Associate Director of Financial Aid

The salary range for this position is $89,053.00 - $ annually. The salary will be determined based on the candidate's qualifications and related experience. Typically, new hires start no higher than $92,764.00/year, based on Pierce College's Administrative/Exempt Compensation Plan.

The mission of Pierce College is to create quality educational opportunities for a diverse community of learners to thrive in an evolving world. The Pierce College District is committed to being an anti‑racist institution; to truly be anti‑racist we must work deliberately to eliminate barriers that have prevented the most promising and capable students from entering and thriving in college.

As the Associate Director of Financial Aid, you play a key leadership role in supporting the Director of Financial Aid with the overall management of the Financial Aid Office and ensuring efficient, effective departmental operations. You oversee daily operations and staff supervision, which includes managing and monitoring schedules, providing training and professional development, and fostering an environment that prioritizes excellent customer service.

You will assist in developing departmental policies and procedures, ensuring compliance with federal and state regulations, performing internal audits, reconciling funds, and assisting in Federal Fiscal Operations Report (FISAP) and the Washington State Achievement Council Unit Record Report (URR) preparation.

As a member of the Financial Aid Leadership Team, you collaborate closely with the Director of Financial Aid and the Financial Aid Manager to set strategic vision for the department, establish goals, and drive initiatives to improve the financial aid experience for students and families.

• Assist with the administration, funding and reconciliation of financial aid including but not limited to Pell Grant, Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Loans, Work Study, Washington College Grant, Scholarships, and Pierce College Grant.
• Provide direct supervision to financial aid staff, including assigning responsibilities, evaluating performance, and ensuring staff are trained in accordance with state and federal regulations and guidelines.
• Serve as the Director of Financial Aid as needed in the absence of the Director.
• Assist with developing policies, guidelines, and procedures that ensure regulatory compliance are consistent with institutional goals and are responsive to student needs.
• Serve as a resource to assist staff with complex situations and questions by troubleshooting issues and directing staff to helpful resources and guides.
• Ensure confidentiality of student financial aid data and compliance with FERPA and financial aid regulations to uphold privacy and security standards.
• Develop training materials and implement training opportunities for staff to ensure professional development and thorough understanding of financial aid practices.

• Serve as a liaison between financial aid, enrollment services, student financials and fiscal services, collaborating on account management, billings, disbursement, reconciliation, reports, fraud, and related matters.
• Review, process, and determine eligibility and fund amounts among federal, state, and institutional funds by applying extensive knowledge of regulations governing aid programs.
• Analyze and evaluate files for eligibility based on application data, federal database matches, and academic progress requirements.
• Review for over‑awards or discrepant file information.
• Process withdrawal and repayment calculations.
• Collaborate with the workforce education staff to enter funds for students funded with worker retraining, Opportunity Grant, Basic Food, Education, and Training (BFET) programs.
• Collaborate with basic needs staff to enter funds for students funded with SSEH and SEAG emergency grants.
• Exercise professional judgment in making financial aid decisions with supporting documentation.
• Assist in monitoring student enrollment levels and financial aid distribution to make data‑driven decisions.
• Develop quarterly priority timelines to ensure students have funding plans to support their financial…