Senior Associate Director of Financial Aid

The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The above hiring range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.

Position Summary

Reporting to the Director of Financial Aid, the Senior Associate Director of Financial Aid is responsible for the management of external grants, scholarships, and institutional fellowships provided to graduate students in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences (GSAS); the implementation of University and school policies related to graduate student aid, institutional and external fellowships and grants; and advises students regarding federal aid programs, particularly those authorized by Title IV of the Higher Education Act.

Responsibilities

Institutional and Federal Aid (50%)

• Manages an assigned financial aid portfolio of departments and programs; disburses, tracks, analyzes, and reconciles graduate student aid from external and institutional sources; maintains accurate records of internal and external fellowships awarded to graduate students.
• Serves as the main point of contact for departmental leadership and students in assigned departments / programs with respect to student financial aid and academic appointments.
• Facilitates compliance with federal, state, University, and school financial aid regulations and assists in the interpretation of these policies for faculty, students, and departmental administrators.
• Approves salary distributions, cost transfers, and additional compensation transactions.
• Serves as primary contact for institutes and centers regarding all financial aid issues; in coordination with other financial aid officers, processes all aid to doctoral students awarded by these units, including summer stipends.
• In close collaboration with administrators in the School of International and Public Affairs as well as the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning, and Preservation, disburses, tracks, analyzes, and reconciles doctoral financial aid.

Account Reconciliation (30%)

• Ensures the timely reconciliation of student accounts and reconciles GSAS financial aid records against actuals; works closely with departmental administrators, Directors of Graduate Studies, students, and various central offices, including Student Administrative Services, University Financial Aid, and the Office of the Registrar, to resolve issues related to financial aid, student compensation, student accounts, payments, and billing.
• Develops, produces, and analyzes reports to ensure data integrity across systems and compliance with University and GSAS financial aid policies; flags and resolves discrepancies, overpayments, and other data issues.

Data Stewardship (10%)

• Manages all aspects of GSAS's PowerFAIDs Administration Module, including the academic year set-up and submission to central administration; development and review of periods of enrollment and term budgets; construction of algorithms, packaging formulas, rules, and other tools; creation and approval of selection sets; and batch posting data.
• Updates and maintains content on the Office of Financial Aid website. Reviews, writes, and edits text as required. Serves as liaison between GSAS Offices of Financial Aid and Communications.

Other (10%)

• Processes and certifies federal loans for Ph.D. students as well as budget adjustment requests for federal and private loans; counsels doctoral students on the availability of federal funds and financing options; generates reports and monitors the receipt of such aid.
• Manages annual compliance reporting, including IPEDS, NYSED, and FISAP.
• Participates in University-wide Financial Aid community meetings and training, and attends various University-wide Financial Aid meetings.
• Keeps current with the latest trends in federal and state programs and federal financial aid legislation.
• Assists the Director with special projects and other related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required, and 6 years' financial aid experience or in a closely related field required.
• A strong analytical and quantitative background is essential.
• Demonstrated knowledge of Title IV programs, regulations, and loan certification required.
• Ability to multitask and accurately process high volumes of work with competing and often changing priorities is essential.
• Exceptional written, oral, interpersonal, and time management skills; demonstrated ability to deal effectively, tactfully, and professionally with a body of students, faculty, and staff; exceptional written, oral, interpersonal, managerial, and time-management skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently with a high degree of professional discipline, discretion, and student service orientation; superior analytical skills and excellent computing skills, including advanced Excel skills essential.

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of financial aid software and reporting is strongly preferred; proficiency with PowerFAIDS and experience with the Direct Loan program are highly desired.

Other Requirements

• To be considered for this position, applicants must provide a resume and cover letter.
• Finalists may be asked to provide a writing sample.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.