Associate Director of Financial Aid – Systems, Data & Technology

Job Responsibilities

• Lead the administration, configuration, and optimization of financial aid systems, including Banner Financial Aid and Banner SaaS environment.
• Serve as the functional lead on Banner SaaS for the office of financial aid, including testing, validation, and process redesign.
• Oversee system setup for all aid programs (federal, state, institutional, and private).
• Ensure system configurations support compliant, efficient, and scalable operations.
• Translate federal and state regulations into system configurations and business processes.
• Ensure compliance with Title IV, state aid programs, and institutional policies.
• Oversee system-driven processes including:
  • Packaging and awarding
  • Verification tracking
  • Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP)
  • Disbursement and reconciliation
• Support audits, program reviews, and compliance reporting.
• Support the Director by assisting with daily financial aid operations and performing functional data analysis.
• Oversee ISIR processing, data imports, and system integrations with **Federal Student Aid systems (e.g., COD, NSLDS).
• Develop and maintain operational and compliance reports using tools such as Insights, Argos, and SQL.
• Ensure data accuracy and integrity across systems.
• Provide data insights to support strategic enrollment and financial aid decisions.
• Work with the Financial Aid Director to create and maintain Ad Hoc Reports for internal and external use.
• Manage financial aid disbursement processes to ensure timely and accurate delivery of funds.
• Oversee reconciliation between Banner SAAS, federal systems, and institutional accounts.
• Identify discrepancies and lead resolution efforts in collaboration with the Business Office.
• Identify opportunities to streamline and automate financial aid processes.
• Lead implementation of workflow tools (e.g., document management, student forms, automation tools).
• Evaluate and improve student-facing and internal system workflows.
• Serve as the primary liaison with Information Technology on system upgrades, integrations, and issue resolution.
• Collaborate with Admissions, Registrar, Business Office, and Enrollment Management.
• Participate in institutional technology initiatives and strategic planning.
• Train and support financial aid staff on system functionality and technical processes.
• Develop and maintain comprehensive documentation, SOPs, and training materials.
• Promote cross-training to reduce operational risk.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelors degree required
• Minimum 5 years of progressive experience in financial aid, with significant technical/system responsibilities
• Demonstrated experience with Banner Financial Aid or comparable ERP system
• Strong knowledge of federal financial aid regulations, including Title IV
• Experience with financial aid packaging, disbursement, and reconciliation processes

Preferred Qualifications

• Masters degree
• Experience with Banner SaaS or cloud ERP implementations
• Experience with reporting tools (Argos, Insights, SQL, or similar)
• Knowledge of Texas state aid programs (e.g., TEG, TCWS)
• Experience with document management systems (e.g., Campus Logic or similar)
• Experience leading system implementations or major upgrades