Financial Aid Systems Analyst: Systems and Automation

Saint Mary's University of Minnesota•Minneapolis, MN

8d•$55,000 - $65,000

About The Position

Saint Mary's University of Minnesota is seeking candidates who are eager to contribute to its Lasallian Catholic mission of awakening, nurturing, and empowering learners to ethical lives of service and leadership. We invite individuals to help transform lives through education, inspired by the Catholic Intellectual Tradition’s quest to understand the human experience through faith and reason and its embrace of all who are dedicated to learning from one another through authentic conversations in search of the truth. We are especially interested in and give preference to candidates who demonstrate a vision to create and nurture initiatives that will advance our mission within the scope of their duties and who will foster a culture of dialogue that, with respect for all people, supports the search for meaning and purpose in pursuit of excellence. Job Summary The Financial Aid Systems Analyst: Systems and Automation serves as the primary technical leader for the Financial Aid Office and the key lieutenant to the Director for all system-related operations. This position is the institution’s subject matter expert (SME) for Jenzabar Financial Aid (JFA) and is responsible for designing, configuring, testing, and maintaining the automated rules, packaging logic, workflows, and data integrations that drive financial aid awarding. This role ensures that financial aid processing is accurate, compliant, efficient, and aligned with institutional goals by translating regulatory requirements into system logic and functioning as the primary liaison to Information Technology. The Systems Analyst also provides high-level guidance to staff on technical processes, data integrity, loan systems, and backend troubleshooting. This role exercises significant independent judgment in translating complex federal regulations into automated system logic, ensuring the department’s technical infrastructure is robust, compliant, and scalable. While other staff members may focus more on counseling, professional judgment, and relational case management, this position anchors the technical, operational, and automation functions of the financial aid operation.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required
Minimum of 2 years of experience in student financial aid.
Technical & Analytical Skills Demonstrated ability to configure algorithmic packaging rules, manage academic years, and troubleshoot backend errors in a financial aid system (JFA/Jenzabar strongly preferred).
Strong understanding of data structures, file transmissions, system integration concepts, and batch processing.
Advanced proficiency in creating and managing Population Selections to drive batch processing and communications.
Ability to write basic to intermediate SQL queries for data validation and custom reporting.
High-level proficiency with Microsoft Excel, including pivot tables and complex formulas.
Financial Aid Knowledge Solid understanding of federal and state aid regulations, loan programs, R2T4, SAP, and compliance requirements.
Experience with federal systems including COD, NSLDS, EdConnect, and related platforms.
Leadership & Communication Ability to serve as a trusted technical adviser to the Director and as a mentor to staff on system-related functions.
Strong communication skills, including the ability to explain complex technical processes to non-technical colleagues.
Ability to organize, prioritize, and independently manage multiple complex projects in a dynamic environment.
Commitment to serving a diverse student population with professionalism and empathy.

Nice To Haves

Minimum of 5 years of higher education administration experience, including at least 2 years in financial aid system operations, technical processing, or aid automation (strongly preferred)
Experience with Jenzabar/JFA or another enterprise-level financial aid management system (strongly preferred)
Candidates with significant comparable systems experience—particularly in configuring complex rules, workflow automation, data integrations, or SIS/ERP environments—and a demonstrated capacity to rapidly learn financial aid regulations and processes will also be considered.
Experience using data analytics to identify trends, test logic, and evaluate aid-leveraging strategies; familiarity with regression or predictive modeling is preferred.

Responsibilities

Serve as the institution’s technical expert for Jenzabar Financial Aid [JFA], including configuration, maintenance, workflow design, and optimization
Build, configure, test, and validate automated packaging logic, algorithmic rules, budget structures, and eligibility calculations for all academic years and student populations
Conduct system testing and quality assurance for awarding, disbursements, and communications prior to mass awarding
Design and maintain automated workflows, population selections, and batch processes to maximize efficiency and reduce manual intervention
Identify system improvements, coordinate enhancements with It and Jenzabar, and lead implementation of new features or regulatory updates
Ensure accuracy of all financial aid–related data between SIS, JFA, COD, NSLDS, EdConnect, and other integrated platforms
Oversee the origination, disbursement, reconciliation, and reporting of Federal Direct Loans, Pell/TEACH Grants, State Grant programs, MN SELF, and private loans
Manage timely and compliant transmission of Direct Loan data files (COD), including troubleshooting rejected records and ensuring full reconciliation each term
Design and oversee the automated logic for R2T4 and SAP; provide high-level audit support to ensure system-generated outcomes match federal regulatory requirements.
Conduct semester Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) processing and notifications
Partner closely with Information Technology to diagnose and resolve system issues, identify root causes, and implement long-term solutions
Act as the primary translator between Financial Aid policy and IT technical specifications, ensuring that IT-led projects (e.g., SQL server updates or API integrations) do not disrupt aid delivery.
Collaborate with the Business Office, Registrar, Student Central, Academic Advising, and other departments to ensure seamless student support and operational alignment
Contribute to annual audits, compliance reviews, and reporting requirements
Provide high-level technical guidance to Financial Aid team members, particularly on system-driven processes, loan processing, and data corrections
Support staff in resolving complex loan-related questions, adjustments, or troubleshooting needs.
Review financial aid application data (in context of system rules) and ensure awarding aligns with federal methodology and institutional policy
Occasionally counsel students regarding aid eligibility and financial planning, as needed
Participate in the Professional Judgment Committee when technical insight is required
Maintain current knowledge of federal and state regulations, especially as related to system and data compliance
Contribute to a student-oriented, process-efficient financial aid office
Perform other duties as assigned that support the mission and operational excellence of the Financial Aid Office

Benefits

Saint Mary’s offers a comprehensive benefit package including health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance, flexible spending, retirement pension plan, and both undergraduate and graduate tuition remission plans.

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