Financial Aid Data Specialist

University of Maine System • Gorham, ME

4d • Onsite

About The Position

The University of Southern Maine (USM) is seeking a Financial Aid Data Specialist to join the Office of Student Financial Services. This role provides essential support for the programs, databases, reporting, and procedures that keep financial aid delivery running accurately and on time for USM students. It is a data- and systems-focused role where the specialist will work closely with the Senior Associate Director of Financial Aid Systems and collaborate with colleagues across the office, Institutional Research, and University of Maine System partners to build and maintain PeopleSoft queries, reports, and processes. Success in this role is defined by dependable, well-documented systems and reports that staff can trust. The Office of Student Financial Services administers over $75 million in aid annually and ensures accurate and timely awarding of grants, scholarships, and loans while maintaining compliance with complex regulations.

Requirements

• Associate's degree and at least three (3) years of professional experience, or an equivalent combination of academic and directly related professional work experience.
• Solid knowledge of relational database design, with the ability to read and understand database structures and infer how tables relate to applications and processes.
• Demonstrated working knowledge of Microsoft Office applications.
• Excellent analytical, organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills, with strong attention to detail.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and work both independently and as part of a team.
• Must be in, and maintain, good standing with all federal educational loans.

Responsibilities

• Create and maintain PeopleSoft queries for awarding financial aid funds accurately and monitoring compliance with federal, state, and institutional policies.
• Develop and maintain strong working knowledge of the PeopleSoft system and SQL to support data management, reporting, and system-related functions.
• Run routine PeopleSoft jobs, monitoring output for anomalies and errors, and assist with annual process setup for each financial aid year.
• Collaborate with the Office of Institutional Research on annual federal reporting projects.
• Provide internal financial aid reports to staff who manage special populations and programs.
• Send and receive sensitive student data securely through federal systems.
• Serve as a resource to staff on software, database structure, downloading protocols, query languages, and reporting tools, including training as needed.
• Represent the office at campus and University of Maine System meetings.

Benefits

• 13 paid holidays plus earned vacation time and sick time.
• Health, dental and vision insurance.
• Low-cost short-term disability insurance and employer-paid long-term disability insurance.
• Employer-paid basic life insurance and supplemental life insurance.
• A tuition waiver program for employees and their spouse or dependent child(ren).
• A 403(b)-retirement plan with employer contribution.
• Free access to the METRO system, including the Husky Line with service between our Portland and Gorham campuses.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: Associate degree