Description

Under the direction of an administrator or manager, plans, organizes, manages, and directs the day-to-day operations, workflow, and activities of the Financial Aid Office; performs advanced analytical review related to advising and packaging financial aid programs; oversees and coordinates technical and specialized resources based on emerging trends in student demographics and financial aid needs; oversees government agencies and organizations related to financial aid matters; participates in the determination of eligibility and awarding financial aid funds and grant resources; develops internal processes and comprehensive policies and procedures related to the area of assignment. 

College of the Siskiyous seeks applicants who possess the skills and qualities necessary to provide exceptional support to our diverse student body. We are committed to fostering an inclusive and equitable environment that reflects the richness of our community. If you share our commitment to social and racial justice and are passionate about creating a more equitable educational experience, we encourage you to apply.

 
Key Duties & Responsibilities
 

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

The Director, Financial Aid demonstrates specialized knowledge of financial aid programs and grants to develop and implement student-centered and fiscally accountable services, student eligibility, and financial aid delivery; administers local, state, and federal student financial aid and grants processing and mandated reporting; develops and implements financial aid policies, procedures, and processes to ensure compliance with federal, state, and institutional regulations

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

The following duties are typical for this classification. Incumbents may not perform all of the listed duties and/or may be required to perform additional or different duties from those set forth below to address business needs and changing business practices. Essential responsibilities are designated by *.

Directs, plans, organizes, and supervises assigned staff, activities, and operations of the Financial Aid and Veterans’ Office. *
Trains and evaluates assigned staff; monitors staff performance; partners with Human Resources (HR) in the review and evaluation process; resolves employee performance concerns referencing the appropriate collective bargaining agreement (CBA); recommends employee discipline up to and including termination, as appropriate. *

Participates in the district and college screening committee and hiring processes, including but not limited to recruitment, applicant screening, interview, selection, hiring, and onboarding of new staff; works with HR to complete and process new-hire paperwork in accordance with established policies and procedures. *

Develops, updates, and maintains a comprehensive policies and procedures manual in accordance with federal regulations and department and college policies. *
Creates, implements, and administers a quality control system to ensure compliance with federal and state regulations to minimize financial liability. *
Develops, updates, and disseminates communications to convey and describe financial aid programs and services in accordance with federal consumer information laws, including publications and forms. *

Oversees and manages the day-to-day operations of the Financial Aid department; creates, updates, and maintains the department’s master calendar; plans, organizes, and implements special projects; communicates department activities, events, deadlines, and timelines through a variety of sources, including but not limited to email distribution, correspondence, memoranda, webpage updates, and flyers. *

Analyzes, oversees, and provides quality control for verification of students’ eligibility for financial aid programs; prepares and processes financial aid awards to eligible students. *

Coordinates the provision of services with local agencies and organizations; reviews and identifies current and emerging technology needs; coordinates, assists, and executes automation projects for program improvements with Information Technology (IT) services, as needed. *

Determines and recommends college policies and procedures to enhance and increase the effectiveness of the college’s financial aid program; establishes criteria for packaging awards, evaluating efficiency, and reviewing and resolving issues and/or concerns. *

Extracts data and information, verifies accuracy of data, prepares and generates various mandated federal, state, and district financial aid reports. *

Participates in the district’s annual budget planning process; plans, prepares, and administers annual budget for the operation of the Financial Aid Office; assists administrator with Veterans’ Office budget. *

Plans and communicates financial aid disbursement schedules; generates cost of attendance; executes annual Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system financial aid setup. *

Tracks and monitors student academic progress for continued financial aid eligibility; reviews student appeals and special circumstances for consideration; reviews, verifies, corrects, and updates Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for approved appeals. *

Prepares, executes, and troubleshoots disbursement processes for all financial aid funds and generates payment records. *

Supervises maintenance and retention of confidential student files; ensures all electronic student financial aid records are extracted accurately and imported into the Student Information System (SIS); processes corrections, reports potential Pell recipients, reports Pell actual disbursements; updates and maintains records for the authorization, disbursement, and reconciliation of all federal, state, and local student aid and program funds; coordinates with outside departments to resolve financial aid issues. *

Reviews and evaluates student need; conducts follow-up studies on program effectiveness; prepares and disseminates information related to the college’s financial aid programs through the development of written materials and oral presentations.
Attends and participates in a variety of meetings, committees, trainings, workshops, and conferences including participatory governance committees and the accreditation process. *   

Performs related duties that support the overall objective of the position.

Requirements

Knowledge of: 

District and college policies, procedures, rules, and regulations related to the area of assignment.
Principles and practices of financial aid.
Laws, policies, rules, and regulations pertaining to various federal student aid programs.
Federal tax forms.
Database processes required for financial aid functions.
California Education Code related to the area of assignment.
Organizational operations, policies, and objectives.
General functions, policies, rules, and regulations of a community college.
Applicable codes, regulations, policies, procedures, and laws.
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
Record-keeping, record and file retrieval, filing, file sharing, and filing systems methods and techniques.
Effective communication skills, both verbally and in writing.
Modern office practices, procedures, and equipment.
Correct English usage, grammar, spelling, punctuation, and vocabulary. 
Interpersonal skills using tact, patience, and courtesy. 
Operation of computers, software programs and applications, and hardware peripherals.
Mathematic calculations.
Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint).