Associate Director, Financial Aid Operations

Associate Director, Financial Aid Operations

Salary: $65,579 - $68,858 annually

Location:

Adams County, CO (Westminster campus)

Primary Duties:

• Lead and continuously improve processes for the daily import, review, and awarding of FAFSA and CASFA applications, including federal verification and comment code resolution, ensuring timely and equitable distribution of financial aid.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and institutional regulations by maintaining current knowledge of guidance from Federal Student Aid, NASFAA, and CCCS and integrating updates into operational workflows.
• Manage automated student communications and batch awarding processes to provide accurate, timely notifications regarding requirements, awards, and adjustments in Banner.
• Partner with the Associate Director of Financial Aid Advising to address student inquiries, resolve complex issues, and identify opportunities to strengthen processes and the student experience.

• Direct reconciliation and management of federal, state, and institutional financial aid funds, including Pell Grants, Direct Loans, SEOG, CSG, work‑study, institutional grants, and scholarships, ensuring accuracy and regulatory compliance.
• Coordinate grant and loan origination and disbursement data exchanges through Federal Student Aid systems and monitor allocation of limited funds to maximize responsible use of resources.
• Ensure timely and compliant Return of Title IV calculations and serve as liaison with external institutions regarding transfer monitoring and over payment resolution.
• Collaborate with Fiscal Affairs and Accounts Receivable to resolve financial aid–related issues affecting institutional and student accounts.

• Supervise Financial Aid Specialists and the Financial Aid Coordinator – Operations, cultivating a collaborative, inclusive, and accountable team environment.
• Hire, train, evaluate, and support staff development, promoting professional growth and operational excellence.
• Assess and improve operational workflows across Financial Aid Operations, identifying opportunities for automation, efficiency, and compliance, including programs such as Work‑Study and Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP).
• Develop, document, and update operational procedures and deliver training in collaboration with Financial Aid leadership when regulatory, process, or system changes occur.

• Provide advanced leadership in the effective use of Banner and related financial aid systems to ensure data integrity, accurate processing, and operational efficiency.
• Maintain expert knowledge of FAFSA and CASFA data integration to support seamless system functionality and accurate awarding.
• Coordinate system‑related responsibilities within the team to ensure timely completion of projects and continuous improvement of automated processes.

• Administer the FRCC Foundation scholarship platform and partner with Foundation leadership to establish timelines, develop processes, and define awarding procedures.
• Support reconciliation efforts and prepare required reports for the Foundation Board.
• Coordinate awarding and reporting for Colorado Opportunity Scholarship Initiative (COSI) programs in partnership with the COSI Program Manager, recommending best practices to strengthen program effectiveness.

• Diversity, Equity and Inclusion:
  Demonstrates behaviors that convey the importance of diverse lived‑experiences and using an equity lens to guide decisions.
• Building a Diverse Team:
  Seeks to understand the individual strengths on the team and uses those talents to make the most impact for students.
• Commitment to Values:
  Demonstrates leadership and collaborative behaviors and actions that support FRCC values.
• Student Success Focus:
  Makes decisions that support a student‑first culture.
• Operational Planning:
  Ability to turn the strategic plan into an operational roadmap that guides the division.
• Change Catalyst:
  Ability to be nimble and willing to pivot if new data becomes available that can influence outcomes; understands that change is constant and…