Associate Director of Financial Aid & Scholarship (Administrator I)

Associate Director of Financial Aid & Scholarship (Administrator I)

Apply now Job no: 559376 Work type: Management (MPP) Location: East Bay Categories: MPP, Administrative, At-Will

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 includes 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.

Administrator I

About Cal State East Bay

Cal State East Bay's beautiful main campus is located in the Hayward hills with panoramic views of the San Francisco Bay shoreline. Situated above the city of Hayward, the campus offers an ideal setting for teaching and learning and yet easy access to the many cities along the bay. The University has a satellite campus in Concord, a professional development center in Oakland and a significant presence online. Founded in 1957, Cal State East Bay is one of 23 universities of the California State University system (CSU). Cal State East Bay is recognized as a regionally engaged and globally oriented university with a strong commitment to academic innovation, student success, engaged and service learning, diversity, and sustainability.

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 in support of student success and institutional enrollment goals for California State University, East Bay (CSUEB or the University). 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 the 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 administration and oversight of financial aid programs, compliance activities, and operational processes supporting institutional and student financial aid programs.
• 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

• Provide leadership and operational oversight for scholarship administration processes, coordination activities, and student support services related to institutional and donor-funded scholarships.
• 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 organizing 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