Assistant Director - Financial Aid Customer Experience

The Assistant Director of Financial Aid Customer Experience plays a key role in shaping how students and families navigate one of the most important parts of their educational journey. In this role, you'll lead a dedicated team focused on strengthening communication, streamlining service delivery, and ensuring every interaction is clear, supportive, and compliant with financial aid regulations. This position offers the opportunity to make a meaningful impact at Utah Valley University by improving learners' overall experience. It's an ideal fit for someone who brings strong leadership, thoughtful problem-solving, and a genuine commitment to helping students access the resources they need to succeed. Direct the customer service operations of the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office, ensuring that all inquiries from students, families, and other stakeholders receive high-quality, timely, and accurate responses. Promote a collaborative and student-focused team environment dedicated to delivering outstanding customer care and support. Supervise and guide the financial aid customer experience staff, providing regular coaching, conducting performance evaluations, and facilitating professional development opportunities. Conducts the hiring and onboarding process for the customer experience team. Use data-driven insights to inform decision-making and recommend strategic changes to enhance the financial aid customer experience. Collaborate with senior leadership and other departments to share insights on student and family needs and improve overall institutional processes related to financial aid. Ensure the financial aid office follows best practices, regulatory requirements, and institutional policies while maintaining a positive, supportive customer experience. Stay informed about changes in federal, state, and institutional financial aid regulations and ensure that all customer service practices are updated accordingly. Oversee daily interactions via email, in-person, and virtual platforms, ensuring all inquiries are addressed efficiently and professionally. Serve as the point of contact for escalated or complex inquiries and provide guidance on resolutions. Perform other duties as assigned. Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree in a directly related field and two years of experience related to the Summary of Duties, OR a combination of education and/or experience totaling six years. Knowledge Knowledge of federal regulations pertaining to financial aid, including need analysis, eligibility assessment, verification, packaging strategies, loan awarding, default prevention, Federal Work Study, Return of Title IV, Gainful Employment, and evaluation of academic progress. Knowledge of financial aid institutional policies and procedures. Knowledge of computerized financial aid systems, preferably Banner. Knowledge of computer applications such as word processing, spreadsheets, databases, PowerPoint, internet tools, email systems, and other general computer skills. Skills High technical aptitude and skill in problem solving, technical troubleshooting, decision-making, and prioritizing. Effectively uses interpersonal skills and communication skills, including tact, diplomacy, understanding, compassion, and valuing all contributions, while maintaining adherence to policies. Skills in leading a group of employees to accomplish common departmental and university goals. Skills in making public presentations to large and small groups, and one-on-one. Effectively using organizational and planning skills, with acute attention to detail, exacting accuracy, and follow-through. Skills in maintaining confidentiality of work-related information and materials, including information from student records. Abilities Ability to analyze and solve problems in an effective and professional manner. Shows initiative and has the ability to effectively prioritize tasks to meet deadlines. Ability to learn quickly. Ability to effectively provide knowledge, training, and expertise to students, faculty, and staff. Experience working in a team-oriented, collaborative environment. Ability to gain and maintain access to federal student aid databases. Ability to maintain confidentiality pertaining to all student records in compliance with federal and state regulations (i.e., FERPA, GRAMA, etc.). Ability to effectively create, compose, and edit written materials.