Associate Director, Financial Aid Systems and Compliance

Department

Compensation

General Description / Primary Purpose

The Associate Director of Financial Aid Systems and Compliance provides strategic leadership for financial aid technology, systems administration, operational compliance, and process optimization within the Office of Student Financial Aid. This position oversees the administration of Banner Financial Aid, Scholarship Universe and related systems, ensures compliance with federal and state regulations, supervises operational staff, and serves as the primary liaison between Financial Aid and university technology partners to support the effective delivery of financial aid programs.

Job Functions

Financial Aid Systems Leadership

• • Lead the functional administration of Banner Financial Aid, including configuration, setup, rule tables, annual aid-year rollovers, testing, and ongoing system maintenance.
  • Manage financial aid system upgrades, patches, enhancements, and implementations in collaboration with Information Technology Services and other campus stakeholders.
  • Monitor system performance, troubleshoot processing issues, and implement corrective actions to ensure data integrity and operational continuity.
  • Develop and maintain reports, queries, and data extracts to support compliance, operational monitoring, and strategic decision-making.
  • Administer financial aid system security and access controls for federal, state, institutional, and third-party systems.

Compliance and Operational Oversight

• • Ensure compliance with federal Title IV, state, NCAA, institutional, and other applicable financial aid regulations.
  • Coordinate operational audits, quality assurance reviews, and compliance monitoring activities to minimize institutional risk.
  • Support financial aid processing functions including eligibility determination, over-award resolution, loan processing oversight, refunds, repayment calculations, and satisfactory academic progress administration.
  • Manage departmental process calendars and operational schedules to ensure regulatory and institutional deadlines are met.
  • Maintain business continuity planning and operational readiness for financial aid systems and processes.

Process Improvement and Technology Innovation

• • Identify and implement opportunities to improve efficiency through automation, system enhancements, workflow redesign, and technology integrations.
  • Lead testing and validation efforts for regulatory updates, new processes, and system enhancements prior to production deployment.
  • Evaluate emerging technologies and best practices to improve service delivery, compliance, and operational effectiveness.

Leadership and Staff Development

• • Supervise and develop assigned financial aid operations, systems, and support staff, including workload management, performance evaluation, training, and professional development.
  • Establish operational priorities and monitor performance to ensure timely and accurate processing of financial aid programs.
  • Provide technical and regulatory training to staff and campus partners.
  • Serve as a member of the Financial Aid leadership team, contributing to strategic planning, policy development, and departmental initiatives.

Collaboration and Communication

• • Serve as the primary liaison between Financial Aid and Information Technology Services regarding systems, data integrations, and technology initiatives.
  • Collaborate with Student Accounts, Admissions, Registrar, Institutional Research, Athletics, and other campus partners to support accurate data exchange, reporting, and student service delivery.
  • Represent the university and Financial Aid Office in institutional, state, regional, and national professional organizations, conferences, and meetings.
  • Communicate complex regulatory, technical, and operational information to both technical and non-technical audiences.

Supervisory Responsibilities

• • Reports to the Director of Student Financial Aid.
  • Directly supervises assigned professional, technical, and support staff.
  • Responsible for hiring recommendations, performance management, training, workflow management, and staff development.

Marginal Functions

• • Assist with special projects, university initiatives, and emergency operations as assigned.
  • Support website accessibility and content management activities as needed.
  • Perform other duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications

Statement(s) of Understanding

This position requires a background check. In conjunction with the University's policy, this position may also require a credit check.

The holder of this position is designated as a “Responsible Employee” pursuant to their role under Title IX. Therefore, the incumbent must promptly report allegations of sexual misconduct, sexual violence, and child sexual abuse by or against any student, employee, contractor, or visitor to the University’s Title IX Administrator or any divisional Title IX Coordinator

Equal Opportunity

The University of North Florida (UNF) is committed to providing an inclusive and welcoming environment for all who interact in our community. In building this environment, we strive to attract students, faculty and staff from a variety of cultures, backgrounds and life experiences. The University of North Florida does not commit or permit discrimination or harassment on the basis of genetic information, race, color, religion, age, sex, disability, marital status, national origin, or veteran status in any educational, employment, social, recreational program or activity that it offers. In addition, UNF will not commit or permit retaliation against an individual who reports discrimination or harassment or an individual who cooperates in an investigation of an alleged violation of university regulation.

Carnegie

UNF is a Carnegie Community Engaged Institution. This designation celebrates the University’s collaboration with community partners from the local to the global level. It reflects UNF’s mission to contribute to the public good and prepare educated, engaged citizens.