Summary Description: The Executive Director of Student Financial Services provides strategic leadership and oversight for all aspects of financial aid administration and student accounts, ensuring the effective management and integrity of federal, state, and institutional financial aid programs. The Executive Director supervises financial services staff and fosters a collaborative and student-centered environment throughout the financial aid and billing processes. In partnership with institutional leadership and campus colleagues, the Executive Director develops and implements financial aid leveraging strategies, policies, and awarding practices that align with the WPU’s enrollment and retention goals. This role works closely with admissions, finance, athletics, and other campus partners to ensure the strategic distribution of institutional aid, maintain regulatory compliance, and promote excellent customer service while supporting the WPU’s mission and commitment to student success.

Essential Functions:

• Provide vision, leadership, and oversight for Student Financial Services, including Financial Aid and Student Accounts, by developing and managing strategic policies, procedures, and compliance practices that leverage the relationship between financial aid, athletics, and admissions to support institutional enrollment, retention goals, and exceptional student service.
• Manage direct reports and provide support to management of staff in the Student Financial Services Department including recruitment and selection, training, staff development, evaluation, and feedback.
• Serve as the Chief Compliance Officer for Title IV federal aid regulations, overseeing the verification of specific federal and/or state criteria, authorization of payment process, reconciliation with accounting office(s), and R2T4 in compliance with federal and state regulations and WPU policies, while utilizing industry’s best practices.
• Oversee the administration of all student loan programs, including calculations of eligibility, origination of applications, entrance/exit interviews, and serve as liaison to outside agencies and ensure fiscal accountability in fund management, disbursement, and recovery by coordinating technology and information systems for effective administration of student, institutional, and outside funds.
• Utilize net tuition revenue models to strategically package financial aid and collaborate with the Finance Office to manage financial performance, monitor awards against budget targets, and achieve institutional goals for gross revenue, discount rate, and net tuition revenue.
• Assist in planning and implementing Student Account objectives while collaborating with WPU departments to ensure the timely and accurate processing of student account statements and supporting the management of outstanding balances and payment plans, including recommending administrative withdrawals for non-payment.
• Manage the operational budget for the Student Financial Services Department.
• Manage the preparation of materials for the annual audit and serve as departmental contact with the auditors.
• In-depth knowledge of the Department of Education requirements to accurately import, download and troubleshoot student aid reports.
• Demonstrate commitment to the WPU’s Christian liberal arts mission by upholding the institution’s Employment Standards and Lifestyle Agreement while fostering an inclusive and respectful environment that values diversity across national origin, ethnicity, culture, gender, and abilities.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Minimum five to seven years of experience in financial aid or student financial services
• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited institution or equivalent experience in a higher education environment.
• Demonstrated strategic and organizational agility with strong self-motivation and excellent oral and written communication skills, coupled with the ability to collaborate effectively with customers, students, faculty, staff, and internal and external stakeholders at all levels of the organization.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively supervise, manage and motivate a diverse team, with effective leadership and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated ability to efficiently and effectively solve problems and initiate and implement projects independently.
• Ability to provide overall direction and analysis for the Financial Aid computer systems and programs; recommend enhancements to existing systems/programs to maximize efficiency and effectiveness.
• Proven ability to interact with individuals regarding financial aid and student account challenges in a proactive and positive manner, ensuring that all parties are heard and feel respected in the process and lead a team that provides the same level of customer service.
• Ability to multitask with accuracy and work effectively in a fast-paced environment while managing highly detailed and confidential information and consistently meeting deadlines.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree preferred
• Bilingual – Spanish speaker preferred
• Experience using the Ellucian Colleague administrative system
• Experience in standard, non-standard and non-term financial aid delivery formats
• Experience working with adult learners and traditional age learners

Physical Demands – Work Environment: 
The position is located in a typical office environment.  Professional/business attire is required.

Warner Pacific University’s Mission:  Warner Pacific is a Christ-centered, urban, diverse, minority-serving, Hispanic-serving, liberal arts University dedicated to providing students with an education that prepares them to engage actively in a constantly changing world. Our hiring practices reflect our missional commitment to being a Christ-centered institution.

Warner Pacific University’s Commitment to Diversity: Warner Pacific University is an Equal Opportunity Employer that seeks a diverse workforce of committed Christians from all racial, ethnic, and socio-economic backgrounds. Warner Pacific University is committed to hiring staff and faculty with an intentionality that demonstrates the importance of having an employee community that reflects the racial and ethnic diversity of the students we serve.

Employment and Lifestyle Standards: 
Warner Pacific is a Christ-centered urban liberal arts University dedicated to providing students from diverse backgrounds an education that prepares them to engage actively in a constantly changing world. The University was founded in 1937 by the Church of God (Anderson, Indiana). Central to Warner Pacific’s identity as a Christ-centered higher education institution is the policy of hiring persons whose personal and professional lives reflect:
1.   A belief in the deity of and commitment to Jesus Christ and the Christian faith, as interpreted through the historic witness of Scripture and the continuing ministry of the Holy Spirit.
2.  The practice of following Christ through day-to-day personal lifestyle choices.
3.  A vitality of Christian experience maturing in insight and application and appreciative of differing viewpoints.
4.  A commitment to life-long learning and service through personal and professional development.
5.  For teaching faculty, the expression of artful teaching, based on mastery of relevant subject matter and in an environment of purposeful and rigorous inquiry amongst a community of scholars who support one another.
6. A capability, by temperament, preparation, and will, to support students as they confront the intellectual, social, physical, emotional, and spiritual challenges of their lives.
7.   A sensitivity to and support for the mission, core themes, vision, values, ethos and traditions of the Warner Pacific University community.
8. A commitment to teaching and serving in harmony with the doctrines of the Holy Bible. 

Employee Agreement:
Mission-based hiring is of critical importance to Warner Pacific University. Employees are expected to demonstrate and articulate a vital Christian faith and to live in a manner consistent with a Christ-centered lifestyle as informed by the Scriptures of the New Testament.
 
Warner Pacific’s students, faculty and staff are expected to foster an environment of mutual respect and accountability, to care for the personal dignity of others and to exercise integrity in their conduct and communication. The University environment is expected to be free from discrimination and harassment (including bullying). When an individual’s behavior has direct implications for others and/or the well-being of the University community, there may be cause for institutional involvement, regardless of where the situation occurs.
 
Warner Pacific University desires to provide a safe and healthy environment for staff, faculty, students, visitors and guests. Therefore, smoking is not permitted on University property, in its vehicles, or at any University sponsored event. The use of illegal drugs or non-prescribed controlled substances is strictly prohibited. Use of alcoholic beverages or tobacco products is strictly prohibited on Warner Pacific University campuses.
 
Equal Employment Opportunity:
Warner Pacific provides equal opportunity for employment and advancement for all employees and applicants regardless of race, color, sex, gender, national origin, citizenship status, disability, age, genetic information, status with regard to public assistance, veteran status and any other status protected by laws and regulations to which Warner Pacific is subject.  All employment decisions, including hiring, promotions, compensation, benefits, transfers, and terminations are made in a manner that does not discriminate against individuals in the categories discussed above.  Because Warner Pacific is a Christian liberal arts University, the University exercises its legal right to hire Christian employees to fulfill its mission and purpose.

Click “Apply Now” to complete the online application, and submit the following:

1. Application
2. Cover Letter
3. Resume

** NOTE: All job offers are contingent upon successfully passing a background check and completing all required paperwork.