Director of Financial Aid

Job Description

Job Description

Director of Financial Aid

Centenary University | Hackettstown, New Jersey

Lead with Purpose. Expand Access. Strengthen Student Success.

At Centenary University, we are committed to transforming lives through education—guided by our priorities of Student Success, University Vitality, and World Engagement. Financial aid is central to this mission, serving as one of the most powerful levers to expand access, enable persistence, and support institutional sustainability.

Centenary seeks a Director of Financial Aid to provide both strategic and operational leadership for the administration of federal, state, and institutional financial aid programs. Reporting to the Dean of Enrollment & Student Success, this leader will align financial aid policy, scholarship stewardship, packaging strategy, and student communication with the University’s enrollment, affordability, and retention goals.

As a key partner in Enrollment, the Director will directly influence discount strategy, yield, and student persistence, while leading a high-performing team and advancing Centenary’s Concierge model, ensuring a seamless, transparent, and student-centered financial experience.

Your Impact

Student Success | Remove Barriers and Enable Persistence

• Deliver a clear, accessible, and student-centered financial aid experience that supports enrollment, retention, and completion
• Strengthencommunication and outreach strategies to improve FAFSA completion, award understanding, and student confidence
• Advance financial literacy and affordability education to support informed decision-making

University Vitality | Drive Strategy, Compliance, and Financial Stewardship

• Align financial aid packaging strategy with enrollment goals, discount rate targets, and net tuition revenue outcomes
• Ensure full compliance with Title IV and all regulatory requirements,maintainingaudit readiness and minimizing institutional risk
• Leverage data, analytics, and financial modeling to inform institutional strategy andoptimizeresource allocation

World Engagement | Strengthen Partnerships and Access

• Collaborate across campus and with external partners to expand access for diverse student populations, including veterans and non-traditional learners
• Support a connected, concierge-driven student experience through strong cross-functional alignment

Position Summary

The Director of Financial Aid provides strategic and operational leadership for Centenary University’s financial aid programs, ensuring compliance, fiscal stewardship, and a high-quality student experience. This role is a critical driver of enrollment outcomes, affordability strategy, and student persistence, while serving as the Financial Aid enablement lead for Centenary’s Concierge model.

Core Responsibilities & Accountabilities

1. Strategic Leadership, Compliance & Operational Integrity

• Lead administration of all federal, state, and institutional aid programs
• Ensure compliance across verification, R2T4, SAP, reconciliation, reporting, audit readiness, and year-end close
• Oversee professional judgment, special and unusual circumstance reviews, and dependency overrides
• Maintain policies, procedures, and annual processing calendars
• Lead staff planning, training, and performance to ensure operational continuity

Accountability: Deliver compliant, accurate, and efficient financial aid operations with minimized institutional risk

2. Scholarship Governance & Stewardship

• Oversee institutional and endowed scholarship administration and alignment with donor intent
• Chair the scholarship committee to ensureequitableand strategic awarding
• Monitorutilization, fund balances, and year-end optimization

Accountability: Ensure transparent, equitable, and strategically aligned scholarship deployment

3. Enrollment Strategy, Yield & Affordability

• Partner with leadership to align packaging strategy with enrollment targets and discount parameters
• Provide financial modeling, scenario planning, and policy recommendations
• Strengthen student-facing communication on affordability and awards
• Support FAFSA completion, award acceptance, and melt reduction strategies

Accountability: Drive improved yield, affordability clarity, and net tuition revenue stability

4. Systems Leadership & Process Design

• Oversee financial aid systems configuration, testing, and annual readiness
• Ensure data integrity across packaging, fund setup, and reporting
• Lead the annual processing cycle andidentifyautomation opportunities

Accountability: Ensure reliable systems, efficient workflows, and accurate execution

5. Concierge Model Enablement

• Serve as Financial Aid lead within the Student Concierge Services model
• Develop training, escalation protocols, FAQs, and decision tools
• Partner cross-functionally to remove systemic barriers

Accountability: Reduce friction, improve resolution speed, and enhance student experience

6. Student Experience & Persistence

• Ensuretimely, transparent, and FERPA-compliant communication

• Lead financial literacy and responsible borrowing initiatives
• Support intervention strategies for at-risk students

Accountability: Improve student satisfaction, understanding, and continuation

7. Data, Reporting & Institutional Insight

• Deliver dashboards and insights on FAFSA completion, packaging timelines, discount rates, and persistence
• Identifytrends and recommend improvements to policy and practice

Accountability: Provide actionable data to inform institutional decision-making

8. Team Leadership & Operational Excellence

• Recruit, develop, and lead a high-performing team
• Establish clear expectations aligned to compliance, service, and outcomes
• Foster a culture of accountability and continuous improvement

Accountability: Build a strong, service-oriented, and results-driven team

9. Cross-Campus Collaboration

• Partner with Admissions, Student Accounts, Registrar, Advising, and others
• Ensure seamless handoffs and consistent communication across the student lifecycle
• Maintain relationships with auditors, agencies, and external partners

Accountability: Strengthen coordination and deliver a unified student experience

Organizational Capabilities

• Job Knowledge &Expertise– Demonstrates deep understanding of financial aid practices and continuous learning
• Quality & Compliance– Maintains excellence while adhering to all regulatory and institutional standards
• Collegiality– Builds strong, respectful relationships across the university
• Communication– Communicates clearly, effectively, and transparently
• Efficiency– Manages time, priorities, and resources effectively
• Initiative– Takes ownership and follows through on commitments
• Student Focus– Prioritizes ease, clarity, and satisfaction for students
• Coachability– Embraces feedback and continuous development
• Innovation– Identifies and implements improved ways of working
• People Leadership– Sets expectations, develops talent, and drives accountability

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degreerequired
• 3–5+ years of progressive financial aid experience
• Minimum 3 years of leadership/supervisory experience
• Deepexpertisein Title IV regulations, compliance, and audit processes
• Experience aligning financial aid strategy with enrollment and discount modeling
• Strong analytical, systems, and data capabilities

• Excellent communication and cross-functional collaboration skills
• High levelof discretion and commitment to FERPA compliance

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Higher Education, Business, Finance, or related field
• National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) credentials or similar certification
• Experience with Ellucian Colleague or comparable systems
• Training in compliance auditing or enrollment strategy
• Bilingual (Spanish/English)proficiency

Working Conditions

This role requires flexibility, including occasional evening and weekend hours to support peak operational periods and student needs.

Why Centenary

This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of financial aid at a mission-driven institution. As Director, you will not only ensure operational excellence—you will directly influence who has access to education, how students persist, and how the University thrives.