Financial Aid Systems Specialist

The Financial Aid Systems Specialist serves as the primary functional and technical expert for the institution’s financial aid systems, with primary responsibility for Power

FAIDS and the integration with Workday as the Student Information System (SIS). This position plays a critical role in ensuring that financial aid systems, workflows, data, and reports support student success, regulatory compliance, and operational efficiency.

The position is housed within the Information Technology department and reports to the Administrative Information Systems Manager, while taking significant functional direction from the Director of Financial Aid to ensure system configurations and enhancements align with financial aid policies, processes, and regulatory requirements.

The Financial Aid Systems Specialist acts as a key liaison between IT, Financial Aid, and system vendors, translating business requirements into effective system solutions and serving as a subject matter expert for financial aid system functionality.

• Serve as the primary, hands‑on administrator of Power
  
  FAIDS, ensuring system configuration, stability, and ongoing optimization.
• Manage Power
  
  FAIDS setup related to packaging, awarding, disbursement, verification, SAP, notifications, and workflows.
• Troubleshoot functional and system issues, coordinating resolution with IT colleagues, vendors, and Financial Aid staff.
• Support testing and implementation of Power
  
  FAIDS upgrades, patches, and regulatory updates.
• Monitor data accuracy, integrity, and security within Power
  
  FAIDS and across system integrations.

• Design, develop, and maintain standard and ad hoc reports within Power
  
  FAIDS and related reporting tools to support student success, operational processing, compliance monitoring and audits, leadership decision‑making.
• Partner with Financial Aid leadership to define report requirements and ensure data outputs meet college and regulatory needs.
• Analyze financial aid data to identify trends, anomalies, and process improvement opportunities.

• Serve as the primary liaison between Financial Aid, Information Technology, and external system vendors.
• Translate financial aid business requirements into technical specifications and collaborate with IT on solution design and implementation.
• Participate in cross‑departmental projects related to financial aid, student systems, data governance, and compliance.
• Stay current on federal, state, and institutional financial aid regulations and advise stakeholders on system impacts.

• Develop and maintain comprehensive system and process documentation, including user guides, workflow documentation, and standard operating procedures.
• Provide training and ongoing support for Financial Aid staff on Power
  
  FAIDS functionality, workflows, and report usage.
• Communicate system changes, enhancements, and known issues clearly and effectively to stakeholders.
• Support change management efforts related to new functionality, regulatory updates, or process changes.
• Maintain knowledge and awareness of digital accessibility including the American with Disabilities Act and Section 508, and produce and remediate digitally accessible materials in accordance with FLC standards.

• Minimum of two years supporting enterprise systems, databases, workflow‑driven applications, or related work experience.
• Two or more years of experience with financial aid business processes and higher education administrative environments.
• Experience with report writing, data extracts, or SQL‑based reporting tools.
• Strong analytical, problem‑solving, and organizational skills.
• Thrives in a team‑oriented, service‑focused environment.
• Ability to interact effectively with a wide variety of people, forming strong working relationships with both internal and external constituencies.
• Excellent communication skills and attention to detail.
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects and deadlines in a collaborative team environment.
• Experience creating system documentation and delivering user training.