Assistant Director of Student Financial Aid - Kansas City Kansas Community College

 Assistant Director of Student Financial Aid

JOB CLASSIFICATION
Pay grade level: Grade 15
Compensation: $57,120 - $78,540. Compensation will be commensurate with education and experience.
Employee category: Staff
Department: Student Financial Aid
Reports to: Director of Student Financial Aid
FLSA status: Exempt
Job Code: SA051FTEASD
Location: Primarily Main Campus, but any other college location as assigned by the appropriate administrator
 

SUMMARY
The Assistant Director of Financial Aid is responsible for developing, administering, and managing the federal loan, financial aid customer service, and financial literacy programs in the Student Financial Office.

Student Financial Aid is a department within the Division of Student Affairs and Enrollment Management (SAEM). Reporting to the Director of Student Financial Aid, the Assistant Director ensures the high-quality execution and administration of customer service, compliance processes, and technology project management with colleagues across the College to support KCKCC’s mission and strategic priorities related to enrollment management, student success, and fostering a diverse and inclusive environment for all students.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

• Responsible for the development and execution of policies, procedures, data processing, and technology that support influential student financial aid best practices in alignment with the strategic priorities and goals of the College and student financial wellness.
• Responsible for the management and development of day-to-day activities of the Federal Direct Student Loan Program, including awarding, origination, reconciliation, and payment of Federal Direct Student Loans. Maintain knowledge of financial aid regulations that ensure compliance.
• Responsible for developing and managing entrance and exit loan counseling for the Federal Direct Loan programs, ensuring the accuracy and tracking of enrollment status changes and follow-up with student loan borrowers.
• In collaboration with the Director of Student Financial Aid, responsible for developing, implementing, and assisting with the day-to-day functional administration and compliance of the student financial aid functions of the Colleague student information system, and other associated systems.
• In collaboration with the Student Success Center and Office of Admissions, responsible for actively promoting student success and retention efforts. This includes, but is not limited to, providing personalized counseling to high-risk student populations, participating in student engagement events, and preparing outcomes data related to the College's strategic enrollment management priorities.
• Manage and maintain the information systems needed to administer the Federal Direct Loan programs at KCKCC.
• Responsible for facilitating and promoting financial literacy and student loan education programs that include, but are not limited to, the Student Connections service.
• Develop and monitor a student loan default management plan focused on retention best practices, the Fresh Start student loan default initiative, and annual student loan cohort default calculations data.
• In collaboration with Marketing and Institutional Image, develop, publish, and approve all written material regarding student loan processing, loan repayment, and student eligibility for KCKCC students, parents, and the public.
• Responsible for the training, supervising, and supporting of the Loan Specialist and the Customer Service Specialist in the Office of Student Financial Aid.
• Represent the Director in meetings/events and oversee operations when needed.
• Keep abreast of national trends by attending workshops and conferences, maintaining appropriate memberships, and other professional development opportunities.
• As assigned, consult with national, regional, state, and local organizations promoting best practices in student financial aid services.
• Other duties as assigned by the Director of Student Financial Aid and the Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management, aligned with College and SAEM strategic priorities and goals.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

• Possess strong written and oral communication skills.
• Must demonstrate an understanding of the role of student financial aid programs, services, and compliance at the community college level.
• Demonstrates core practice skills such as active listening, open-ended questions, summarizing, and reframing.
• Creates a welcoming and trusting environment that engages students, placing the student's unique experiences at the center of the work.
• Fosters agency through developmental advising practices that encourage self-efficacy, self-determination, self-advocacy, and accountability.
• Have a demonstrated in-depth knowledge of a diverse and broad range of student financial aid programs, services, resources, and relevant guidelines to ensure student access to services.
• The capacity to represent the College at local agencies/organizations activities and group meetings.
• Must demonstrate a commitment to and ability to work with a diverse student, faculty, and staff population.
• Must demonstrate a commitment to inclusive practices that promote social justice and equity.
• High energy, self-starter who can work with minimal supervision.
• Ability to develop and maintain excellent working relationships and establish credibility with all levels of the organization's students, faculty, and staff.
• Detail-oriented.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office 365 applications.
• Ability to manage several projects with multiple deadlines simultaneously.
• Must not have any unresolved financial issues with the U. S. Department of Education that would prohibit the ability to obtain National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) access immediately.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in education, counseling, student development, social work, or a related field.
• Four (4) years of progressively responsible experience working in a post secondary institutional setting with at least two (2) years of student financial aid experience.
• May not be in default on a federal student loan and/or owe an over-payment on any federal student aid.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Master's degree in education, counseling, student development, social work, or a related field or certified Financial Aid Administrator credential through the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA).
• Two (2) years of supervisory experience in a post secondary institutional setting.
• Demonstrated experience working with student financial aid strategies to support student persistence and success.
• Experience working within a community or two-year college setting.
• Experience within a higher education institution working with a student population with a highly diverse, first-generation, and financially fragile population.
• Multilingual writing and speaking proficiency.

WORKING CONDITIONS
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to stand, talk, hear, walk, sit, and occasionally push or lift items. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

WORK SCHEDULE
Assigned 40-hour work week during Monday – Friday 8:00 A.M. - 6:00 P.M. Must be able to work a variable schedule/hour to meet operational needs. May require evening and weekend hours.

***This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee occupying this position. Employees will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties requested by their supervisor. This job description may be revised upon development of other duties and changes in responsibilities.

KCKCC is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Educational Institution