Senior Assistant Director for Financial Aid Operations and Student Experience

UNC-Chapel Hill•Chapel Hill, NC

5d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Office of Scholarships and Student Aid seeks an experienced financial aid professional to provide leadership for financial aid operational readiness, technology development, process improvement, and student experience initiatives. The role applies knowledge of financial aid regulations, program administration, and business processes to support accurate, timely, and compliant operations while using technology, automation, and project management to improve efficiency and student success. Working with financial aid leadership, including the Associate Director for Training and Summer Strategy, the position leads aid-year startup activities, regulatory implementation, and operational improvements. It coordinates updates to verification requirements, forms, procedures, and student-facing processes in response to federal, state, institutional, and University policy changes; maintains financial aid processing expertise; and provides operational support during peak periods. The role develops quality assurance practices to keep operations accurate, consistent, and responsive to changing requirements. The Senior Assistant Director supervises two staff members and leads operational projects, technology initiatives, and process improvement efforts. It manages project plans, timelines, assignments, and deliverables through Asana; coordinates work across processing, counseling, systems, communications, and training teams; establishes priorities; develops staff expertise; maintains documentation; and identifies ways to improve workflows, accountability, and operational effectiveness. As a functional expert in Slate CRM, the position develops and maintains queries, communications, automated workflows, forms, schedulers, and shared portals for financial aid administration and collaboration. It evaluates and implements technology solutions that streamline processes, improve data accuracy, reduce manual effort, and support compliance with changing regulations and business needs. The role partners with stakeholders to assess needs, design solutions, test functionality, and ensure technology resources remain effective and sustainable. The position leads efforts to improve student experiences across financial aid processes and digital interactions. It maintains accurate and accessible website content and student-facing resources; reviews communications for technical and regulatory accuracy; improves forms, surveys, and checklists; and develops targeted communications through Slate. In collaboration with office leadership, it promotes plain language, accessibility, usability, and consistency across student and staff experiences. The position offers flexibility for a hybrid work schedule.

Requirements

Strong oral and written communication skills.
Experience delivering high-quality service in a high-volume, fast-paced office environment.
Experience interpreting and explaining program policy and procedures in financial aid or student services at a college or university.
Ability to manage multiple ongoing priorities.
Ability to work independently and in a team environment in a professional manner.

Nice To Haves

Experience with Adobe Creative Suite, Microsoft Office, WordPress, Asana, Slate, Canva, and Microsoft Teams.
Financial aid processing experience using PeopleSoft.
Experience developing dynamic and engaging presentations.
Experience interpreting and understanding financial aid processing and regulations.

Responsibilities

Lead financial aid operational readiness, aid-year startup activities, regulatory implementation, and operational improvements.
Coordinate updates to verification requirements, forms, procedures, and student-facing processes in response to federal, state, institutional, and University policy changes.
Maintain financial aid processing expertise and provide operational support during peak periods.
Develop quality assurance practices and ensure operational processes are accurate, consistent, and responsive to changing requirements.
Supervise two staff members and lead operational projects, technology initiatives, and process improvement efforts.
Manage project plans, timelines, assignments, and deliverables through Asana.
Coordinate work across processing, counseling, systems, communications, and training teams; establish priorities; develop staff expertise; and maintain documentation.
Identify opportunities to improve workflows, accountability, and operational effectiveness.
Develop and maintain Slate CRM queries, communications, automated workflows, forms, schedulers, and shared portals.
Evaluate and implement technology solutions that streamline processes, improve data accuracy, reduce manual effort, and support regulatory compliance and business needs.
Partner with stakeholders to assess needs, design solutions, test functionality, and maintain effective, sustainable technology resources.
Improve student experiences across financial aid processes and digital interactions.
Maintain accurate and accessible website content and student-facing resources; review communications for technical and regulatory accuracy; and improve forms, surveys, and checklists.
Develop targeted communications through Slate and promote plain language, accessibility, usability, and consistency across student and staff experiences.