Associate Director of Financial Aid � Systems, Data & Technology

Houston Baptist University•Houston, TX

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Associate Director of Financial Aid – Systems, Data & Technology serves as the technical and operational leader for all financial aid systems, data processes, and technology initiatives within the Office of Student Financial Services. This position is responsible for the strategic oversight, configuration, optimization, and compliance of financial aid systems, including Ellucian Banner SaaS. This role plays a critical leadership function in ensuring accurate aid delivery, regulatory compliance, data integrity, and system performance, while driving innovation, automation, and continuous improvement across all financial aid operations. The Associate Director serves as the primary liaison between Financial Aid, Information Technology, and external agencies, and is instrumental in aligning system capabilities with institutional enrollment and student success goals.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required
Minimum 5 years of progressive experience in financial aid, with significant technical/system responsibilities
Demonstrated experience with Banner Financial Aid or comparable ERP system
Strong knowledge of federal financial aid regulations, including Title IV
Experience with financial aid packaging, disbursement, and reconciliation processes

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree
Experience with Banner SaaS or cloud ERP implementations
Experience with reporting tools (Argos, Insights, SQL, or similar)
Knowledge of Texas state aid programs (e.g., TEG, TCWS)
Experience with document management systems (e.g., Campus Logic or similar)
Experience leading system implementations or major upgrades

Responsibilities

Lead the administration, configuration, and optimization of financial aid systems, including Banner Financial Aid and Banner SaaS environment.
Serve as the functional lead on Banner SaaS for the office of financial aid, including testing, validation, and process redesign.
Oversee system setup for all aid programs (federal, state, institutional, and private).
Ensure system configurations support compliant, efficient, and scalable operations.
Translate federal and state regulations into system configurations and business processes.
Ensure compliance with Title IV, state aid programs, and institutional policies.
Oversee system-driven processes including: Packaging and awarding, Verification tracking, Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP), Disbursement and reconciliation.
Support audits, program reviews, and compliance reporting.
Support the Director by assisting with daily financial aid operations and performing functional data analysis.
Oversee ISIR processing, data imports, and system integrations with Federal Student Aid systems (e.g., COD, NSLDS).
Develop and maintain operational and compliance reports using tools such as Insights, Argos, and SQL.
Ensure data accuracy and integrity across systems.
Provide data insights to support strategic enrollment and financial aid decisions.
Work with the Financial Aid Director to create and maintain Ad Hoc Reports for internal and external use.
Manage financial aid disbursement processes to ensure timely and accurate delivery of funds.
Oversee reconciliation between Banner SAAS, federal systems, and institutional accounts.
Identify discrepancies and lead resolution efforts in collaboration with the Business Office.
Identify opportunities to streamline and automate financial aid processes.
Lead implementation of workflow tools (e.g., document management, student forms, automation tools).
Evaluate and improve student-facing and internal system workflows.
Serve as the primary liaison with Information Technology on system upgrades, integrations, and issue resolution.
Collaborate with Admissions, Registrar, Business Office, and Enrollment Management.
Participate in institutional technology initiatives and strategic planning.
Train and support financial aid staff on system functionality and technical processes.
Develop and maintain comprehensive documentation, SOPs, and training materials.
Promote cross-training to reduce operational risk.