability, innovation, and cross-functional collaboration within the systems team
• Represents Financial Aid and Scholarships as the authoritative systems voice on institutional technology committees and governance bodies
• Ensures the development and delivery of training and change management strategies associated with new systems and functionality Compliance, Testing, and Risk Oversight
• Ensures system configurations and changes comply with Title IV regulations, NCAA bylaws, and institutional policies
• Establishes and oversees quality assurance, testing, and validation frameworks for system changes and integrations
• Identifies systemic risks, develops mitigation strategies, and ensures operational resilience and audit readiness

Benefits

• 401k. BYU automatically contributes 8% at no cost to you. Additionally, if you contribute 5%, BYU adds an additional 4% (Rehires may qualify for different retirement plans)
• Excellent work-life balance: 13 paid holidays + 22 days paid vacation + 12 sick days, accrued annually
• Employee assistance program, available to the employee and all members of their household
• Tuition benefits for employees and eligible family members
• Access to athletic facilities
• Excellent medical/dental benefits
• Short/long-term disability benefits
• Paid parental and maternity leave
• Wellness Program
• Free on-campus parking
• Free UTA passes for employees, spouses, and qualified dependents
• Discounts at the BYU Store and for many events at BYU

What This Job Offers

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