Student Support Specialist (Student Enrollment & Account Management)

Student Support Specialist

We are seeking a Student Support Specialist who will be part of a team that serves as the primary point of contact in providing quality customer experiences for students, parents, call center staff and other stakeholders seeking guidance for financial aid, registration, and student accounts services across Johns Hopkins University (JHU). This position requires attention to detail in a fast-paced, ever-changing environment and will deliver high-quality, student-centered advice and support through multiple modalities (email, in-person, and phone). The Student Support Specialist must have a pleasant disposition and a positive attitude. Working on a team grounded in the principles of excellent customer service, the person in this position will be responsible for meeting quality customer service metrics and assessments.

The person in this position should have an in-depth understanding of or exceptional familiarity with financial aid, registration, and student accounts processes and policies. The Specialist should also have extensive knowledge of Title IV compliance regulations, ensuring adherence to regulatory compliance with financial aid applications and eligibility.

This Student Support Specialist will report directly to an Associate Director on the Director's team. Duties will include supporting student accounts, financial aid, and registration-related questions and concerns throughout the university within the Student Enrollment and Account Management (SEAM) department.

Specific Duties & Responsibilities

• Serve as the first point of contact for student enrollment services, specifically financial aid, registration, and student accounts, to the university community in a shared services organization, SEAM.
• Provide exceptional customer service to all Johns Hopkins University constituents, including students, internal staff and faculty, external stakeholders, parents, sponsors (third-party payers), and all parties in contact with the university.
• Provide general information to solve issues related to financial aid, registration, and student accounts.
• Liaise with the contracted call center staff and university operational staff in support of front-line issues and troubleshooting.
• Manage the student case management queues in the Salesforce database to ensure timely triage, escalation, resolution, and processing of incoming cases.
• Facilitate virtual services through scheduled appointments and unscheduled Zoom drop-ins to support students and families inquiring about financial aid, billing, and registration information.
• Execute ongoing communication with students, parents, and staff while maintaining a high level of customer satisfaction in all digital modalities, including via email and phone.
• Counsel, advise, investigate, problem-solve, and resolve issues from current and former students, parents, faculty, staff, sponsors, and other third parties.
• Explain financial aid packages and eligibility for institutional and federal aid awards and give helpful instructions on using financial aid self-service tools to students and parents.
• Provide payment details, account information, and helpful instructions on using student accounts self-service tools to students and parents.
• Provide registration details and give helpful instructions on using registration self-service tools to students and parents.
• Identify potential management inefficiencies to promote operational excellence and coordinate process improvements of service to students and the university community.
• Participate in professional development and training opportunities to stay abreast of institutional, federal, and other regulations.
• Occasionally support university events to assist prospective students, current students, and other stakeholders (e.g., orientations, open houses, etc.)
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Special Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

• Ability to build relationships across departments.
• Demonstrated technical skills utilizing a range of information databases.
• Great listening skills.
• Detail-oriented.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to communicate effectively with diverse populations.
• Excellent organizational skills with an ability to prioritize and work on multiple projects and tasks simultaneously, often with many interruptions.
• Willingness to commit to exceeding expectations and deliver the highest level of customer service.
• Self-motivated, proactive, friendly, courteous, and collaborative.
• Take pride in every aspect of work and perform it with energy and enthusiasm.
• Be a strong team player with a commitment to continuous learning.

Technical Qualifications or Specialized Certifications

• Prior experience with Student Information System (SIS), PowerFAIDS, OnBase, Salesforce, and other related information management databases would be beneficial but not required.
• Proficiency in desktop computing using MS Office (Outlook, Word, Excel) and web interfaces on a Windows platform.

Minimum Qualifications

• High School Diploma or graduation equivalent.
• Three years of customer service experience.
• Additional education may substitute for required experience and additional related experience may substitute for required education beyond a high school diploma/graduation equivalent, to the extent permitted by the JHU equivalency formula.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree highly preferred.
• Experience with service desk, help desk, call center, or comparable front-line service is a plus.
• Experience with accounts receivable and/or an accounting background is a plus.
• Experience with customer relationship management software is a plus.
• Experience working in a university setting, particularly in student services, preferred.