Job Details

Director of Student Financial Services Systems
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Position Number: 1801088
Location: Boston, MA
Position Type: Business and Financial Management

Director of Student Financial Services Systems

About Northeastern:
Founded in 1898, Northeastern is a global research university and a world leader in experiential learning. The same commitment to connecting with the world drives our use-inspired research enterprise. The university offers a comprehensive range of undergraduate and graduate programs leading to degrees through the doctorate in nine colleges and schools. Our campuses in Charlotte, N.C., San Francisco, Seattle, and Toronto are regional platforms for undergraduate and graduate learning and collaborative research. Northeastern pursues advanced research in security and materials at the Innovation Campus in Burlington, Massachusetts, and in coastal sustainability at the Marine Science Center in Nahant, Massachusetts.

About the Opportunity:
The Director of Student Financial Services Systems provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for the Student Financial Services unit in the technology related realm. He/she will position Student Financial Services as an industry leader in higher education finance and student service by leveraging the university, corporate partnerships and locations regionally, nationally, and globally. The Director is responsible for determining and managing the business and market fit for key technology initiatives and competitive programs, and creates a vision from the initial program idea to execution.

Working within a broad accountability framework, the Director of Student Financial Services Systems optimizes use of technology and digital tactics to improve customer experience, leading to greater acquisition, satisfaction, service, and retention of customers; identifies new technology/customer experience strategies and drives cross-channel implementation; acts as internal consultant to other departments regarding technology strategy, best practices, security, and overall customer experience; leads complex technical projects with cross-functional impact and leadership visibility; develops and implements analytics and performance metrics for internal and external processes; provides critical training and professional development programming relating to service technology and personalized experience tools; and provides budgetary management for Student Financial Services technology.

The Director of Student Financial Services System is responsible for all Student Financial Services Systems, including the operation of PowerFAIDS and Banner, client-server financial aid and student account systems accessed daily by nearly 100 professional, support, and auxiliary staff to service over 100,000 students and applicants annually. As a key member of the Student Financial Services management team, the Director is primary responsibility for ensuring that PowerFAIDS, Banner and all source and related systems are used optimally and effectively to support the myriad inquiry, reporting, coding and data needs of the University's Student Financial Services operations.

The University manages more than $550million in institutional, federal, state and private aid funds through the PowerFAIDS system and additionally manages approximately $1.8 billion in various student billings through Banner, requiring the Director to code and maintain business logic that conforms to the complex and dynamic regulatory environment inherent in government-sponsored aid programs. The Director, working with the Dean and Senior Directors of Financial Aid and Sr. Director of Student Accounts, will translate the aid leveraging strategy from the Enrollment Management team into the business logic that drives the packaging formulas that deliver student awards. Any error in this code could mean a budget overrun or a loss of student enrollment/retention due to an uncompetitive aid package. Other responsibilities include, but are not limited to: coding for student communications, student budgets, counselor caseload and funds monitoring. Additionally the Director will collaborate with the student account team and various campus, College and location partners to ensure the billing and student accounting activities are maintained in a highly complex environment.

The Director of Student Financial Services Systems must understand currently laws, regulations and guidance related to the federal student aid programs and be able to interpret new requirements and successfully implement systems and business processes that are in full compliance.

The Director of Student Financial Services Systems supports the multiple units operating within the Student Financial Services unit; Undergraduate and Graduate Day, College of Professional Studies, School of Law, Student Accounts, the Center for Financial Independence and the Center for the Advancement of Veterans and Servicemembers are all served by the central Student Financial Services systems office, and each unit has unique calendars, data/reporting requirements, and business logic. The Director plays a key role in ensuring that the needs - technical, functional, and temporal - of each unit are addressed fully and implemented effectively within PowerFAIDS, Banner and all University systems.

The Director serves as the first line of inquiry within Student Financial Services for issues relating to network and server support for PowerFAIDS and Banner. This person works closely, as well, with the Enrollment Management/PAN systems group to ensure that technology problems within the aid office are quickly and effectively resolved.

Responsibilities:
The Director is responsible for, and directs staff members efforts on, purchasing, installation and maintenance of all Student Financial Services computing equipment

The Director approves the release and installation of all annual upgrades of the PowerFAIDS software after rigorous and comprehensive testing. In addition, they conduct PowerFAIDS training for new and continuing staff as appropriate.
The Director is responsible for all interfaces with PowerFAIDS and coordinates import and export of data with Information Technology Services, Enrollment Management/PAN systems and other key University Contacts.

The Director, working with the Director of Student Employment, maintains the Job and Timesheet X student employment system and coordinates all import and exports of data, student and supervisor access, and reconciliation of data.

The Director serves as a Student Financial Services management team member and, along with the other Student Financial Services managers, acts on behalf of the Dean to design, implement and monitor staff progress on projects which include all aspects of student financial aid delivery.

The Director, working with the Assistant Director for Administration and Communication, ensures that Student Financial Services uses all available technology and social media outlets to effectively communicate with prospective, current and former Northeastern students.

Qualifications:

Bachelor's degree required; advance degree preferred.
At least 6 years business/technical Experience required.
Prior experience with a recent version of the PowerFAIDS and Banner products is critical as is prior experience in Financial Aid and Student Accounts preferably in a private institution.
Knowledge of federal regulations and requirements for compliance, experience with complex, institutional awarding strategies and expertise with state/federal funding processes.
An understanding of econometric modeling and other relevant statistical tools preferred
A proven understanding of the dynamics of a complex and culturally diverse university community.
Strong interpersonal, written and oral communication skills as well as demonstrated creative and analytical abilities.
Strong compliance and business process skills are a plus.

Salary Grade:
14

Additional Information:

Northeastern University is an equal opportunity employer, seeking to recruit and support a broadly diverse community of faculty and staff. Northeastern values and celebrates diversity in all its forms and strives to foster an inclusive culture built on respect that affirms inter-group relations and builds cohesion.

All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

To learn more about Northeastern University's commitment and support of diversity and inclusion, please see www.northeastern.edu/diversity.

To apply, visit https://careers.pageuppeople.com/879/cw/en-us/job/502597