Director of Student Accounts

Springfield College; Springfield (MA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Springfield College invites an experienced Director of Student Accounts to take the helm of the Bursar’s Office in the Springfield campus. This role leads billing, accounts receivable, and student loan operations, ensuring accuracy and compliance with Title IV and college policies.

The successful candidate will manage a team of five, develop policy, train staff, and collaborate with other departments to improve processes.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required in Business Administration, Accounting or related field; and 5+ years experience.
• Master’s degree preferred.
• Experience in higher education strongly preferred.
• Supervising experience required.
• Knowledge of GAAP and understanding of federal/state regulations related to Student Accounts.

Responsibilities

• Manage the daily operations of the College’s Bursar’s Office, including billing and accounts receivable functions.
• Provide direct oversight of student and non-student billing, receipt and recording of payments, third-party billing, collections, and student loan program.
• Develop policies and procedures to ensure compliance with federal and state regulations and college policies; train staff as needed.
• Identify operational efficiencies and leverage technology to streamline processes.
• Oversee student billing systems and ensure accuracy of billing rates in the ERP; approve adjustments and entries.
• Collaborate with other student administrative departments on billing requirements and timelines.
• Oversee the student refund process to ensure Title IV compliance.
• Foster a customer-service oriented team with training and support for staff.
• Supervise five staff with designated areas such as cashiering, third-party billing, collections, and student health insurance.
• Oversee communications from the Student Accounts Office (billing, past-due balances, collections, notices, website updates, handbook updates).
• Develop and implement accurate financial reporting and reconciliation activities (including 1098-T), monthly reconciliations, and audit work-papers; perform data analysis as needed.

Skills

Customer service

Communication

Leadership

Attention to detail

Organization

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Accounting or related field

Tools

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Office

ERP system

Job description

Under the general direction of the Controller, the Director of Student Accounts manages the daily operations of the Bursar's Office, including oversight of all billing and accounts receivable functions, student tax reporting, and ensuring compliance with established federal, state and local regulations and College policies. The Director of Student Accounts is also responsible for leading a customer service oriented team, and providing the necessary support and training to the Student Accounts Office staff to ensure excellent customer service within the department.

Actual salaries will vary depending on multiple factors, including but not limited to degrees attained, experience, and other considerations permitted by law. Comprehensive compensation details, including any additional benefits, will be communicated upon finalization of the employment offer.

• Responsible for the management of the College's billing and accounts receivable functions.

• Provide direct oversight of student and non-student billing, receipt and recording of payments, third-party billing, collections, and internal student loan program.

• Develop policies and procedures to ensure compliance with federal and state regulations and industry best practices; update and train community on policies and procedures, when needed; ensure transactions and communications are performed in compliance with regulations and policies.

• Identify operational efficiencies and current available technology in order to streamline processes and create efficiencies.

• Provide assistance to internal and external customers in a successful and professional manner.

• Manage and oversee student billing systems and processes; ensure the accuracy of the student billing rates in the College's ERP system; maintain proper coding of transactions to comply with required reporting; review and approve manual adjustments and entries.

• Work closely and in collaboration with other student administrative departments to analyze billing requirements and develop timelines and systems that are inclusive of those areas.

• Oversee the student refund process to ensure compliance with Title IV regulations and College policy.

• Responsible for developing and fosteringa customer service oriented team environment, including support and training for Student Services Representatives.

• Serve as next level of contact for students and parents with non-routine issues, unusual, or extraordinary circumstances that are not able to be resolved by the Student Accounts Office staff.

• Manage all areas of communications from the Student Accounts Office, including billing, past-due balance, and internal collections phone calls and written notifications; mass emails; website updates; and updating of student handbook and other published materials.

• Develop and implement accurate and timely financial reporting and reconciliation activities as they pertain to the Student Accounts Office functions, including student tax reporting (1098-T); monthly account reconciliations; preparation of audit work-papers; and other verifications and reporting as required.

• Perform data analysis as needed.

• Provide direct supervision to Student Accounts Office staff of five, who all maintain customer service responsibilities, along with an individual area of focus, such as cashiering, third-party billing, other billing, collections and managing the student health insurance.

• Bachelor’s degree required in Business Administration, Accounting or related field, and 5+ years experience.

• Master’s degree preferred.

• Experience in higher education strongly preferred.

• Supervising experience required.

• A demonstrated understanding of federal and state regulations and industry best practices as pertains to the Student Accounts area; understanding of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP).

• Knowledge of Federal and State regulations, including regulations regarding the disbursement and issuance of financial aid refunds (Title IV) and collection regulations.

• A high level of proficiency with Microsoft Excel and experience with other Microsoft Office applications.

• Experience creating reports and analyzing data.

• Must be a well-organized, high energy individual with excellent customer service skills.

• Ability to maintain a high level of poise and professionalism under all circumstances.

• Must be able to set priorities, make decisions and work both independently and as part of a team.

• Strong verbal and written communication skills; ability to develop, train and implement College policy and procedure; ability to communicate verbally and through written word to all levels of constituents.

• Demonstrable good judgment, ability to work under pressure, and maintain a high level of confidentiality.

• The position requires excellent attention to detail in order to maintain the highest quality standards.

• Evening, holiday, or weekend work may be required occasionally during the start of the academic year and spring semester.