Director Financial Aid

Peabody's Office of Financial Aid has retained NES to assist in conducting this important search and to help identify outstanding candidates.

All inquiries, applications, and nominations for this opportunity should contact Mary Napier ([email protected]). All conversations will remain confidential unless otherwise stated and agreed.

To be considered for an interview, please make sure your application is full in line with the job specs as found below.

Reporting to the Peabody Executive Director of Enrollment Management, we are seeking a Director of Financial Aid who will supervise the daily operations of the Office of Financial Aid at Peabody, providing customer service and guidance to students and their families throughout the financial aid application process.

The Director is responsible for determining a student's eligibility for aid, following institutional, federal and state guidelines.

Works closely with the Enrollment Management team to award and steward Peabody merit scholarship and need-based grant aid, reviews and responds to financial aid appeals, conducts workshops and presentations for students and parents, and interfaces with the Hopkins Financial Aid Shared Services Team on all matters related to the administration of Title IV financial aid.

This position coordinates front line contact for internal and external customers regarding questions related to financial aid, and works with other student service areas to ensure a high degree of customer service.

The Director of Financial Aid works closely with the University Financial Aid Compliance and Shared Services team to ensure all aspects of Title IV processing are conducted and align with established guidelines, systems and procedures.

The position supervises two additional Financial Aid Administrators, and receives direction from the Director of Financial Aid Shared Services on all matters related to Title IV Federal Aid processing.

This position will have a dotted reporting line to the Hopkins Associate Vice Provost for Financial Aid.

Specific Duties & Responsibilities

Supervise the Peabody Financial Aid Office

• The Director of Financial Aid is responsible for management and daily oversight of the Financial Aid Office and staff at Peabody.
• This includes but is not limited to ensuring other aid staff are adequately trained and knowledgeable about office policies and procedures, establishing strategies for managing high volume periods, working collaboratively with campus partners, including University Financial Aid Shared Services & Compliance, Admissions, Student Billing, Registration, Advising, Student Life and IT to enhance the student experience.

Manage Internal and External Scholarship Programs

• The Director of Financial Aid is responsible for the management, stewardship and daily oversight of all scholarship programs.
• This includes but is not limited to promoting scholarship opportunities, reviewing gift agreements, matching students to donor funded awards, coordinating external sources of aid with Peabody grant funds, renewing scholarships for continuing students, ensuring staff are adequately trained and knowledgeable about scholarship programs, developing and maintaining scholarship related policies and procedures, liaising with Development and Alumni Relations.

Coordinate Student Awarding Process

• The Director of Financial Aid is responsible for coordinating the financial aid review process associated with awarding of aid to new and continuing students.
• This includes merit scholarships and need-based grants, as well as state, private and federal student aid.
• She / he will analyze the need of students using Federal and Institutional Methodologies (IM), exercising professional judgment, make recommendations on appeals to the Enrollment Management team, and work directly with students and families, and have a clear and comprehensive understanding of Federal Title IV and State regulations.

Title IV Processing & Financial Aid Shared Services

In close coordination with the Director of Financial Aid Shared Services, the Director of Financial Aid will process Title IV aid, including but not limited to Verification, Loan Processing, Reconciliation, and Return to Title IV Refunds for a portion of the Peabody students in accordance with the policies, procedures and standards established by the Director of Financial Aid Shared Services.

Campus Based Aid

Provide comprehensive oversight and management of the FSEOG and Federal Work-Study (FWS) programs, including community service funds reconciliation;

works in close partnership with the Peabody student employment and career services office.

Special Knowledge, Skills, or Abilities :

• Must have detailed knowledge of Federal, State and Institutional Financial aid regulations, with direct experience in assessing financial need for institutional financial aid programs using institutional methodology preferred.
• Previous experience managing / stewarding scholarship programs.
• Exceptional written and oral communication skills, strong student based counseling experience.
• Ability to follow-through with policy and procedural implementations and affect beneficial change at all levels of the organization.
• Demonstrated experience in analyzing and recommending significant improvements in departmental operations.
• Leadership skills, knowledge of highly selective college or university settings where some form of institutional methodology is practiced, and familiarity with the stewardship and support of scholarship programs.
• Strong conceptual, logical, and problem-solving abilities.
• Committed to the principles of access and diversity, providing the best customer service and student support experience to families.
• Thrive in fast paced environment where expectations for performance and productivity are high.
• A good eye for detail.
• Ability to work without direct supervision.
• Ability to partner cross-functionally with other departments.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Demonstrated ability to establish and meet objectives within limited time frames and under tight deadlines.
• Candidates must possess unquestioned personal and professional ethical standards.
• Highly valued are innovative thinking, technological vision, and ability to work collaboratively.
• Experienced PowerFAIDS user preferred.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree.
• Five years related experience, with prior supervisory experience required.
• Additional education may substitute for experience to the extent permitted by the JHU equivalency formula.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's Degree.
• Five or more years direct experience managing federal, state, institutional & private aid programs within a college or university setting, or other related experience required.

Classified Title : Director Financial Aid

Role / Level / Range : ACRP / 04 / MF

Starting Salary Range : $74,400 - $130,400 Annually (Commensurate with experience)

Employee group : Full Time

Schedule : 37.5 hours per week

Exempt Status : Exempt

Location : Hybrid / Peabody Institute

Department name : Financial Aid

Personnel area : Peabody

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