Financial Aid Training & Development Specialist

About the role

The Financial Aid Training & Development Specialist reports to the Director of Financial Aid Compliance with a dotted-line relationship to the Director of Financial Aid Operations. This role serves as the connection between Compliance and Operations by developing, delivering, and maintaining training programs that promote consistent application of federal regulations, institutional policies, system functionality, and Campus culture.

• Develop and deliver onboarding and continuing education for Financial Aid staff.
• Develop and deliver training related to financial aid technologies, system enhancements, workflow automation, and operational process changes, including new system implementations and enhancements to the SIS, COD, NSLDS, FAFSA Partner Portal, and related systems.
• Develop and maintain training materials, job aids, reference guides, and other learning resources.
• Cook up refresher training and ongoing professional development to reinforce regulatory knowledge, operational consistency, and Campus culture, including identifying and recommending relevant training opportunities through Federal Student Aid (FSA), NASFAA, and other professional organizations.
• Track required training completion and evaluate training effectiveness through staff feedback and quality review results.
• Attend Financial Aid operational meetings to remain current on workflow changes, operational priorities, and system enhancements.
• Partner with Financial Aid Operations leadership to ensure training reflects current practices while reinforcing regulatory requirements and institutional expectations.
• Serve as a resource to staff by providing guidance on policies, procedures, and system functionality.
• Documentation & Knowledge Management: Develop, maintain, and periodically review Financial Aid training manuals, standard operating procedures (SOPs), job aids, reference materials, and process documentation.
• Support development of knowledge management resources that promote consistency, continuity, and operational resilience.
• Quality & Continuous Improvement: Collaborate with the Financial Aid Quality Assurance Analyst to identify trends, address knowledge gaps, and develop targeted training based on quality review findings.
• Use operational trends and staff feedback to recommend training priorities and process improvements.
• Cross-training initiatives to strengthen operational flexibility and business continuity.
• Monitor federal and state regulatory changes, Dear Colleague Letters, Electronic Announcements, FSA Handbook updates, and other regulatory guidance, incorporating applicable changes into training materials, job aids, and staff development programs.
• Coordinate training related to system enhancements, including Campuswire and other technology initiatives impacting Financial Aid operations.
• Support department readiness for compliance audits, program reviews, monitoring activities, and external regulatory reviews by ensuring staff training, documentation, and operational guidance remain current.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in education, higher education administration, business, communications, organizational development, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
• Three or more years of experience in Title IV financial aid administration, including experience interpreting and applying federal regulations in a higher education environment.
• Experience developing and delivering training for adult learners, including onboarding and ongoing staff development.
• Ability to translate complex regulations and operational processes into clear, practical training.
• Strong presentation, facilitation, written, and verbal communication skills.
• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and adapt to changing business needs.
• Demonstrated ability to build collaborative relationships and work effectively across departments.