Associate Director - Office of Student Financial Aid

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign•Urbana, IL

6d•Onsite

About The Position

The Associate Director provides strategic leadership, supervision, and direction for the Processing and Operations and Student Services and Outreach units within the Office of Student Financial Aid (OSFA). The Associate Director is responsible for overseeing the administration of financial aid programs and services supporting more than 60,000 students and their families while ensuring compliance with federal, state, and institutional regulations governing more than $1 billion in annual financial aid funding. The Associate Director provides leadership for financial aid operations, regulatory compliance, customer service, outreach initiatives, staff development, policy and procedure governance, and organizational effectiveness. This position oversees senior-level managers responsible for processing and operations, student services, training, veteran education benefits administration, and complex financial aid program management. The Associate Director collaborates with university leadership and external stakeholders to advance strategic priorities, enhance operational efficiency, promote compliance, support student success, and ensure exceptional service delivery. This individual is expected to participate as a leader in national, regional and state financial aid organizations.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree.
Minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in student financial aid, higher education administration, or a related field.
Demonstrated supervisory experience.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree.
Ten (10) years of relevant experience with a demonstrated ability to administer financial aid and manage financial aid staff at a large, complex university that delivers services to students from a wide range of backgrounds.
Proven record of working with complex situations that require sensitivity to unique family circumstances.
Excellent skills in providing and coaching others in professional, courteous, and tactful delivery while establishing and maintaining good working relationships.
Skilled in collaborative and effective work relations with students, staff, faculty, and the public.
Ability to work under pressure, set priorities, and manage multiple high-priority tasks simultaneously.
Ability to effectively manage constituents that may have difficult financial aid queries and may be experiencing distress.

Responsibilities

Provide strategic leadership and administrative oversight for the Processing and Operations and Student Services and Outreach units within OSFA.
Supervise and evaluate senior-level staff, establish priorities, and ensure achievement of operational and strategic goals.
Provide leadership, coaching, and performance management for supervisory staff and support leadership development, succession planning, and organizational effectiveness within assigned units.
Develop and implement initiatives that enhance operational effectiveness, service delivery, compliance, and exceptional customer service for students and families.
Lead cross-functional efforts to improve business processes, organizational efficiency, and resource utilization.
Establish performance metrics and accountability measures to assess unit effectiveness and support continuous improvement.
Serve as a member of the OSFA leadership team and help develop office-wide strategic priorities and initiatives.
Provide oversight for financial aid processing, operational workflows, systems functionality, and program administration activities.
Ensure compliance with federal, state, institutional, and program-specific regulations governing financial aid administration.
Ensure consistent administration of financial aid programs and operational practices across units through the effective interpretation and application of federal, state, and institutional regulations.
Lead implementation of new regulatory requirements, policy changes, and operational procedures impacting financial aid programs and services.
Monitor compliance risks and operational performance indicators and develop corrective actions when necessary.
Provide leadership in identifying operational and compliance risks and developing strategies to mitigate risk and improve business processes.
Collaborate with campus and university partners to ensure consistent interpretation and application of financial aid policies and regulations.
Advise the Executive Director regarding regulatory changes, compliance considerations, operational challenges, and program administration issues.
Provide leadership for student service delivery, outreach initiatives, communication strategies, and student engagement efforts.
Provide strategic oversight of office-wide training and professional development initiatives to ensure staff preparedness, consistent policy application, and organizational readiness for regulatory and operational changes.
Ensure effective administration of specialized service areas, including veteran education benefits and resolution of complex student issues.
Foster a student-centered service culture focused on accessibility, responsiveness, quality, and continuous improvement.
Represent OSFA on campus committees, workgroups, and initiatives that support student success and service excellence.
Promote collaboration between operational and student service units to ensure consistent communication, problem resolution, and service delivery across the office.
Serve as the owner of the OSFA Policy and Procedure Manual, providing strategic oversight for the development, maintenance, communication, and implementation of office policies and procedures.
Ensure policy documentation accurately reflects current federal, state, and institutional requirements and supports consistent administration of financial aid programs and services across all operational areas.
Establish and oversee processes for the regular review, revision, approval, and communication of policies and procedures.
Coordinate the implementation of policy and procedural changes resulting from regulatory updates, operational needs, and strategic initiatives.
Promote consistent interpretation and application of policies and procedures through collaboration with OSFA leadership and incorporate into training and professional development activities.
Ensure coordination between policy development, staff training, operational implementation, and compliance monitoring to promote consistent practices throughout the office.
Serve as a key member of the OSFA management team and participate in office-wide planning, policy development, and decision-making.
Serve as a strategic advisor to the Executive Director on operational effectiveness, organizational priorities, regulatory changes, and long-term planning initiatives.
Represent OSFA with university stakeholders, external agencies, and professional organizations.
Assume additional leadership responsibilities and strategic projects as assigned to support the mission and goals of OSFA.