Director of Student Accounts (Bursar)

Webster University•Webster Groves, MO

10h

About The Position

The Director of Student Accounts (Bursar) provides strategic and operational leadership for the University’s student accounts, billing, accounts receivable, cashiering, payment processing, refunds, collections, and reconciliation functions. The role ensures accurate and timely processing and reporting of student financial transactions, including reconciliation of student accounts to the general ledger, and develops the University’s accounts receivable and collections strategy. The Director oversees payment arrangements, account holds, write-offs, promissory notes, third-party billing, and external collection-agency relationships in accordance with University policy. The position establishes internal financial controls and ensures compliance with applicable federal and state requirements, Department of Education regulations, FERPA, PCI-DSS, University policies, and other requirements governing student financial operations. It partners with Finance and auditors on financial reviews, audits, year-end processes, corrective actions, and control or compliance issues, while identifying and mitigating operational, financial, compliance, and control risks. The Director leads, supervises, develops, and evaluates Bursar/Student Accounts staff; serves as the functional leader for Bursar-related student information, accounts receivable, payment, and financial systems; and partners with Finance and IT on implementations, integrations, testing, upgrades, and optimization. The role establishes performance indicators, leads process improvement and automation, resolves complex student financial matters, coordinates with University stakeholders across the student financial lifecycle, and provides University leadership with financial analysis, operational insights, risk assessments, and recommendations.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a closely related field.
Minimum seven years of progressively responsible higher-education student financial services experience, including significant responsibility for student accounts, accounts receivable, billing, collections, refunds, and reconciliations.
Minimum three years of demonstrated leadership experience in a Bursar, Deputy Bursar, Assistant Bursar, or comparable position with broad responsibility for student accounts, billing, receivables, collections, refunds, reconciliations, financial controls, compliance, and staff leadership.
Minimum three years of direct supervisory or management experience, including responsibility for staff performance, development, and operational outcomes.
Demonstrated experience managing the full student accounts lifecycle, rather than a single specialized component of Bursar operations.
Demonstrated experience with financial controls, audit readiness, regulatory compliance, and operational risk management.
Demonstrated experience analyzing accounts receivable aging and collection performance and implementing improvement strategies.
Experience with student information systems, ERP/financial systems, electronic payment platforms, and related financial technology.
Demonstrated experience leading significant process improvement, systems optimization, or operational change.

Responsibilities

Provide strategic and operational leadership for student accounts, billing, accounts receivable, cashiering, payment processing, refunds, collections, and reconciliation.
Ensure accurate and timely assessment, processing, posting, reconciliation, and reporting of student financial transactions, including reconciliation of student accounts to the general ledger.
Develop and execute the University’s accounts receivable and collections strategy, monitoring aging, delinquency, collection performance, and financial exposure.
Oversee payment arrangements, account holds, write-offs, promissory notes, third-party billing, and external collection-agency relationships in accordance with University policy.
Establish and maintain internal financial controls, including segregation of duties, approval authorities, reconciliations, documentation, cash controls, and audit trails.
Ensure compliance with applicable federal and state requirements, Department of Education regulations, FERPA, PCI-DSS, University policies, and other requirements governing student financial operations.
Partner with Finance and internal and external auditors on financial reviews, audit activities, year-end processes, corrective actions, and resolution of control or compliance issues.
Identify, assess, and mitigate financial, operational, compliance, and control risks associated with Bursar operations.
Lead, supervise, develop, and evaluate Bursar/Student Accounts staff; establish performance expectations, accountability, service standards, cross-training, and backup coverage.
Serve as functional leader for Bursar-related student information, accounts receivable, payment, and financial systems; partner with Finance and IT on implementations, integrations, testing, upgrades, and optimization.
Establish and monitor key performance indicators for receivables, aging, collections, billing and transaction accuracy, refunds, reconciliations, service performance, and other critical operations.
Lead continuous improvement, automation, standardization, and process redesign to strengthen controls, efficiency, service delivery, and business continuity.
Provide leadership and resolution for complex or escalated student financial matters and ensure consistent application of policies and professional service to students and families.
Partner with Financial Aid, Registrar, Enrollment Management, Finance, Academic Affairs, IT, and other University stakeholders to address systemic issues and coordinate across the student financial lifecycle.
Provide University leadership with financial analysis, operational insights, risk assessments, and recommendations regarding student receivables, financial operations, policy, systems, and improvement opportunities.