A Financial Aid Counselor or Specialist provides information and assistance to students and families, including information on student loans and other sources of financial aid. Leads group presentations or provides individual counseling and assistance with the application process; may also solicit and review applications for specific scholarships.
Associate Director of Financial Aid Systems & Analytics Salary Range $80,000
Annual Employee Class:
Civil Service Department:
Financial Aid Full-time/ Part-time:
Full-time Hours Per Week:
40 Standard Work Week Monday - Friday Benefits This position is eligible for health, dental, life insurance and other benefits through Chicago State University. Click here for a complete list of benefits: https://csu.edu/humanresources/benefits.htm Job Summary Provides leadership for financial aid systems, data integrity, reporting, and analytics to support compliant operations, informed decision-making, enrollment, and student success. Job Description Financial Aid Systems and Operations Leads the functional administration, testing, maintenance, and optimization of Banner Financial Aid and related federal, state, and institutional systems. Coordinates annual setup, upgrades, integrations, interfaces, and production processes with Information Technology and external agencies. Monitors system jobs, controls, workflows, and data exchanges to support accuracy, compliance, continuity, and timely service. Manages interfaces and access for federal and state systems, including COD, SAIG, EdConnect, and other required platforms. Develops and maintains documentation, procedures, testing plans, cross-training materials, and business continuity processes. Financial Aid Analytics and Reporting Develops dashboards, recurring reports, and analyses that help Financial Aid and Enrollment Management leaders understand operational performance and student outcomes. Analyzes FAFSA completion, verification, packaging, awarding, disbursement, unmet need, SAP, loan activity, scholarship utilization, and other key indicators. Interprets trends, identifies risks and opportunities, prepares projections, and presents findings to support leadership decisions; final operational and policy decisions remain with the appropriate functional leaders. Supports analysis of financial aid impact on enrollment, yield, melt, persistence, retention, and completion in collaboration with Enrollment Management and institutional partners. Responds to internal and external data requests and supports required federal, state, institutional, audit, and accreditation reporting. Compliance, Reconciliation, and Data Integrity Supports the accurate awarding, disbursement, reconciliation, and auditing of federal, state, institutional, loan, and student employment funds. Reviews regulatory updates and evaluates their impact on financial aid systems, policies, procedures, and reporting. Monitors data quality, validates records across systems, supports reconciliations, and audits, and helps ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations, and institutional standards. Monitors financial aid budgets and program expenditures and provides analysis to support responsible use of funds. Leadership, Training, and Continuous Improvement Partners with Financial Aid leadership, Enrollment Management, Institutional Effectiveness and Research, Information Technology, the Registrar, Student Accounts, and other campus offices. Leads training and professional development related to systems, data, reporting, and process consistency. Identifies process improvements, automation opportunities, and technology solutions that strengthen compliance, efficiency, customer service, and the student experience. Serves as a financial aid systems and analytics resources for university offices and external agencies. Performs other related duties as assigned. Minimum Qualifications
CREDENTIALS TO BE VERIFIED BY PLACEMENT OFFICER
Bachelor's degree in business, communications, humanities, social sciences, or a closely related field to the position. One (1) year (12 months) of professional experience working in student services, financial aid/loans or a closely related field within higher education or a related agency. Based on position requirements, additional education, training, and/or work experience in the area of specialization inherent to the position, may be required.
NOTE:
Master's Degree in an area consistent with the duties of the position may be substituted for one (1) year (12 months) of work experience. Preferred Qualifications Master's degree; supervisory or project leadership experience; experience with Banner Financial Aid, federal and state financial aid systems, SQL, Argos, Power BI, Tableau, or comparable reporting tools. Knowledge, Skills and Abilities Knowledge of federal and state financial aid regulations, financial aid operations, and applicable compliance requirements. Knowledge of Banner Financial Aid and external systems such as COD, SAIG, and EdConnect. Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret complex data and communicate findings clearly to technical and non-technical audiences. Understanding of data governance, data definitions, data security, and responsible use of sensitive student information. Experience developing reports, dashboards, projections, and performance analyses. Demonstrated project management skills, including support for system implementations, conversions, upgrades, testing, and process improvement. Strong attention to data integrity, reconciliation, validation, documentation, and audit readiness. Excellent written and verbal communication, collaboration, training, and customer-service skills. Ability to work effectively with diverse stakeholders and support data-informed decision-making without assuming operational authority for functional areas.
