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UW Tacoma Enrollment Services invites candidates for the associate director of financial aid & scholarships. To be great in this role you must have a thorough understanding of the federal, state, and institutional practices, policies and laws governing financial aid. These policies can change quickly and often. The associate director must understand the impacts of these changes and explain these changes and their impacts to a diverse constituency.

Financial aid at the University of Washington is centrally administered through the UW-Seattle Office of Student Financial Aid. Policy, process, and system design for financial aid is decided centrally, except for UW Tacoma scholarship programs. Counseling functions and operational services are managed at the campus-level.

The associate director serves as the senior financial aid officer on the UW Tacoma campus and is responsible for the oversight, supervision, and management of a dynamic multifaceted campus-based financial aid office. In addition to directing three financial aid counselors, the associate director provides leadership and support in financial aid processing, compliance, and outreach. The associate director supports the local execution and delivery of centrally administered financial aid to UW Tacoma students and is responsible for the strategic use of scholarships to drive enrollment and support strategic enrollment management initiatives. The associate director is deeply committed to finding opportunities to ethically create access to higher education for historically underserved students.

The ideal candidate is:

policy driven, detail-focused, and ethically minded

a dedicated advocate and champion for historically underserved students

a creative problem solver interested in finding new ways to leverage information and systems

comfortable using data to make informed decisions about the application of aid and scholarships

a collaborative partner with a proven ability to build trust and rapport with colleagues

Essential Functions
Strategic Program Management (40%)

Manage a comprehensive and compliant program grounded in the ethical distribution of student financial aid

Ensure students are correctly awarded financial aid funds based on centrally established policies and practices

Continually monitor campus financial aid operations ensuring the integrity and confidentiality of financial and personal information

Strategically plan for and proactively address the financial needs of students in support of strategic enrollment initiatives

Develop and implement a model to award and distribute campus scholarship funds in support of student access

Working closely with university advancement partners, acquire and distribute scholarship funds according to donor guidelines

Develop programming and outreach initiatives to increase student awareness of financial aid processes among our diverse student-body including first-generation, low income, and other historically underserved student populations

In partnership with enrollment services marketing partners, develop robust communications to increase student awareness and understanding of financial aid and scholarships

Develop appropriate evaluation metrics and mechanisms that lead to continuous improvement of UW Tacoma financial aid operations and services

Leadership (30%)

As a senior member of the enrollment services team provide input and counsel to campus leadership on financial aid and scholarship related matters

Serve as a liaison and partner to educational partners and community organizations to provide financial aid information and education

Work closely with the Assistant Vice Chancellor of Enrollment Services on strategic enrollment management issues

Establish appropriate staffing, budget, technology, and operational support levels to meet student, university, and community financial aid and scholarship needs

Represent and advocate for UW Tacoma student interests in tri-campus conversations and proactively share information about the unique needs of UW Tacoma students

Serve on UW Tacoma committees and task forces that require a Financial Aid expert, collaborate with UW Seattle Financial Aid Office leaders, and serve as a member of the Enrollment Services Leadership Team

Develop and implement campus procedures and policies related to financial aid and scholarship functions including institutional policies and procedures, coordination of workshops and outreach activities, tuition waivers, distribution of emergency aid, and development initiatives

Provide guidance to the Financial Aid Office staff in the completion of daily duties and advise on the use of professional judgement for individual student cases, based on central policies and procedures

Provide guidance on the application of existing central award and file review policies

Supervision and Team Building (20%)

Responsible for the hiring, onboarding, training, and daily supervision of staff in financial aid and scholarships

Successfully lead staff through change and growth

Utilize appropriate data and reports to manage workloads and evaluate performance of staff

Student Advising and Other Duties (10%)

Provide individual counsel and advice to students and/or parents related to the full process of applying for, receiving, and utilizing financial aid and scholarships

Respond to and resolve escalated student issues as related to financial aid and scholarships

Process financial aid files, review appeals and make decisions based upon professional judgement

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS:

Bachelor's Degree in Public Policy, Public Administration, Communications, Business, Education, or a related field

Minimum of 5 years financial aid experience at an educational institution

Strong oral and written communication skills

Demonstrated commitment to and experience working with diverse populations

Strong organizational skills with the ability to prioritize tasks, use multiple systems, and effectively transition between tasks

Demonstrated experience and comfort interpreting complex policies and responding to procedural change

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Master’s Degree in related field

Demonstrated experience speaking publicly to diverse audiences of varying sizes

Demonstrated ability to coordinate cross-unit projects and initiatives

Knowledge and expertise in leveraging financial aid and scholarships as an enrollment strategy

Bilingual speaking ability

Demonstrated experience supervising and leading teams



Application Process:
The application process for UW positions may include completion of a variety of online assessments to obtain additional information that will be used in the evaluation process. These assessments may include Work Authorization, Cover Letter and/or others. Any assessments that you need to complete will appear on your screen as soon as you select “Apply to this position”. Once you begin an assessment, it must be completed at that time; if you do not complete the assessment you will be prompted to do so the next time you access your “My Jobs” page. If you select to take it later, it will appear on your "My Jobs" page to take when you are ready. Please note that your application will not be reviewed, and you will not be considered for this position until all required assessments have been completed.