Assistant Director, Financial Aid Counseling Services

Primary Purpose:
The Assistant Director, Financial Aid Counseling Services reports to the Associate Director, Counseling Services and manages the day to day operations of the financial aid counseling team. Serves as lead to oversee review of student and parent financial aid documents, independent status, eligibility for financial assistance, and determines appropriate financial aid for special programs, as assigned, utilizing comprehensive knowledge of federal, state, and University regulations, guidelines and policies. Oversees and manages counseling team to ensure the business needs of the operation are met.

Essential Functions:
1. Manages and coordinates training of the financial aid counseling team regarding financial aid advising methods, procedures, regulations, and techniques. Supervises a team of four - six financial aid counselors.

2. Primary resource for the daily operations of the counseling area including preparation of monthly counseling schedule, monitoring daily operations to ensure timely response to phone calls, emails, walk-in traffic, et cetera.

3. Manages and supervises student workers. Prepares work schedules for student workers as well as the Peer Counseling student workers.

4. Oversees Peer Counseling program providing in-depth training to participating students.

5. Partners with the Associate Director of Counseling to process student athletic awarding in compliance with NCAA and Title IV regulations.

6. Manages student and parent requests for Special Circumstances reviews.

7. Analyzes complex student and parent applications and financial documents.

8. Direct responsibility for managing over $800,000 and 400 recipients of outside scholarships.

9. Oversees financial aid for special academic programs.

10. Creates and authorizes appropriate aid packages based on students circumstances, appeal and/or Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) utilizing Professional Judgement.

11. May be required to participate in high school, community college and various outreach activities.

Minimum Qualifications:
Bachelors degree; or equivalent combination of education, experience, and training.
Minimum three (3) years of increasing responsibility in financial aid student counseling, financial aid awarding or managing financial aid programs.

Preferred Qualifications:
Works independently without direct supervision.
Comprehensive working knowledge and ability to interpret and apply federal, state and University financial aid regulations, policies, and procedures.
Ability to lead, organize and review the work of financial aid counseling team.
Knowledge and ability to independently reach difficult decisions utilizing professional judgment.
Ability to identify and defuse conflict in difficult situations.
Financial aid experience analyzing and evaluating; ability to make complex decisions regarding financial aid applications and documents.
Excellent oral, written and customer service communication skills.
Positive attitude, proven ability to work successfully with diverse populations and demonstrated commitment to promote and enhance diversity and inclusion.
Skills needed to coordinate and organize multiple complex projects and tasks and the ability to manage competing deadlines.

Physical Requirements:
The physical demands described here are representative but not definitive of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Requires extended periods of sitting and repetitive hand/wrist motion while using computer keyboard and phone. Occasional standing, walking across campus, climbing stairs, bending, stooping and reaching. Occasional lifting up to 25 pounds.

Work Environment/Work Week/Travel:
Work performed during standard business hours; evenings, weekends and travel may be required.

Hiring Range: Commensurate with experience, exempt

Background Check Statement:
All applicants who receive a conditional offer of employment are required to execute a release and authorization for a background screening.

To apply, visit https://pacific.peopleadmin.com/postings/18250

University of the Pacific is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer dedicated to workforce diversity. In compliance with applicable law and its own policy, Pacific is committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse faculty and staff and does not discriminate in its hiring of faculty and staff, or in the provision of its employment benefits to its faculty and staff on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, genetic information, sex/gender, marital status, military and veteran status, sexual orientation, medical condition, pregnancy, gender identity, gender expression, or mental or physical disability.
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