Director of Financial Aid at Gwynedd Mercy University – Gwynedd Valley, Pennsylvania

Director of Financial Aid

Position Summary

The Director of Financial Aid serves as the University’s chief financial aid administrator and provides mission-focused strategic leadership for the planning, compliance, and delivery of federal, state, institutional, and private financial aid programs. Reporting to the Assistant Vice President for Finance, the Director leads the Office of Financial Aid in administering approximately $18 million in annual student financial assistance, ensuring regulatory compliance while advancing the University’s mission of supporting student access, enrollment, retention, and success. The Director oversees financial aid strategy for undergraduate and graduate programs, including both on-campus and online learning environments.

This position plays a key leadership role in shaping financial aid policies, optimizing aid packaging strategies, and partnering across the institution to support student-centered service and enrollment objectives.

The ideal candidate is a collaborative, service-oriented leader with deep technical expertise in private-sector higher education financial aid administration, along with a strong commitment to GMercyU’s mission. The Director of Financial Aid will be expected to promote a high-performing, positive, diverse, equitable, and inclusive workplace culture that values collaboration, accountability, and professional growth.

Essential Functions:

ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

Leadership & Strategy (30%)

• Provide leadership and strategic vision for the University’s Office of Financial Aid.

• Develop and implement financial aid strategies that support enrollment growth, retention, and student success.

• Design and oversee office structure, staffing, and operational workflows to effectively serve traditional, online, and accelerated academic programs.

• Foster a culture of compliance, collaboration, and outstanding customer service within the financial aid team.

• Formulate and oversee University financial aid policies, procedures and operations with the highest ethical and student-centered service standards

• Build and sustain strong, collaborative relationships across the university to understand student and operational needs, align priorities, and deliver high-value services.

• Maintain advanced expertise by monitoring regulatory developments, industry trends, leading practices, and emerging technologies.

• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and university regulations while fostering a culture of continuous improvement and innovation and assesses the impact of substantive changes in regulations and legislation.

• Ensure compliance with FERPA, data privacy, and information security standards applicable to financial aid and student records.

Financial Aid Administration, Compliance, and Operations (40%)

• Oversee the administration of all federal Title IV, state, institutional, private, and veterans’ educational benefits programs.

• Serve as the University’s compliance officer regarding financial aid and related matters. Ensure full compliance with federal, state, and institutional financial aid regulations and policies.

• Maintain the University’s eligibility to participate in federal financial aid programs, including management, reapplication, and updates for the Program Participation Agreement and E-APP/E-CAR processes.

• Lead all financial aid-related audits and reviews, including:

• Annual Single Audit

• Federal and state program reviews

• Veterans Affairs program reviews

• Internal compliance audits

• Ensure accurate reporting and timely submission of required documentation to federal and state agencies and other regulatory bodies.

• Oversee the administration and ongoing improvement of financial aid systems and technology used to deliver aid services.

• Manage and optimize the use of the University’s ERP system (Colleague) for financial aid operations.

• Maintain accurate and complete financial aid records and conduct internal audits to ensure integrity of award processing.

• Develop, implement, document, and maintain financial aid policies, procedures, and internal controls.

• Ensure timely resolution of audit findings and implementation of corrective actions.

Departmental Management (25%)

• Forecast financial aid budgets and monitor aid expenditures to remain within budget.

• Develop and manage institutional aid packaging strategies aligned with enrollment and retention goals.

• Conduct financial aid data analysis to support decision-making and continuous improvement.

• Evaluate trends and develop recommendations for aid optimization.

• Oversee review and approval of financial aid appeals, including:

• Special circumstances and professional judgments

• Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) appeals

• Income reduction appeals

• Ensure consistent, equitable, and student-centered resolution of complex financial aid cases.

• Partner closely with campus offices including:

• Admissions

• Registrar

• Student Billing

• Academic Affairs

• Campbell Solution Center (one-stop-shop for integrated student support)

• Reconcile financial aid records with student billing operations.

• Lead the development, refinement, and on-going assessment of financial aid policies, procedures, and internal controls.

The Director supervises all employees within the Office of Financial Aid and is responsible for:

• Hiring, onboarding, and training staff

• Establishing performance expectations and evaluating staff performance

• Assigning and prioritizing work responsibilities

• Fostering a collaborative, high-performing team environment

• Ensuring cross-training across financial aid functions

• Providing overall leadership, supervision, & coaching to direct reports in areas of responsibility, including fostering a culture of continuous improvement, service excellence, accountability, inclusion, and professional development.

• Leading and supporting strategic initiatives and cross-functional projects as assigned.

Other Duties as Assigned (5%)

• Represent the University in professional financial aid organizations (ex. NASFAA, PASFAA, IFAP notifications) and maintain institutional memberships.

• Ensure staff remain informed of regulatory updates through professional development and training.

• Participate in university recruitment and student engagement events and deliver presentations to prospective students, families, and external partners regarding financial aid programs and policies. These presentations may take place outside normal business hours at events including Open Houses, Accepted Student Days, and Griffin Ready Days.

• Collaborate with campus partners to promote financial literacy initiatives and help reduce federal loan default rates.

• Serve on committees and support campus initiatives that address student basic needs, including coordination with student support programs, such as the University’s food pantry, Catherine’s Cupboard, and the University’s Mercy Center for Service, Spirituality, & Justice, to connect food-insecure students with support.

• Serve on institutional committees supporting enterprise systems, data governance, assessment, accreditation, and strategic initiatives.

• Perform other duties and special projects as assigned by the Assistant Vice President for Finance, Vice President for Finance & Administration / CFO and/or President.

QUALIFICATIONS:

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution

• Minimum five years of progressively responsible experience in financial aid administration, including supervisory or leadership experience

• Comprehensive knowledge of and experience in implementing federal, state, and institutional financial aid regulations and compliance requirements

• Experience administering Title IV financial aid programs

• Knowledge of veterans’ educational benefits

• Experience with financial aid data analysis, reporting, and compliance oversight

• Strong leadership, organizational, and strategic planning skills

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to work effectively across campus departments

• Demonstrated commitment to student-centered service and continuous improvement

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree

• Experience with the Ellucian Colleague ERP system

• Familiarity with federal financial aid systems such as: COD, NSLDS, CPS, IFAP, FSA Partner systems, Eligicert (E-APP), FAFSA Partner Portal, FTI-SAIG Mailbox, AES and GrantUS

• Experience with state financial aid systems such as PHEAA

• Fluency in Spanish

Successful candidates will demonstrate:

Abilities:

• Strategic understanding of the role of financial aid in enrollment management and student success

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills

• Ability to interpret and apply federal regulations and policy guidance

• Experience implementing financial aid technologies and process improvements

• Commitment to collaboration, innovation, and excellent service

• Ability to define problems, collect data, establish facts, and draw valid conclusions.

• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional teams and work collaboratively in team environments

• Ability to gather data, analyze and compile information, and prepare reports.

• Ability to effectively communicate and collaborate with a wide range of constituents.

• Ability to select, manage, develop, and empower the people who are part of the Financial Aid department.

• Strong project management, organizational and planning skills.

• Demonstrated cross-cultural competencies, including strong emotional intelligence and the ability to engage and build relationships with university constituents.

• Ability to maintain confidentiality and build trust with constituents.

• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret Federal Registers, legislation, regulations and professional publications.

• Ability to respond to and skillfully handle varied constituencies including but not limited to, students, intra-campus offices and regulatory agencies.

• Ability to provide explanations for financial aid decisions to both the auditors and senior management.

• Ability to write and proofread financial aid correspondence, memos, and external and board communications.

Knowledge:

• Extensive knowledge, training, and experience of financial aid guidelines and regulations.

• Knowledge and understanding of university operations and board governance.

• Knowledge of budget preparation, monitoring, and administration.

• Skill in examining and re-engineering operations and procedures, formulating policy, and developing and implementing new strategies and procedures.

Skills:

• Language Skills - Excellent presentation, interpersonal, listening, and communication/conflict resolution skills. Ability to speak and write effectively and design quality presentations to a variety of audiences. Fluency in Spanish is preferred but not required.

• Mathematical Skills - Ability to work with data to create comprehensive reports. Familiarity with statistics, percentages and discounts.

• Reasoning Ability - Ability to apply principles of logical thinking and problem solving to a wide range of intellectual and practical problems. Ability to deal with a variety of abstract and concrete variables. Ability to prepare reports for data utilized.

• Interpersonal Skills - Ability to interact effectively and professionally with others. Ability to respond to individuals who may be concerned with a complaint or issue. Demonstrated leadership ability.

WORK ENVIRONMENT & PHYSICAL DEMANDS

This position operates in a professional office environment and requires regular interaction with students, faculty, staff, and external partners in person and by phone, email, and virtual platforms. The role is primarily on-campus, with eligibility for limited telework consistent with business needs. Telework eligibility is subject to operational needs and may be modified at the University’s discretion. Occasional evening or weekend work may be required to meet critical deadlines or institutional objectives. Periodic travel may also be required.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Physical demands include standing, walking, sitting, using hands, and lifting up to 10 pounds, with reasonable accommodations available. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision and ability to adjust focus.