Director of Financial Aid

Director of Financial Aid

Pineland Campus - New Gloucester, ME 04260

At Unity Environmental University, we value different perspectives, champion innovation, and create an environment where both employees and learners can excel. We are committed to fostering a workplace where talent and dedication drive success.

Job Overview

The Director of Financial Aid leads the day-to-day administration of financial aid, ensuring students receive accurate and timely financial aid information and awards. This requires a strong working knowledge of federal financial aid requirements, financial aid systems, Unity's SEBUs and academic calendars, and the operational processes necessary to administer aid effectively.

The Director of Student Financial Solutions is the University's designated institutional lead for financial aid regulatory compliance and serves as the primary institutional point of contact with the U.S. Department of Education regarding Title IV administration, program reviews, regulatory inquiries, and other compliance matters. The Director of Financial Aid supports this function by ensuring that Financial Aid operations are conducted in accordance with established requirements, maintaining accurate records and controls and providing documentation and operational support as requested.

This role is funded through Research and Development in order to create institutional bandwidth. It begins with a structured learning period of a minimum of three to six months in which the incumbent shadows and learns from the Director of Student Financial Solutions. Specific tasks and projects are assigned during that period. Following the learning period, the incumbent is assigned a portfolio, either at the Enterprise level or dedicated to a subsidiary or SEBU, based on institutional need.

Any portfolio assigned remains within the scope of this role. The portfolio assignment and any reports are determined by the institution and are not fixed at the time of hire.

POSITION SPECIFIC RESPONSIBILITIES AND EXPECTATIONS

• Provide leadership for the Financial Aid unit, ensuring accuracy, consistency, timeliness, and adherence to established institutional policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements.
• Lead assigned institutional initiatives and projects, including work that may extend beyond the position's primary portfolio as organizational needs evolve.
• Serve as a subject-matter expert in financial aid administration and Title IV operations, partnering with the Director of Student Financial Solutions on regulatory interpretation, compliance matters, and institutional response.
• Monitor regulatory developments affecting financial aid operations and work with the Director of Student Financial Solutions to implement required operational changes.
• Identify operational, compliance, or control risks and promptly escalate concerns to the Director of Student Financial Solutions.
• Support the operational administration of financial aid, including eligibility determination, awarding, verification, satisfactory academic progress, disbursement readiness, and other financial aid processing in accordance with approved policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements.
• Ensure financial aid processes are completed accurately, consistently, and within established institutional and regulatory timelines.
• Supervise the Financial Aid unit, establish performance expectations, maintain operational heuristics, and ensure appropriate staffing and workload distribution.
• Maintain appropriate quality assurance processes to identify errors, exceptions, processing delays, or emerging operational risks.
• Support Return to Title IV (R2T4) processes by ensuring Financial Aid responsibilities are completed timely and accurately, with appropriate documentation and reconciliation.
• Execute Financial Aid operations in accordance with compliance requirements, institutional policies, procedures, and guidance established by the Director of Student Financial Solutions.
• Maintain a strong working knowledge of Title IV regulations, FERPA requirements applicable to financial aid operations, state aid requirements, federal guidance, and other regulations necessary to effectively administer financial aid.
• Support the Director of Student Financial Solutions in maintaining institutional readiness for audits, program reviews, regulatory inquiries, and other external reviews.
• Maintain complete and accurate documentation necessary to demonstrate compliance with established financial aid policies, procedures, controls, and regulatory requirements.
• Support compliance calendars and monitoring activities by ensuring Financial Aid operational responsibilities are completed within required timelines.
• Maintain complete and accurate Financial Aid internal control documentation, workflow maps, process matrices, standard operating procedures, and supporting records.
• Maintain operational readiness for financial aid audits and program reviews and provide documentation, data, and process support to the Director of Student…