Senior Associate Director, Operations and 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 Assistant Dean of Financial Aid, the Senior Associate Director, Operations assists in the day-to-day Financial Aid operations for the MBA, MS, Ph.D., and EMBA programs at Columbia Business School. The Financial Aid Office handles over $90 million in loans and scholarships annually. The Senior Associate Director of Operations will maintain the financial aid database and manage all data integration throughout the University. This will include collaboration with relevant offices in the Business School and the University, and perform other related duties as assigned. The incumbent is expected to manage multiple projects with changing deadlines under varied time constraints while maintaining data integrity for the office.

About Columbia Business School

For over a century, Columbia Business School has helped develop leaders and builders of enterprises who drive value for their stakeholders and society at large through our MBA, MS, PhD, and Executive Education programs. We are equally committed to cultivating new scholars and teachers and to creating and disseminating pathbreaking knowledge, concepts, and tools that advance the understanding and practice of management through our faculty research and PhD programs.

Our vision is simple : to develop ideas and leaders that transform the world-from the very center of business. Our ever-evolving curriculum - featuring pioneering courses, STEM certification, and immersive experiential learning -prepares students to excel in key areas such as digital transformation, entrepreneurship, and innovation, twenty-first century finance, the intersection of business and society, and climate and sustainability. The CBS administration enables CBS's educational and scholarly mission through strategic and operational guidance and support, optimizing School resources through well-designed, transparent processes with a culture of respect for all.

Responsibilities

Technology and Data Management

Leverages technologies to create, maintain, and enhance workflow processes, develop and optimize queries for cyclical use and for ad-hoc requests, ensuring efficiency and accuracy in data handling. Maintain and update dashboard reports.

Oversees and fulfills data requests using Slate, PowerFAIDS, Excel, and available reporting tools. Provides accurate and timely data to stakeholders while ensuring data integrity across all platforms.

Assist with maintaining the awards data set, competitors dataset, the need-based application process, student experience portal, appeal process, and the scholarship matching portal.

Develop a sustainable financial aid packaging process across all programs.

Oversees the bill testing process for all programs at the start of each term.

Responsible for staying current with industry knowledge and training of other office staff on all Financial Aid systems as needed.

Compliance and Policy Application

Update and monitor reporting tools for regular internal audits.

Provides supporting documentation for internal University compliance requests.

Documents technical responsibilities and maintains the office's policy and procedures manual.

Stakeholder Engagement

Liaises with the central offices of Student Financial Services, University Financial Aid, and the Office of the Registrar for the resolution of systems issues, loan origination, disbursement issues, and student billing problems.

Trains and supervises staff on Financial Aid best practices and other administrative procedures.

Assists with other activities such as reporting and monitoring, and special projects as needed.

Student Support

Counsels and advises prospective and current students on Financial Aid policies and procedures, Financial Aid programs, eligibility criteria, application procedures, costs, repayment plans, and related issues, providing individualized information to meet the needs and situation of each student.

Provides support as needed for processing private loan applications, adjustments, reconciliation, and returns for 2,000+ students.

Assists with the processing of federal loan applications as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required. A minimum of 4-6 years of related experience is required.
• Must be exceptionally skilled in Excel and database management. Must be able to communicate effectively both verbally and written across all levels of the Business School and the University.
• Able to work independently, maintain confidentiality, make decisions under pressure, and exercise tact and diplomacy at all times.

Preferred Qualifications

• Proficiency with Slate and PowerFAIDS, including administration and report modules, is highly desirable.
• Ability to operate additional Financial Aid software programs and external systems (CSS Profile, COD, NSLDS, CPS, Drupal, ELM, etc.) and a web page content management system is highly desirable.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

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