Associate Director of Financial Aid & Scholarship (Administrator I)

Salary and Benefits The starting salary placement depends on qualifications and experience and is anticipated to be in the range of $95,000 to $105,000 per year. Cal State East Bay offers a broad range of benefits that include medical, dental, vision, retirement (CalPERS), 401k, 457, 403(b), dependent and health care reimbursement accounts, life insurance, vacation and sick, 14 paid holidays, one personal holiday and tuition fee waiver. For more information on the benefits program, please visit our benefits website. The CSU Total Compensation Calculator demonstrates the significance of our benefits package. Classification Administrator I About the Position Reporting to the Director of Financial Aid and Scholarships, the Associate Director of Financial Aid provides leadership and operational oversight for financial aid counseling, student service delivery, scholarship administration, compliance activities, communications, and daily office operations supporting student success and institutional enrollment goals for California State University, East Bay. The Associate Director supervises financial aid staff, coordinates front-line service operations, and assists in ensuring compliance with federal, state, CSU, and institutional financial aid regulations and policies. This position oversees daily financial aid operations including counseling services, case management workflows, scholarship coordination, staff training, communications, and integrated student service efforts with the University One Stop. The Associate Director collaborates extensively with Enrollment Management, Student Affairs, Academic Affairs, the Director of Student Outreach, Marketing and Communications, and campus partners to improve service delivery, communication processes, and overall student experience for students, families, and the campus community. Responsibilities Financial Aid Operations, Staff Supervision, and Service Delivery Provide leadership, supervision, and operational oversight for daily Financial Aid Office operations and student-centered service delivery. Supervise, train, evaluate, mentor, and provide ongoing support and direction to financial aid staff and student employees. Oversee daily office operations including counseling services, processing workflows, case management, customer service functions, and front‑line student support. Establish operational priorities, staff assignments, service expectations, and workflow procedures to ensure efficient and effective service delivery. Monitor staff productivity, service response times, counseling activities, and operational outcomes to ensure accountability and continuous improvement. Coordinate staffing schedules and operational coverage for in‑person, virtual, phone calls, emails, and One Stop student services. Support onboarding, professional development, and ongoing training for financial aid staff and student employees. Resolve escalated student issues, service concerns, and complex financial aid cases. Ensure compliance with federal, state, CSU, and institutional financial aid regulations, policies, and procedures. Assist with implementation and maintenance of operational processes, system enhancements, and workflow improvements. Conduct the probationary and annual performance evaluations for all staff. Serve as operational lead and provide leadership continuity in the absence of the Director of Financial Aid and Scholarships. Financial Aid Administration, Compliance and Operational Oversight Assist with oversight of federal, state, institutional, and scholarship financial aid programs including awarding, processing, reconciliation, and reporting activities. Monitor compliance with applicable federal, state, CSU, NCAA, and institutional financial aid regulations and policies. Oversee quality control, file review, verification, satisfactory academic progress, appeals, and documentation processes. Collaborate with Financial Aid Operations staff to support system functionality, automation, reporting, and process improvements. Assist with audit preparation, compliance reviews, policy updates, and implementation of regulatory changes. Monitor operational metrics and identify opportunities to improve efficiency, compliance, and student service delivery. Utilize financial aid systems, reporting tools, and case management technologies to support operational oversight and assessment efforts. Assist with development and implementation of departmental policies, procedures, and operational guidelines. Student Services, One Stop Collaboration, Scholarship Operations, and Communications Coordinate ongoing collaboration between the Financial Aid Office and the University One Stop/Welcome Center to support integrated in‑person and virtual student services. Oversee financial aid counselor rotation schedules and staffing support for the One Stop to ensure timely and accurate financial aid assistance for students and families. Collaborate with the Director of Student Outreach and One Stop leadership to improve communication workflows, referral processes, and student service coordination. Oversee financial aid case management workflows, including coordination of triaged financial aid inquiries received through the One Stop and assignment of cases to appropriate financial aid staff. Develop and provide ongoing training, resources, and guidance for One Stop student ambassadors specializing in financial aid services to ensure accurate and student-centered support. Oversee scholarship administration processes including application review timelines, awarding coordination, communication workflows, and operational support for scholarship activities. Coordinate scholarship committee meetings and collaborate with campus partners involved in scholarship review and awarding processes. Monitor scholarship fund utilization to support timely awarding and effective use of institutional and donor-funded scholarship resources. Collaborate with Enrollment Management, Student Outreach, and Marketing and Communications on financial aid messaging, outreach efforts, presentations, workshops, and communication strategies for students, families, and the campus community. Assist with development and review of financial aid communications including websites, email campaigns, presentations, student notifications, and informational materials to ensure accuracy, consistency, and student-centered communication. Identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency, communication processes, and student support services related to financial aid and scholarships. Scholarship Administration and Coordination Oversee daily operations of the scholarship coordinator to ensure timely and accurate processing of scholarship applications, awarding, communication, and fund distribution. Supervise and support scholarship coordination activities, workflows, timelines, and operational processes. Coordinate scholarship application review processes and ensure adherence to institutional policies, donor requirements, and established deadlines. Oversee the organization and facilitation of scholarship committee meetings, including communication, materials preparation, tracking, and coordination with campus stakeholders. Monitor scholarship fund utilization and awarding activity to support effective and timely expenditure of institutional and donor-funded scholarship resources. Collaborate with Advancement, Enrollment Management, Academic Affairs, and campus partners regarding scholarship processes, donor criteria, and student eligibility requirements. Assist with development and implementation of scholarship communication strategies, outreach materials, and informational resources for students and families. Utilize reporting tools and data analysis to monitor scholarship trends, fund balances, awarding activity, and operational effectiveness. Identify opportunities to improve scholarship workflows, communication processes, and the student experience related to scholarship administration. Ensure compliance with institutional, CSU, donor, and regulatory requirements related to scholarship administration and awarding processes. Strategic Planning, Collaboration, and Student Success Initiatives Collaborate with Enrollment Management, Student Affairs, Academic Affairs, and campus partners to support student success and enrollment initiatives. Participate in strategic planning efforts, operational assessments, and process improvement initiatives related to financial aid and student services. Support training, presentations, workshops, and outreach activities for students, families, and campus partners. Participate in CSU systemwide meetings, professional development opportunities, and collaborative initiatives as assigned. Contribute to the development of a student-centered, inclusive, and collaborative service culture within the department and across campus partnerships. Analyze service trends, operational challenges, and student feedback to recommend improvements supporting student access and success. Minimum Qualifications Bachelor’s degree in related field plus six years of progressively responsible work experience in higher education financial aid administration, which includes a minimum of one year of experience leading and/or supervising the work of others; or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Preferred Skills and Knowledge Master’s Degree Work experience in an academic setting, ideally Public Higher Education Demonstrated commitment and ability to advance the University’s goals in the areas of diversity and inclusive excellence Four years of experience leading and/or supervising the work of others Leadership / Vision Commitment to CSUEB’s mission and goals as a student-centered university dedicated to teaching excellence and active learning with a university first perspective and a customer focused strategy. Ability to establish a clear and understandable vision for the Financial Aid department, engage the university community in the implementation of the vision, and build the operational components to execute the vision. Ability to lead and enable groups of people to face challenges and achieve results in complex conditions. A commitment to diversity, inclusiveness and access in all areas of the university. Management / Conflict Resolution / Problem Resolution / Initiative / Continuous Improvement Successful experience managing a complex organization. Experience building and managing an effective world-class team dedicated to organizational goals and high performance. Experience with directing, supervising, motivating and inspiring others; measuring the performance of people, teams and organizations, and assessing performance and progress. Familiarity with collective bargaining and administering corrective action as appropriate in a collective bargaining environment. Ability to develop and support on-going learning and professional development for staff, managers and emerging leaders. Ability to lead courageously by addressing difficult issues. Ability to prioritize and handle issues based on sense of urgency and importance. Ability to ensure confidentiality around sensitive issues. Ability to initiate and support innovation with creativity, openness to change, flexibility, responsiveness, and future focus. Ability to apply quality management techniques of continuous improvement and employee involvement to assess and improve services, promote campus culture and build teams. Ability to identify current and future challenges and propose and implement effective solutions. Experience making effective decisions with sound analytical ability, good judgment and strong operational focus. Communication Excellent communication (verbal, written, presentation) skills. Ability to communicate effectively and with purpose to a variety of audiences. Successful negotiation and persuasion skills. Strategic Planning/Goal Setting Experience in strategically supporting growth and/or change. Experience creating and implementing long- and short-term goals. Experience in determining and coordinating resource allocations. Ability to collaborate with multiple entities to plan and accomplish the objectives set forth in the university’s strategic master plan, coordinating ongoing multiple large and complex projects from conception to completion in a centralized and highly regulated environment. Ability to find solutions that result in prudent decisions, to promote mutual satisfaction and positive action, and to develop imaginative approaches to achieve individual, unit and institutional strategic initiatives. Ability to apply forward-thinking and creative thought with high ethical standards to develop strategic vision. Teamwork / Collaboration The ability to work effectively and build strong alliances internally and externally with a broad range of individuals to bring the University community together around shared goals. Ability to recognize, understand, and appreciate different roles across the institution. Functional Area Expertise Demonstrated understanding of public, higher education environment. Knowledge of business process mapping, reengineering, and quality service. Experience with student information systems. Demonstrated knowledge and experience with implementing financial aid automated systems, electronic data transfer process, and financial aid software. Ability to develop and maintain budgets, track expenditures and properly account for funds. Strong understanding of college student development and the impact of financial aid service delivery on student retention/matriculation. Thorough knowledge of federal and state laws and regulations related to financial aid. Demonstrated commitment to the values of access and affordability for all students. Demonstrated ability to work in a dynamic and ever-changing environment. Experience developing and administering comprehensive programs and training materials. Proficiency with MS Office Suite. Condition(s) of Employment Satisfactory completion of a background check (including LiveScan, as appropriate), that may include, but is not limited to: criminal records check, verification of academic credentials, licenses, certificates, credit history, professional references and/or verification of work history is required for employment. Cal State East Bay will issue a conditional offer of employment to the selected candidate, which may be rescinded if the background check reveals disqualifying information, and/or it is discovered that the candidate knowingly withheld or falsified information. Unsatisfactory results may also affect the continued employment of current Cal State East Bay employees who were conditionally offered the position. EEO Statement All university programs and activities are open and available to all regardless of race, sex, color, ethnicity or national origin. Consistent with California law and federal civil rights laws, Cal State, East Bay provides equal opportunity in education and employment without unlawful discrimination or preferential treatment based on race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin. Our commitment to equal opportunity means ensuring that every student and employee has access to the resources and support they need to thrive and succeed in a university environment and in their communities. The CSU complies with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, the California Equity in Higher Education Act, California’s Proposition 209 (Art. I, Section 31 of the California Constitution), other applicable state and federal anti‑discrimination laws, and CSU’s Nondiscrimination Policy. We prohibit discriminatory preferential treatment, segregation based on race or any other protected status, and all forms of discrimination, harassment, and retaliation in all university programs, policies, and practices. Mandated Reporter The incumbent in this position may be considered a mandated reporter under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and will be required to comply with requirements set forth in the CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment. #J-18808-Ljbffr California State University - East Bay