Director of Student Financial Services

Under the direction of Gnomon Senior Leadership Team including the CEO, The Director of Student Financial Services (DSFS) provides strategic leadership, oversight, and administration of all student financial aid programs and student financing initiatives s position serves as the institution's primary authority on Title IV compliance, California state financial aid programs, financial literacy initiatives, regulatory reporting, default prevention, and financial aid operations.

The DSFS is responsible for ensuring full compliance with federal, state, accreditor, and institutional regulations while delivering exceptional service and support to students and families. The DSFS works collaboratively with the Director of Student Accounts, Registrar, Admissions, Accounting, Academic Affairs, Compliance, and Executive Leadership to support student success, institutional compliance, and operational excellence.

The Director of Student Financial Services serves as a key member of the institution's leadership team and provides strategic guidance regarding student financing, regulatory risk management, student borrowing trends, and financial aid policy development.

FLSA Exemption:
Exempt (salary)

Schedule:

Full-Time;
Hybrid schedule of 4 days on-campus, 1 day remote

Direct Reports:
Associate Director of Financial Aid

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following areas:

• Direct and oversee all Financial Aid operations and student financing initiatives for the college.
• Develop departmental goals, service standards, performance metrics, and operational procedures.
• Supervise, mentor, train, and evaluate Financial Aid staff.
• Establish and maintain policies, procedures, and internal controls that support regulatory compliance and operational effectiveness.
• Provide strategic recommendations to institutional leadership regarding student financing, borrowing trends, and financial aid policy.
• Serve as the institutional subject matter expert regarding student finance regulations and best practices.
• Participate in institutional planning and provide recommendations that support student retention, persistence, and financial wellness.

• Administer all federal, state, institutional, scholarship, and private loans.
• Ensure compliance with all Title IV regulations and requirements.
• Oversee student eligibility determination, verification, awarding, packaging, and aid disbursement processes.
• Review and approve Professional Judgment requests, dependency overrides, and special circumstance appeals.
• Manage and oversee Return to Title IV (R2T4) calculations and required adjustments.
• Maintain annual student cost-of-attendance budgets.
• Ensure timely reconciliation of all federal and state aid programs.
• Manage entrance and exit counseling programs.
• Oversee Federal Work Study administration.
• Promote responsible borrowing practices and provide financial literacy education to students.

• Maintain compliance with all applicable federal, state, accreditor, and institutional regulations.
• Monitor changes in regulations and implement necessary operational updates.
• Conduct regular internal audits of financial aid files, processes, and controls.
• Ensure audit-ready documentation and record retention practices.
• Coordinate institutional responses to Department of Education Program Reviews, accreditation reviews, state agency reviews, and annual compliance audits.
• Develop corrective action plans and monitor remediation efforts when compliance deficiencies are identified.
• Partner with the Registrar to ensure compliance with Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements.
• Maintain current knowledge of Title IV regulations, Federal Student Aid guidance, and California Student Aid Commission regulations.

• Prepare and submit all required financial aid and regulatory reports.
• Coordinate preparation of FISAP, IPEDS, NSLDS Transfer Student Monitoring and Enrollment Reporting, state grant reports, annual compliance audits, and other regulatory submissions.
• Monitor and report on institutional Cohort Default Rates (CDR) and develop default prevention initiatives.
• Analyze student finance data to identify trends, risks, and opportunities.
• Develop management reports and dashboards to support institutional decision-making.
• Ensure accuracy, integrity, and confidentiality of all student financial records and reporting.

• Counsel prospective…