Federal Student Aid Quality Assurance Specialist

Reports To: Program Manager | Location: Remote | FLSA Status: Hourly, Nonexempt | Clearance: Public Trust

About the Role

The Federal Student Aid Quality Assurance Specialist supports the Department of Education, Federal Student Aid (FSA) Ombudsman by ensuring the accuracy, consistency, and compliance of regulatory case determinations in a performance-based contract environment. This position conducts structured quality reviews of completed case files, applies established evaluation criteria, identifies deficiencies, and provides actionable feedback to production staff and leadership. The role helps maintain contractual service level agreements, including quality and accuracy standards, and mitigates financial risk by identifying trends, preventing repeat errors, and supporting continuous improvement initiatives. This position does not involve software testing, application validation, system certification, or IT quality assurance activities.

Responsibilities

• Complete and maintain required FSA Configuration Management (CM) and Root Cause Analysis (RCA) training.
• Apply FSA-provided quality scorecards and evaluation tools to assess program operations, casework, and process execution.
• Participate in quality calibration sessions to ensure consistency and alignment with FSA standards and evaluation criteria.
• Prepare and deliver monthly quality assurance summaries, including trends, findings, and performance observations.
• Analyze program and process performance data to identify systemic issues, inefficiencies, and compliance risks.
• Conduct trend analysis, root cause analysis, and performance analysis to determine contributing factors affecting outcomes.
• Develop evidence-based corrective and preventive action recommendations.
• Track quality findings and support follow-up actions to improve consistency and effectiveness.
• Partner with program leadership and stakeholders to improve operational efficiency, quality, and standardization.
• Support continuous improvement initiatives through structured analysis, documentation, and reporting.
• Enter actual time worked by the end of the day or no later than 10:00 a.m. the following workday, and submit timesheets at the end of each pay period.
• Submit Monthly Status Reports as required.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Public Administration, Legal Studies, Finance, or a related field.
• Minimum of 4 years of progressive professional experience in Title IV/FSA regulatory case management, quality assurance, compliance review, or a closely related analytical field (in lieu of a degree).
• Practical experience operating within formal quality assurance or audit frameworks.
• Hands-on experience working within a CRM or case management system (Salesforce preferred).
• Previous Public Trust or higher-level federal background clearance.
• Comprehensive understanding of Title IV/FSA regulatory case analysis, adjudication, or complaint resolution processes.
• Capacity to interpret and apply standardized evaluation tools and scorecards to determine compliance with regulatory and policy guidance.
• Thorough knowledge of documentation standards, audit principles, and root cause analysis for regulatory determinations.
• Meticulous attention to detail in applying data analytics, interpretation, and synthesis of performance information.
• Proven skill in identifying and documenting trends and preparing clear, concise analytical reports and summaries.
• Self-directed work ethic suited for an independent remote environment with high accountability.
• Must be a U.S. citizen.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain Public Trust level clearance.

Schedule

Full-time, 40 hours per week, Monday – Friday.

Work Environment

This is a remote position. The employee will primarily work in a professional home office environment with standard computer and communications equipment. Typical indoor and computer-related noise levels, along with typical office-related dust and equipment exposure. Regular use of video display terminals is required.

Physical Demands

The employee must be able to sit at a workstation for extended periods; use hands to handle or feel objects, tools, or controls; reach with hands and arms; talk and hear; and see to read printed materials and computer screens. Mobility is required to work in a typical office setting. The role involves extended periods of reading, reviewing, and analyzing information on a desktop or laptop computer, and may require providing recommendations, summaries, or reports in written format. Must be able to effectively communicate verbally and in writing. The employee must be able to lift and/or move moderate amounts of weight, typically up to 20 pounds. Regular and predictable attendance is essential.