Associate Director of Financial Aid

Associate Director of Financial Aid at Arkansas State University in State University, Arkansas, United States Job Description The Associate Director of Financial Aid for Technical Operations provides strategic and operational leadership for the technical infrastructure that supports the awarding, packaging, disbursement, and reporting of federal, state, and institutional financial aid. The incumbent serves as the office's primary technical authority, partnering closely with the Director of Financial Aid, Information Technology, the Registrar, Student Accounts, and Institutional Research to ensure that aid systems operate accurately, efficiently, and in full compliance with federal and state regulations. This position combines deep functional knowledge of financial aid administration with hands-on technical expertise in the Ellucian Banner Student Information System and structured query language (SQL).

Duties & Responsibilities:

Lead the technical configuration, maintenance, and continuous improvement of the Ellucian Banner Financial Aid module, including rules tables, packaging algorithms, need analysis parameters, fund management, and award letter automation. Manage the financial aid components of Course Program of Study (CPOS) compliance, including Banner CPOS module configuration, recalculation of federal aid eligibility based on CPOS-eligible enrollment, and related reporting and aid adjustments; partner with the Registrar's Office and Information Technology on degree audit integration and data exchange. Design, write, test, and maintain SQL queries, scripts, and stored procedures to support data extraction, reconciliation, federal and state reporting, audit response, and ad hoc analysis. Under the direction of the Director of Financial Aid, manage the full lifecycle of electronic data exchange with the U.S. Department of Education, including ISIR loads, COD reporting for Pell and Direct Loans, NSLDS submissions, and resolution of file rejects and reconciliation discrepancies. In partnership with the Director of Financial Aid, administer state grant and scholarship interfaces, ensuring accurate enrollment certification, eligibility determination, and timely transmission of state-mandated reports. Coordinate annual Banner roll-over activities, year-end processes, regulatory updates, and the implementation of new federal and state aid programs and rule changes. Serve as the office's technical liaison to Information Technology, vendors, and software partners on system upgrades, patches, integrations, and the evaluation of new technologies. Develop and maintain documentation, standard operating procedures, and internal controls for all technical processes, ensuring continuity of operations and audit readiness. Supervise, train, and evaluate technical operations staff; cultivate a culture of accuracy, accountability, and professional development. Support the Director of Financial Aid in strategic planning, policy development, and the preparation of materials for federal program reviews, state audits, and institutional accreditation. Respond to inquiries from students, families, and university stakeholders involving complex aid scenarios, system errors, or data discrepancies.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

Demonstrated experience writing and maintaining SQL queries against a Banner or comparable Oracle-based environment. • Working knowledge of federal Title IV regulations and applicable state aid program rules.

Preferred:

• Familiarity with SAMS (Scholarship Application Management System). • Experience with Argos or comparable reporting tools used in conjunction with Banner. To view full details and how to apply, or