Financial Aid Systems Specialist

Fort Lewis College

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Financial Aid Systems Specialist serves as the primary functional and technical expert for the institution’s financial aid systems, primarily PowerFAIDS and its integration with Workday as the Student Information System (SIS). This role is crucial for ensuring financial aid systems, workflows, data, and reports support student success, regulatory compliance, and operational efficiency. Housed within the Information Technology department, the position reports to the Administrative Information Systems Manager but takes significant functional direction from the Director of Financial Aid to align system configurations and enhancements with financial aid policies, processes, and regulatory requirements. The specialist acts as a key liaison between IT, Financial Aid, and system vendors, translating business requirements into effective system solutions and serving as a subject-matter expert for financial aid system functionality. The role involves PowerFAIDS administration and support, report writing, cross-functional collaboration, training, documentation, and communication, while maintaining knowledge of digital accessibility standards.

Requirements

Minimum of two years supporting enterprise systems, databases, workflow-driven applications, or related work experience.
Two or more years of experience with financial aid business processes and higher education administrative environments.
Experience with report writing, data extracts, or SQL-based reporting tools.
Strong analytical, problem-solving, and organizational skills.
Thrives in a team-oriented, service-focused environment.
Ability to interact effectively with a wide variety of people, including forming strong working relationships with both internal and external constituencies.
Excellent communication skills and attention to detail.
Proven Ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines in a collaborative team environment.
Experience creating system documentation and delivering user training.

Nice To Haves

Experience working with PowerFAIDS.
Experience supporting Workday or other SaaS-based applications and integrations in a higher education setting.
Experience serving as a functional liaison between IT and a business office.
Familiarity with financial aid lifecycle processes, including ISIR processing, packaging, awarding, disbursement, verification, and SAP.
Proficiency with financial aid web systems including the Student Aid Internet Gateway (SAIG), the Common Origination and Disbursement website (COD), National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS), and Financial Aid Administrator Access (FAA Access).
Familiarity with object-oriented programming, system integrations, and API/web services.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary, hands-on administrator of PowerFAIDS, ensuring system configuration, stability, and ongoing optimization.
Manage PowerFAIDS setup related to packaging, awarding, disbursement, verification, SAP, notifications, and workflows.
Troubleshoot functional and system issues, coordinating resolution with IT colleagues, vendors, and Financial Aid staff.
Support testing and implementation of PowerFAIDS upgrades, patches, and regulatory updates.
Monitor data accuracy, integrity, and security within PowerFAIDS and across system integrations.
Design, develop, and maintain standard and ad hoc reports within PowerFAIDS and related reporting tools to support: Student Success, Operational processing, Compliance monitoring and audits, Leadership decision-making.
Partner with Financial Aid leadership to define report requirements and ensure data outputs meet college and regulatory needs.
Analyze financial aid data to identify trends, anomalies, and process improvement opportunities.
Serve as the primary liaison between Financial Aid, Information Technology, and external system vendors.
Translate financial aid business requirements into technical specifications and collaborate with IT on solution design and implementation.
Participate in cross-departmental projects related to financial aid, student systems, data governance, and compliance.
Stay current on federal, state, and institutional financial aid regulations and advise stakeholders on system impacts.
Develop and maintain comprehensive system and process documentation, including user guides, workflow documentation, and standard operating procedures.
Provide training and ongoing support for Financial Aid staff on PowerFAIDS functionality, workflows, and report usage.
Communicate system changes, enhancements, and known issues clearly and effectively to stakeholders.
Support change management efforts related to new functionality, regulatory updates, or process changes.
Maintains knowledge and awareness of digital accessibility including the American with Disabilities Act and Section 508.
Produces and remediates digitally accessible materials in accordance with FLC standards.
Other duties as assigned.