Assistant Director of Financial Aid

Augustana College; Rock Island (IL); Hybrid; USD 45,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

Augustana College in Rock Island, IL seeks an Assistant Director of Financial Aid to support timely aid packaging for current and incoming students, ensuring compliance with federal, state and institutional policies. The role collaborates with the Registrar’s Office, Dean of Students, and Business Office, and supports Admissions and retention efforts.

This exempt, full-time, 12-month position offers a competitive benefits package, a hybrid work environment, and opportunities to contribute to

Qualifications

• 3–5+ years of relevant work experience.
• Excellent written communication and public speaking.
• Ability to develop rapport with a wide variety of student and family personalities.
• Strong cross-cultural and interpersonal communication skills.
• Commitment to communicating the value of the Augustana experience.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks with limited supervision.
• Good decision making and prioritization skills.
• Ability to supervise student staff.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Ability to represent the Augustana admissions team positively through a student-centered focus.

Responsibilities

• Assist the Director in timely aid packaging for current and incoming students.
• Ensure packaging complies with federal, state and institutional policies.
• Coordinate with Registrar’s Office, Dean of Students Office and Business Office.
• Support Admissions and the recruitment of new students and retention efforts.
• Oversee management of state and federal need-based aid programs.
• Collaborate with Admissions and IT to submit weekly prospective student data file to Encoura.
• Assist in compiling and submitting annual compliance reports.

Skills

Written communication

Public speaking

Interpersonal communication

Cross-cultural communication

Student relations

Task management

Supervise student staff

Decision making

Teamwork

Basic computer skills

Education

Bachelor's degree

Tools

Basic computer skills

Job description

Join Our Mission at Augustana College

At Augustana College, we don’t just educate students - we empower them. As a nationally recognized college of the liberal arts and sciences, we invest in engaged learning, maximizing student potential, and building strong community partnerships—the driving forces of our Bold & Boundless Strategic Plan (2024-29).

For our 2,500 students, Augustana offers a collaborative and student-focused environment, in which faculty and staff play an active role in shaping futures through hands‑on learning, mentorship and leadership development. Located on a scenic, wooded campus in Rock Island, Illinois, Augustana is part of the vibrant Quad‑Cities metropolitan area (pop. 470,000), about a 3-hour drive from Chicago.

We seek mission‑driven professionals who are passionate about student success, innovation and making an impact. If you thrive in an environment that values curiosity, collaboration and the power of transformative education, we invite you to bring your talents to Augustana.

Employees at Augustana enjoy an excellent benefit package including medical, retirement, generous paid time off, tuition benefits for employees and their family members, and much more.

Job Title:

Assistant Director of Financial Aid

Wage Grade:

735

Status:

Exempt, Full-time, 12-month schedule

Reports To:

Director of Financial Aid

Primary Duties:

The primary responsibilities of the Assistant Director of Financial Aid include assisting the Director in ensuring that aid is packaged in a timely manner for both current and incoming students in order to meet the goals of the institution. The packaging should be compliant with all federal, state and institutional policies. Additionally, the Assistant Director will work to maintain compliance with all policies tied to disbursement of student aid which will include coordination with other departments on campus including (but not restricted to) the Registrar’s Office, the Dean of Students Office and the Business Office. The Assistant Director should also be actively engaged in support of Admissions and the recruitment of new students as well as the support of all primary offices engaged with the retention of current students.

Additional Duties:

• Assist in overseeing the management of state and federal need-based aid programs.
• Collaborate with Admissions and IT staff to submit the weekly prospective student data file to Encoura.
• Assist the Director of Financial Aid in compiling and submitting annual compliance reports. Other duties as assigned.

Skills & Experience:

• 3-5 (or more) years of relevant work experience.
• Excellent written communication skills and demonstrated comfort with public speaking.
• Ability to develop rapport with a wide variety of student and family personalities.
• Strong cross-cultural and interpersonal communication skills.
• Commitment and ability to effectively communicate the value of the Augustana experience.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and work with limited supervision.
• Good decision making and prioritization skills.
• Ability to effectively supervise student staff.
• Basic computer skills are required.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team.
• Ability to represent the Augustana admissions team positively through a strong, student-centered focus.

Education:

Bachelor’s degree is required.

Pay and Benefits:

This position is budgeted to pay $45,000 - $50,000 annually commensurate with experience and qualifications. We offer a competitive benefits package designed to support the needs of employees. Full-time employees are eligible for a comprehensive range of benefits including:

• Medical, dental, vision insurance
• Flexible spending accounts or health savings accounts
• Life insurance, disability insurance, and supplemental insurance programs
• Retirement plan with a generous company contribution
• Excellent paid time off/holiday benefits
• Tuition benefits for employees and their family members
• Access to company facilities (gym, pool, health center, etc.)
• You can learn more about our benefit programs at our Benefits website.

Work Environment:

This job operates in a hybrid office environment in accordance with institutional policy.

Physical Demands:

• Must be able to lift 15 pounds on a frequent basis.
• Required ability to listen, hear, speak, read, write, climb stairs, bend, stoop, and stand for intermittently long periods of time.
• Must be able to use a computer to accomplish a variety of job tasks.

Expected hours of work:

40 hours a week

Travel:

Little to no travel is required for this position.

EEO Statement:

Augustana is an Equal Opportunity Employer. It is Augustana College’s policy to provide equal opportunity to all qualified employees and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, age, national origin, disability and any other category protected by federal, state or local law.

Note:

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities are subject to change at any time with or without notice.

Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States; this position is not eligible for visa sponsorship