Associate Director

C001 New Jersey Institute of Technology; United States; On-site; USD 69,000 - 129,000; Full time

Job summary

New Jersey Institute of Technology seeks an Associate Director in Student Financial Aid Services to lead operations, recruit and retain students, and manage outreach aligned with enrollment goals. The role emphasizes on-site leadership, staff training, and collaboration with Admissions and campus partners.

The Associate Director will oversee Federal Work-Study and athletic scholarship processes, ensure compliance with Title IV regulations, and drive service excellence through in-person

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; Master's preferred.
• Strong leadership, communication, and presentation skills.
• Knowledge of Title IV federal financial aid regulations helpful.

Responsibilities

• Serve as primary contact for complex student service issues requiring in-person interaction.
• Lead training initiatives for financial aid staff and advisors.
• Coordinate outreach events (Open Houses, Admitted Student Days, orientations) on-site.
• Oversee Federal Work-Study program including hiring, compliance, reconciliation, and reporting.
• Interpret and communicate financial aid policies to students and families.
• Represent the financial aid office internally and externally.

Skills

Leadership

Public speaking

Data management

Customer service

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

Tools

ERP systems

Enterprise technology platforms

Job description

Title

Associate Director

Department

Student Financial Aid Services

Reports To

Senior Vice Provost for Enrollment Management

Position Summary

The Associate Director is a key member of the management team responsible for overseeing departmental operations related to student and family services, recruitment and retention initiatives, and financial aid outreach aligned with institutional enrollment goals, requiring a consistent on-site presence to effectively support day-to-day operations and maintain direct interaction with students, families, and staff. This role provides leadership in training customer service staff and financial aid advisors within Student Financial Aid Services and collaborating offices, with an emphasis on in-person instruction to ensure effective knowledge transfer, engagement, and skill development. Working closely with the office's leadership team, the Associate Director recommends process improvements, develops communication strategies, and supports initiatives that enhance the student experience and operational effectiveness. The position contributes to strategic planning efforts and initiatives aligned with NJIT's institutional goals.

Essential Functions

• Serve as the primary point of contact for complex, multi-departmental student service issues requiring advanced review and resolution through consistent, in-person interaction with students, staff, and campus partners, ensuring concerns are appropriately vetted, documented, and coordinated with leadership across relevant offices prior to escalation to senior leadership.
• Utilize advanced communication techniques to stabilize high-emotion situations, ensuring students feel heard while maintaining institutional policy.
• Identify recurring "pain points" in student services and propose systemic fixes to reduce the overall volume of escalations.
• Lead training initiatives for financial aid customer service staff and advisors to support recruitment, retention, and service excellence.
• Provide guidance and training to University Admissions counseling staff to support prospective students and families.
• Coordinate financial aid outreach activities including Open Houses, Admitted Student Days, orientations, college fairs, and presentations, which primarily involve on-site participation and direct engagement with prospective and current students and their families.
• Maintain extensive knowledge of financial aid regulations, policies, and best practices to ensure compliant program administration.
• Identify operational challenges and implement process improvements through collaboration, project management, and technology.
• Foster strong relationships with campus partners to support effective communication and service delivery, through regular, in-person collaboration and engagement.
• Manage the Federal Work-Study Program, including hiring processes, compliance monitoring, reconciliation, budget oversight, and preparation of FISAP reporting data.
• Oversee athletic scholarship processing and collaborate with technical teams to improve system efficiencies.
• Interpret and communicate financial aid policies and procedures to students, families, and campus partners.
• Serve as a subject matter expert representing the financial aid office internally and externally.

Additional Functions

• Ensure compliance with NCAA regulations and university policies related to athletic financial aid.
• Prepare required NCAA reports, squad lists, and scholarship data analyses.
• Counsel student-athletes regarding financial aid awards and eligibility requirements.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Prerequisite Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree preferred.
• Minimum of 7 years of professional experience in a financial aid office within higher education in a supervisory role.
• Strong knowledge of Title IV federal financial aid regulations.
• Demonstrated leadership experience and commitment to excellent customer service.
• Excellent communication, organizational, leadership, and presentation skills.

At the university's discretion, the education and experience prerequisites may be exempted where the candidate can demonstrate to the satisfaction of the university an equivalent combination of education and experience specifically preparing the candidate for success in the position.

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong leadership, supervisory, and public speaking abilities.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and meet project deadlines.
• Experience working with ERP systems and enterprise technology platforms.
• Experience translating business needs into technology-driven solutions.
• Strong analytical and data management skills.
• Self-motivated and collaborative professional with a strong commitment to student service.

Union

Professional Staff Association (PSA)

Range

Professional Staff -25

Compensation

$68,703.00 - $128,638.00

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