The Senior Associate Director of Financial Aid plays a key leadership role in managing and optimizing financial aid systems, ensuring compliance with federal and institutional regulations, and supporting student financial aid processes. This position is responsible for the development, implementation, and technical maintenance of PowerFAIDS desktop, NetPartner, and Scheduler in collaboration with the Director of Financial Aid.

Key Responsibilities:

System Management & Implementation

• Lead the development, implementation, and deployment of PowerFAIDS Cloud, coordinating interoffice project timelines and resources.
• Oversee the graduate Slate-to-Banner-to-PowerFAIDS dataflow process, replacing the current manual workflow to improve efficiency.
• Manage and enhance data integration and feeds between PowerFAIDS, undergraduate Slate, FAFSA, Banner, CSS Profile, and other relevant databases.
• Maintain and optimize PowerFAIDS selection sets, packaging algorithms, and fund creation, ensuring alignment with financial aid policies.
• Develop and maintain training materials and lead training sessions for financial aid staff on PowerFAIDS Cloud and associated system updates.
• Ensure NetPartner effectively communicates financial aid information to students in a timely and accurate manner.

Student Support & Compliance

• Manage a caseload of new and returning students, conducting file reviews using federal and institutional methodologies, and providing financial aid counseling in person, via phone, and email.
• Oversee the Return to Title IV (R2T4) process, ensuring compliance and providing guidance to counselors involved in the process.
• Produce and manage the financial aid award letter process, including review and revisions as needed.
• Support student yield events and strategic enrollment programs as required.
• Assist with annual reporting requirements, coordinating data requests and compliance with federal security guidelines in collaboration with Institutional Research.
• Stay current on federal, state, and institutional financial aid regulations and ensure institutional compliance.

Supervision & Collaboration

• Supervise 1 to 2 part-time staff, overseeing their work on high-level technical projects and data management tasks.
• Work collaboratively across departments, liaising with colleagues at all levels of the University and external partners to improve financial aid operations.
• Participate in meetings, committees, and professional development opportunities to stay abreast of changes in financial aid policies and best practices.
• Communicate effectively and professionally with students, parents, faculty, staff, and external partners, fostering a student-centered approach to financial aid services.

• Extensive experience with PowerFAIDS, NetPartner, Slate, Banner, and related financial aid systems.
• Strong understanding of federal and institutional financial aid regulations.
• Experience developing data integrations, automation, and system enhancements.
• Ability to develop and lead training programs for staff.
• Excellent analytical, organizational, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to engage effectively with diverse stakeholders.

This position requires a blend of technical expertise, regulatory knowledge, and a student-first approach to ensure financial aid processes are efficient, compliant, and accessible.

At Clark University we believe that diversity of experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds leads to a more innovative and productive work environment. We welcome and encourage individuals of all backgrounds to join our team and contribute their unique ideas to help us achieve our goals.

Clark University offers a generous benefit package for full and, if applicable, part-time employees that include; paid time off, generous retirement plan, group health and dental insurance, life insurance, and tuition, along with use of many campus amenities. For a complete list of benefits for eligible employees visit here.

To review the Clark University Police Department Annual Security and Fire Safety Report visit here.

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About Clark University

Founded in 1887, Clark University is a liberal arts-based research university committed toscholarship and inquiry that addresses social and human imperatives on a global basis. It is the place where Robert Goddard invented the modern rocket, where Sigmund Freud delivered his only lectures in the United States, and where current students stake their claim to the Clark motto, “Challenge Convention, Change Our World,” which is the rallying cry that inspires our community every day. Located in Worcester, Massachusetts, Clark University educates its undergraduate and graduate students to be imaginative and contributing citizens of the world, and to advance the frontiers of knowledge and understanding through rigorous scholarship and creative effort. The University’s engages students in such areas as biology, chemistry, economics, geography, psychology, urban education, management, environmental science and policy, Holocaust and genocide studies, and international development and social change. Clark University’s pioneering model of higher education, LEEP (Liberation Education and Effective Practice) compels undergraduate students to thrive in authentic world and workplace settings, and prepares them for lives and careers of consequence.

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