Financial Analyst, Private Lending-Hybrid Schedule

Financial Analyst, Private Lending

Student Financial Services (SFS) at Columbia University facilitates the financial experience of students during their enrollment. Supporting over 35,000 students and University teams in 17 schools, SFS focuses on excellent student service, strong support to our internal colleagues, and compliant management of processes and funds. With the upcoming changes to federal student loans, the Financial Analyst, reporting to the Associate Director, Financial Aid Loan Services, will manage operational processes connected with private lending used by students. Key constituents will be other SFS team members, school colleagues, external lenders and related vendors, and students. This role will drive excellence in efficient, effective and compliant management of private student loan funds.

Responsibilities

• Loan Processing, Reconciliation & Aggregate Monitoring:
• Manage loan originations and handle response and reject files from the Common Origination and Disbursement (COD) system.
• Perform monthly reconciliation of Private loan programs in collaboration with University Financial Aid offices and the Controller's Office, in accordance with federal regulations and University policies.
• Review student and program-level borrowing to ensure compliance with federal loan eligibility and aggregate loan limits.
• Identify, research, and resolve discrepancies related to loan origination, disbursement, reconciliation, and aggregate limit usage.
• Support the development and enhancement of internal controls designed to prevent over-awards and loan originations exceeding federal limits.
• Aid in continuous process improvement, documentation, and standardization initiatives within the unit.

• Compliance, Regulatory Implementation & Reporting:
• Ensure audit accuracy and maintain fiscal compliance with Federal Student Aid regulations and University operating procedures.
• Test the implementation of new federal loan requirements which may include translating regulatory guidance into operational procedures.
• Monitor the preparation of schedules, reports, and compliance documentation required for reconciliation, audits, program reviews, and regulatory reporting.
• Provide reports and compliance metrics to support oversight of loan processing and aggregate limit compliance.

• Systems Coordination, Testing & Data Integrity:
• Test and validate system updates in University information systems and coordinate with external vendors to support regulatory and programmatic changes. Participate in testing and validation of loan processing workflows, including origination, disbursement, COD responses, and reconciliation related to regulatory updates.
• Validate data accuracy and consistency between institutional and federal systems following implementation of new loan limits and eligible grandfathering allowances.
• Document system logic, edits, and exception-handling processes related to loan processing and aggregate limits.

• Coordination, Training & Change Management:
• Develop and maintain strong working relationships with financial aid offices to support consistent processing of Federal and Private loan awards, originations, disbursements, and reconciliation.
• Serve as a subject-matter expert for financial aid staff regarding loan processing, reconciliation, and federal aggregate loan limit requirements.
• Assist with the development and delivery of training materials related to loan processing procedures, system changes, and regulatory updates.
• Remains current on private loan products and changes within the lending industry and identifies and issues updates to leadership and financial aid teams related to such information.
• Serves as a liaison between financial aid and external lender relationship teams to provide statistical data related to the borrowing habits of students.

• Resource, Policy & Information Management:
• Provide support in the development, maintenance, and updates of the University Financial Aid Loan Processing Manual.
• Assist with content management for the University Financial Aid Student Loans web pages, including updates related to regulatory or program changes.
• Develop and maintain procedural documentation and job aids, coordinating their dissemination to ensure operational consistency and compliance across the financial aid community

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent.
• Minimum of three years' related experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with Federal and Private Loan programs.
• Demonstrated knowledge of Federal Student Aid regulations.
• Experience with PowerFAIDS Financial Aid system (or similar systems) and ELM Resources is strongly preferred.
• Expertise in data analysis and visualization with large datasets.
• Practical knowledge of relational database structures.
• Strong proficiency in accounting principles and Microsoft Office Suite.
• Must be detail-oriented with strong organizational and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage deadline-oriented projects.
• Demonstrate strong critical thinking, interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills.
• Ability to work well with all levels of employees.
• Must be flexible in nature, possess sound judgment, and exhibit an open, collaborative style that encourages teamwork across the organization.
• A passion for excellent customer service and a strong commitment to exceptional quality.

Other Requirements

• Demonstrated ability to work effectively with a wide range of University and business personnel involved in student administration activities.
• Ability to work independently and successfully within a team-based environment.
• Ability to manage conflicting priorities and perform effectively under deadlines.
• Must be detail-oriented with strong organizational and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage deadline-oriented projects.
• Demonstrate strong critical thinking, interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills.
• Ability to work well with all levels of employees.
• Must be flexible in nature, possess sound judgment, and exhibit an open, collaborative style that encourages teamwork across the organization.
• A passion for excellent customer service and a strong commitment to exceptional quality.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.