Director of Student Accounts

Merrimack College•North Andover, MA

1d•Onsite

About The Position

The Director of Student Accounts provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for student billing, accounts receivable, cashiering, and related student financial services functions for Merrimack College. Reporting to the Assistant/Associate Vice President of Enrollment Services and Registrar, this position plays a critical role in supporting the College's enrollment, reenrollment, retention, and student success goals through accurate, compliant, and student-centered administration of student account processes. The Director leads the Student Accounts team and collaborates closely with Financial Aid, the Registrar's Office, Finance, Admissions, and other campus partners to ensure a seamless, efficient, and well-coordinated enrollment services experience. This role is responsible for strengthening service delivery, improving operational workflows, identifying opportunities for automation, and supporting thoughtful use of technology, including emerging AI-enabled tools, to improve student service and administrative processing. The position may include occasional remote or in-person evening and weekend availability during peak billing and enrollment periods.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree required in Finance, Accounting, Business Administration, or related field, with 7-10 years of progressive experience in higher education student accounts, bursar operations, or related financial administration.
Demonstrated experience with Jenzabar J1, Cashnet, and regulatory compliance related to college bursar operations required.
Must exercise sound judgment, discretion, and professionalism when handling sensitive financial and personal information.
Demonstrated leadership ability with experience managing and developing professional staff.
Strong organizational skills with the ability to prioritize in a fast-paced, deadline-driven environment.
Ability to think strategically while maintaining attention to operational detail and transactional accuracy.
Demonstrated initiative and problem-solving skills, with the ability to anticipate risk and implement effective solutions.
Strong interpersonal and communication skills to work effectively with internal and external stakeholders.
Ability to analyze and interpret complex financial, regulatory, and policy information and make informed decisions.
Experience with student information systems and billing platforms required, specifically Jenzabar J1 and Cashnet.
Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel required.
Technical competence and the ability to understand both detailed transactions and broader institutional financial processes.
Demonstrated experience improving operational efficiency through workflow design, process standardization, and automation.

Nice To Haves

Master's degree preferred.
Experience working in a collaborative enrollment services environment and supporting integrated service models across Student Accounts, Financial Aid, and Registrar functions preferred.
Demonstrated experience creating efficient workflows, implementing process improvements, and leveraging automation to improve operational effectiveness strongly preferred.
Some level of experience with, or demonstrated capacity to leverage, AI in student services and administrative processing preferred.
Familiarity with or demonstrated exposure to the practical use of AI or other advanced technologies in student services, operations, or administrative processing is preferred.
Availability to work flexible hours, including occasional evenings and weekends during peak cycles.

Responsibilities

Provide strategic leadership and oversight of student billing and accounts receivable processes, including tuition and fee assessment, payment plans, refunds, excess financial aid, health insurance waivers, account holds, and account reporting.
Report to and partner closely with the Assistant/Associate Vice President of Enrollment Services and Registrar to support a coordinated, end-to-end enrollment services model that promotes operational excellence, student persistence, and effective reenrollment practices.
Lead, supervise, and develop Student Accounts staff by providing clear direction, coaching, performance management, and operational oversight to ensure consistent service delivery, policy compliance, and effective problem resolution across all student account interactions.
Oversee the accurate generation of student bills and account statements; monitor aging reports and collection efforts to minimize institutional risk while supporting student retention and success.
Ensure proper administration of loan disbursements, excess funds, direct deposit enrollment, and refund processing to support timely and secure access to student funds in compliance with federal regulations.
Oversee the acceptance, posting, and reconciliation of tuition and fee payments; ensure accurate account maintenance and reconciliation within the student information system and financial platforms.
Serve as the functional lead for the Jenzabar J1 student information system as it relates to student accounts, including configuration, reporting, troubleshooting, and process optimization.
Oversee the administration and integration of Cashnet for online payments, payment plans, and refund processing, ensuring system integrity, PCI compliance, and operational efficiency.
Utilize advanced Excel skills for reconciliation, financial modeling, audit preparation, regulatory reporting, and data analysis to inform decision-making and institutional planning.
Ensure compliance with FERPA, Title IV cash management regulations, IRS 1098-T reporting requirements, PCI standards, and other applicable federal, state, and institutional regulations governing student accounts and bursar operations.
Develop, document, and maintain strong internal controls, policies, and procedures to safeguard institutional assets and ensure audit readiness.
Collaborate closely with Financial Aid, the Registrar's Office, Admissions, and Finance to address billing impacts related to aid eligibility, disbursements, registration activity, enrollment changes, SAP outcomes, and special circumstances.
Maintain effective cross-functional communication with campus partners including Financial Aid, Registrar, Admissions, Housing, Student Life, Athletics, academic departments, and Finance to support a seamless student financial experience.
Identify and resolve complex student account issues that involve multiple offices, policies, or systems, exercising sound judgment, discretion, and institutional awareness.
Lead continuous improvement initiatives to enhance billing accuracy, service delivery, documentation, communication strategies, and staff effectiveness.
Demonstrate experience creating efficient workflows and improving business processes to reduce manual effort, eliminate redundancies, and strengthen service consistency across student-facing operations.
Identify, recommend, and implement automated processes and system enhancements that improve accuracy, timeliness, compliance, and the student experience.
Support appropriate exploration and use of AI-enabled tools in student services and administrative processing, with an emphasis on efficiency, service quality, data stewardship, and responsible operational application.
Oversee reporting, audits, and compliance reviews related to student accounts and serve as the primary contact for internal and external audit inquiries.