Director Financial Aid

Concorde Career Colleges; Lisle (IL); On-site; USD 80,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Paid time off

Retirement matching

Parental leave

Tuition waiver

Pet insurance

Job summary

Concorde Career Colleges in Lisle, IL seeks a Director of Financial Aid to lead federal/state aid programs, ensure regulatory compliance, and support student success. This role supervises a high-performing team, provides guidance to students and families, and partners with campus departments to deliver accurate aid.

The position emphasizes process improvement, policy adherence, and scalable operations to enhance student satisfaction and retention.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, business, or related field; 6+ years in post-secondary finance (required)
• Master’s degree preferred
• Minimum five years leadership in financial aid operations (preferred)
• Minimum five years’ experience administering Title IV programs (preferred)
• NASFAA credentials or Title IV certifications preferred
• Valid state driver’s license required
• Must be in good standing with Federal student loan programs

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage campus financial aid operations, ensuring compliance with regulations
• Oversee financial aid and student account administration for funding programs
• Provide financial aid literacy guidance to students and families
• Collaborate with Admissions, Student Services, Registrar and other departments
• Drive a culture of integrity and accountability to ensure policy compliance
• Focus on increasing student satisfaction through streamlined operations
• continually improve operational efficiencies for accuracy and compliance
• Prioritize optimizing delivery mechanisms for seamless processing
• Facilitate regular two-way communication to resolve issues and align objectives
• Identify trends and metrics to evaluate initiatives and support business goals
• Develop and mentor a high-performance team and recognize achievements

Skills

Advanced funding knowledge

Team leadership

Policy interpretation

Student advocacy

Communication

Process improvement

Training and mentoring

Analytical thinking

Education

Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, business, or related field

Master’s degree (preferred)

Tools

Ellucian

Anthology

CampusVue

Job description

Overview

The Director of Financial Aid is responsible for the effective administration of financial aid operations, loan default management, and student account activities. This role ensures full compliance with federal, state, and institutional policies while fostering a student-centered experience that supports retention, academic progress, and success. Reporting to senior leadership, the Director oversees financial aid delivery and operational excellence, leads a high-performing team, provides guidance to students and families on financial options, and collaborates cross-functionally with campus departments and external agencies.

Pay Range: $80-95K Location: Lisle, IL

What We Offer

• Competitive Insurance: Health, vision, and dental coverage for you and your dependents
• Health Plan Enrollment: Eligibility starts first of the month following completing one full month of employment
• Paid Time Off: Competitive paid time off programs for employees (Vacation, Sick, Flexible)
• Retirement Matching: 50% match on the first 6% of your contributions after 90 days
• Paid Parental Leave: 4 weeks of paid leave for both birthing and non-birthing parents to bond with a new baby
• Pet Insurance: Competitive coverage for your furry family members through ASPCA
• Tuition Waiver: Enjoy a tuition waiver after 6 months of employment for you AND your immediate family offered

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage campus financial aid operations, ensuring compliance with federal, state, and institutional regulations
• Oversee the financial aid and student account administration of funding programs, including grants, loans, scholarships, and work-study opportunities
• Provide financial aid and literacy guidance to students and families throughout the student journey.
• Collaborate with Admissions, Student Services, Registrar, and other departments to effectively support students
• Drive a culture of integrity and accountability to ensure compliance with internal policies and external agency regulations
• Focus on increasing student satisfaction through streamlined and effective financial aid operations
• Continually improve operational efficiencies to ensure accuracy and compliance with all regulations
• Prioritize optimizing delivery mechanisms to support seamless financial aid processing and administration
• Facilitate regular, meaningful two-way communication to achieve productive agreement and solution by defining objectives, addressing issues, and removing potential obstacles for all parties
• Determine trends and key metrics to evaluate effectiveness of initiatives and support to business goals and adjust strategies accordingly
• Identify complex problems and review related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions
• Establish/maintain a high performance team of professional, motivated and engaged staff utilizing effective training, performance management and career-development activities while leading them to achieve established business results and performance metrics
• Recognizes and rewards employee contributions and achievements
• Other duties as assigned

Quaifications

Education / Experience

HS diploma/GED and a minimum of 10 years professional experience in a post-secondary education setting - or - Bachelor’s degree in finance, accounting, business, or related field and a minimum of six (6) years professional experience in a post-secondary education setting (required)

Master’s degree(preferred)

Minimum five (5) years of supervisory/leadership experience in financial aid operations (preferred)

Minimum five (5) years’ experience administering Title IV financial aid programs (preferred)

Licenses / Certifications

NASFAA credentials or Title IV-related certifications (preferred)

Valid state issued driver's license (required)

Title IV Proprietary Education Experience (required)

Must not be in default on any Federal Student Loans and must remain in good standing while employed (required)

Skills

• Advanced knowledge of federal/state funding programs, including Title IV, Veterans Affairs, and institutional aid
• Proficient in financial aid systems and student information systems (e.g., Ellucian, Anthology, CampusVue)
• Independently manage complex tasks and projects
• Coach and mentor junior team members
• Analyze problems, evaluate alternatives, and implement effective solutions
• Present ideas in a compelling and structured format to diverse audiences
• Demonstrate refined listening skills and emotional intelligence
• Facilitate training sessions and cross-functional meetings
• Drive consistent results in a fast-paced environment
• Leverage enterprise-level tools and systems to streamline processes
• Create new and better ways for the organization to succeed
• Develop people to achieve their goals and support organizational success
• Navigate complex policies, processes, and organizational dynamics with ease
• Operate effectively in uncertainty and ambiguity
• Work independently, escalating complex or high-impact issues
• Drive innovation to improve organizational success
• Develop others to achieve individual and organizational goals
• Navigate complex organizational dynamics with confidence
• Perform effectively amid uncertainty and ambiguity

Standard Abilities

• Ability to use good judgment, problem-solving and decision-making skills
• Ability to maintain confidentiality and manage sensitive information with discretion
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment where deadlines are essential and multiple projects are worked simultaneously
• Ability to gain, understand and apply information and data as it relates essential functions of the position
• Ability to foster long-term relationships with stakeholders

Able And Willing To

• Communicate, think, learn, and reason
• Use computers and computer systems (including hardware and software) to process transactions, store documents, enter data, or perform assigned tasks
• Safely ambulate and/or maneuver when on-site at Company locations
• Demonstrate and utilize active listening, inductive reasoning, information ordering and category flexibility

Work is performed indoors in a climate-controlled environment when on site at assigned company location. Employees must be able to safely ambulate when on company premises.

This position is eligible for a remote, hybrid, on campus or an on site work location to meet business needs. Employees must be able to follow all safety precautions including the use of personal-protective equipment. Employees must also be able to adhere to site-specific safety procedures. Work environments may include exposure to student learning environments with a variety of conditions. Employees must meet minimum technical standards for eligibility and participation.

Overnight and/or Local travel required (up to 10%)