Sr. Assistant Director

USC Office of Financial Aid is looking for a Senior Assistant Director, Outreach to lead financial-aid counseling, policy interpretation, and complex case resolution for an assigned student population.

Responsibilities

• Conduct in-person and virtual financial aid presentations, workshops, webinars, and advising sessions for external audiences (high schools, community colleges, community-based organizations) and internal groups (USC students, academic units, student support offices).
• Perform financial need analyses for students requesting additional aid and determine eligibility based on individual circumstances.
• Review student financial aid applications for completeness, consistency, and accuracy of reported information.
• Assist with packaging federal, state, and institutional aid (Pell Grants, Cal Grants, Federal Direct Loans, campus-based aid).
• Process and support loan certification for federal and private education loans.
• Exercise professional judgment to resolve complex or escalated student financial aid matters within established policies.
• Collaborate with Financial Aid colleagues to identify issues, update packages, and escalate cases requiring senior leadership or funding review.
• Serve as a subject-matter resource on financial aid policies, procedures, and appeals for departmental or university committees.
• Counsel students on financial planning, budgeting, responsible borrowing, and debt management.
• Develop strategies to improve communication between the Financial Aid Office and incoming/continuing students.
• Support initiatives to improve timely submission of required financial aid documents.
• Collaborate with university leadership and campus partners to address escalated student concerns and provide financial aid support to diverse student populations.
• Maintain current knowledge of university, state, and federal financial aid regulations and ensure compliance.
• Balance student advising with outreach programming, presentations, departmental priorities, and special events.
• May oversee student, temporary, and/or casual employees.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Minimum of 2 years of experience in admissions, counseling, academic advisement, or financial analysis/evaluation.

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of student financial aid programs within a higher education environment.
• Student services experience with demonstrated analytical skills.
• Experience interpreting and applying policies and procedures.
• Ability to exercise independent judgment and manage competing priorities.
• Student counseling or advising experience.
• Experience conducting presentations or public speaking in a professional setting.
• Experience working with diverse student populations and campus partners.
• Strong organizational and problem-solving skills.

Skills

• Analysis and assessment
• Written and verbal communication
• Conflict resolution
• Counseling and advising
• Interpersonal communication
• Interpretation and application of policies, procedures, regulations, and trends
• Interviewing
• Organization and planning
• Problem identification and resolution
• Professional judgment
• Public speaking and presentation
• Proficiency with computers and standard office productivity software
• Ability to work within university and departmental computer systems and networks
• Ability to learn and navigate financial aid, student information, and related technology systems

Schedule

• Standard work schedule: Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
• Hybrid-fixed position requiring regular on-campus presence at the USC University Park Campus.
• Travel to USC Health Sciences Campus for meetings, programs, events, and scheduled office hours.
• Domestic travel may be required during recruitment and student conversion periods.
• Eligible for overtime.

Pay

The hourly range for this position is $25.00–$33.00. Offers consider scope, responsibilities, experience, education/training, skills, internal equity, laws, contractual stipulations, grant funding, and external market factors.