Director of Student Financial Services, MnSCU Academic Supervisor 2

Minnesota State Community and Technical College•Moorhead, MN

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

Minnesota State Community and Technical College (M State) is seeking a Director of Student Financial Services to provide strategic leadership for a comprehensive student financial services ecosystem. This role integrates regulatory compliance, fiscal stewardship, strategic enrollment finance, student affordability, financial literacy, and student success. The Director will administer financial aid and student financial services programs, lead strategic innovation, and ensure compliance with federal, state, and institutional requirements. The position aims to transform financial aid administration into an integrated strategic financial ecosystem that supports access, recruitment, retention, completion, and institutional sustainability. The Director will also supervise staff, foster a collaborative team, and ensure clear, transparent, and empowering financial guidance for students, families, employees, and community stakeholders. The role emphasizes values such as access and opportunity, equity, inclusion and belonging, cultural competence, cultural responsive pedagogy & service, and community engagement, creating emotionally safe and culturally relevant educational environments.

Requirements

Minimum of three (3) years of experience in financial aid administration with demonstrated expertise in operations and compliance.
Extensive knowledge of federal and state financial aid regulations and experience managing financial aid operations, awarding processes, and compliance programs.
Demonstrated financial stewardship and budget oversight experience.
Familiarity with financial aid systems (e.g., Oracle, Salesforce, PowerFAIDS, ISRS data entry, processes, and reporting).
Ability to accurately and effectively communicate complex rules and regulations to diverse stakeholder groups with a commitment to equitable access and student success.
Experience using data to inform decisions and improve outcomes and the ability to assess, imagine, and design new programs and initiatives.
Exceptional skills in collaboration, communication, and change management, with experience in process improvement and automation and building partnerships across division.
Ability to maintain composure and make sound decisions in fast-paced or high-pressure situations.
Must have a propensity for detail, a concern for accuracy and demonstrate the ability to work with confidential materials and information.
Ability to exhibit intercultural competency and ability to work with diverse populations.

Nice To Haves

A master’s degree in finance, accounting, education, business, human services, or another related field may substitute for 18 months of experience; a bachelor’s degree finance, accounting, education, business, human services, or another related field may substitute for one year of experience; an associate’s degree finance, accounting, education, business, human services, or another related field may substitute for six months of experience.
A bachelor's or master's degree in finance, accounting, education, business, human services, or another related field.
Five years of progressively responsible experience in higher education, including financial aid administration, enrollment management, admissions, or student affairs and supervising staff or leading teams.
Extensive experience in the development, documentation, and implementation of policies and procedures.
Experience working in a collective bargaining environment.
Experience working within the Minnesota State system or a similar multi-campus public higher education system.

Responsibilities

Serve as the Director of the Financial Aid Department, directing and administering financial aid and student financial services programs to ensure effective, compliant, and student-centered delivery of services.
Lead and ensure regulatory compliance, governance, and fiscal stewardship of all financial services systems.
Manage the daily operations of financial aid delivery systems, including awarding, disbursement, verification, and reconciliation processes.
Ensure ongoing compliance with Title IV regulations, FAFSA administration, return-to-title calculations, satisfactory academic progress, verification, reconciliation, and audit protocols.
Direct and oversee institutional compliance with all applicable federal, state, tribal, institutional, and accreditation regulations related to financial aid, scholarships, grants, loans, veteran benefits, work-study, tuition payment systems, and student financial support.
Oversee fiscal controls, budget alignment, reconciliation systems, and stewardship of institutional resources.
Systematically monitor, evaluate, and project the use and expenditures of all aid funds, ensuring effective utilization and full compliance with appropriate regulations, policies and procedures.
Prepare and submit accurate and timely applications for loan, grant and work funds to federal, state institutional and agency funding sources.
Monitor legislative and regulatory developments and translate them into operational and strategic institutional responses.
Develop, maintain, and continuously improve policies, procedures, controls, and governance frameworks and translate institutional mission into financial systems and strategies.
Lead audit preparation, response, corrective action planning, and risk mitigation.
Collaborate with executive leadership, enrollment, admissions, business office, student affairs, academics, advancement, workforce development, and community partners to align financial aid strategies, optimize the student financial experience, and ensure coordinated support from recruitment through completion.
Advance equity and access by ensuring financial aid policies, practices, and services reduce barriers and support diverse student populations and workforce pathways while strengthening student success and institutional effectiveness.
Perform supervisory responsibilities including reviewing applications, interviewing, hiring, conducting probationary reviews, making decisions regarding certifications and promotions, conducting performance evaluations, and taking corrective and disciplinary action.
Create and approve position descriptions, employment status changes, and transfers.
Direct and orient new employees, provide training, coaching, and performance feedback, set clear performance expectations, and assign, review, approve or deny completed work.
Approve time records, as well as vacation and sick leave requests.
Ensure collective bargaining agreements and MnSCU policies and procedures are implemented and appropriately enforced.
Develop annual budget requests to support personnel, training, and professional development needs.
Prepare annual goals and objectives to guide department operations, improve efficiency, and align with institutional initiatives and student success efforts.
Design, implement, and continuously revise a strategic financial communications framework spanning the full student lifecycle from prospect through alumni transition.
Map and improve every financial communication touchpoint from prospecting to repayment readiness.
Partner with Enrollment Management, Admissions, Student Success, Business Office, Marketing, and Communications to align messaging into a unified financial journey.
Revise award letters, financial instructions, payment communications, and support resources for clarity, transparency, accessibility, and strategic effectiveness.
Develop community-facing educational opportunities including FAFSA workshops, parent and family financial planning sessions, scholarship readiness programs, community budgeting and educational financing workshops, and adult learner and workforce learner financial literacy initiatives.
Use CRM, data segmentation, and communication analytics to improve effectiveness across diverse populations.
Develop and continuously refine strategic financial aid leveraging models that support recruitment, conversion, affordability, and persistence.
Partner closely with enrollment management, admissions, finance, institutional research, and executive leadership to align aid strategies with institutional priorities.
Lead scholarship optimization strategies that maximize mission alignment and student opportunity while responsibly stewarding resources.
Analyze tuition discounting, net tuition revenue, demographic trends, FAFSA completion, and yield indicators.
Build predictive models that evaluate financial barriers, student decision-making, enrollment elasticity, and stop-out risk.
Support institutional strategic planning related to changing demographics, market conditions, workforce pathways, and financial competitiveness.
Ensure financial services functions as a strategic contributor to organizational resilience.
Design and lead a student-centered financial ecosystem that supports not only enrollment but long-term persistence, completion, and life readiness.
Ensure equitable, student-centered financial counseling and support systems.
Expand financial literacy, budgeting, debt awareness, scholarship literacy, and repayment education.
Develop proactive intervention systems for financially vulnerable students.
Support students and families through increasingly transparent and accessible communication.
Promote financial wellness as an essential component of student success.
Oversee SIS, CRM, automation, digital communication tools, and service delivery systems and improve workflow efficiency and remove unnecessary barriers.
Build technologically modern systems that improve accessibility and responsiveness and lead redesign of processes that impact student navigation and service quality.
Develop dashboards and performance indicators to monitor effectiveness.
Support for campus and college operations such as registration events, Spartan Welcome Days, Commencement.
Serve on campus, college and community committees as assigned, approved and appropriate that seek to enhance the student experience.
Other related duties as assigned by the Associate Vice President of Recruitment & Retention.

Benefits

Low-cost medical and dental insurance with affordable deductibles
Employer-paid life insurance
Short- and long-term disability
Pre-tax healthcare and dependent care accounts with a roll-over option
Confidential Employee Assistance Program (EAP) for mental health, legal, and financial counseling
12 paid holidays
Generous vacation and sick time
Six weeks of Paid Parental Leave
Pension Plan
457(b) and 403(b) retirement accounts
Various investment options
Dedicated professional development
Tuition waivers for both you and your dependents