Associate Director of Financial Aid - #000294

Please see Special Instructions for more details. Application materials must be submitted online. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until a candidate has been selected for hire. Please include a cover letter, current resume, and a list of three professional references with their complete contact information.

The primary location of this position is the Cullowhee, NC campus. This position is designated as being exempt from the State of North Carolina Human Resources Act (EHRA). Western Carolina University seeks an experienced financial aid professional to serve as the Associate Director of Financial Aid. The office administers over $95,000,000 of aid annually and has a student enrollment exceeding 11,000 students. The Office of Financial Aid is housed in the Division of Student Affairs and reports to the Associate Vice Chancellor for Undergraduate Enrollment.

The Associate Director of Financial Aid provides backup leadership and supervision of 10 full-time staff members as well as one part-time staff member. The Associate Director will work closely with Undergraduate Enrollment and numerous campus partners and units. The Associate Director will assist the Director of Financial Aid in establishing and implementing institutional policies and procedures to comply with Federal Title IV regulation and overseeing the administration of federal, state, institutional, and private financial aid programs. The Associate Director of Financial Aid is a deputy department head and supervises financial aid personnel and must possess a strong commitment to client service and a collaborative approach to problem solving.

The position assists in all aspects of processing undergraduate and graduate aid and must collaborate with other campus units to provide appropriate services to both currently enrolled students and prospective students. The Associate Director may serve as needed on other university committees or initiatives.

The ideal candidate should possess the following knowledge, skills, and abilities:

• Leadership & Management: Demonstrated skills in organizational leadership, supervision, and management. Ability to oversee and support financial aid staff, ensuring consistent service and operational efficiency. Experience monitoring productivity and implementing solutions to enhance team performance. Strong ability to identify and resolve operational challenges in a fast-paced environment.
• Financial Aid Knowledge & Compliance: Extensive knowledge of federal, state, institutional, and private financial aid programs. Expertise in Title IV regulations, financial aid policies, and compliance requirements. Strong familiarity with automated financial aid systems. Ability to generate ad hoc reports using SQL and analyse financial aid data.
• Student Services & Communication: Strong written, verbal, and presentation skills for student and stakeholder engagement. Ability to work collaboratively with university departments and external partners. Experience coordinating and overseeing student communications, ensuring timely and accurate financial aid information. Commitment to exceptional customer service, including training and coaching staff to provide high-quality support.
• Training & Policy Implementation: Experience developing and updating training materials for financial aid staff. Ability to implement and enforce university policies and procedures related to financial aid. Strong attention to detail in maintaining proper documentation and compliance records.

Minimum Qualifications: Candidates must be legally eligible to work in the United States of America without the need for any immigration-related employer sponsorship. Master's degree from an accredited institution. Three to five years of demonstrated experience serving in roles with progressive responsibilities. Experience should demonstrate increasing responsibility in areas such as policy implementation, staff supervision, program management, and compliance with regulations or guidelines. Strong skills in process improvement, problem-solving, and cross-functional collaboration are highly valued.

Preferred Qualifications: Three or more years of direct supervisory experience in a financial aid office. Experience with Banner or other student information systems. Proficiency with SQL-based reporting and financial aid data analysis. Experience managing financial aid reconciliation processes. Familiarity with automation tools used in financial aid processing. Experience working in a high-enrollment institution (10,000+ students). Demonstrated success in process improvement and policy development for financial aid administration. Active involvement in state or national financial aid organizations.

Position Type: Permanent Full-Time

Open Until Filled: Yes

Special Instructions to Applicants: Application materials must be submitted online. Review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until a candidate has been selected for hire. Please include a cover letter, current resume, and a list of three professional references with their complete contact information.

Background/E-Verify: Final candidates are subject to criminal & sex offender background checks. Some vacancies also require credit or motor vehicle checks. Western Carolina University uses E-Verify to confirm employment eligibility of all newly hired employees.

Credential Verification: All new employees are required to have listed credentials/degrees verified within 30 days of employment. All new employees who will be teaching are required to provide official transcripts within 30 days of employment.

EOE: Western Carolina University is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race; colour; ethnicity; religion; sex; pregnancy; sexual orientation; gender identity or expression; national origin; age; disability; genetic information; political affiliation; National Guard or veteran status.

University Safety: The Western Carolina University Annual Safety Report is available online or in hard-copy by request at the office of the Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs.