Associate Director of Financial Aid and Customer Service

Position Summary
Join a vibrant campus community whose excellence is reflected in its diversity and student success. West Chester University of Pennsylvania’s Financial Aid Office invites applicants for the position of Associate Director of Financial Aid and Customer Service.

West Chester University, a member of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, is a public, comprehensive institution committed to offering high-quality undergraduate education, selected post-baccalaureate and graduate programs, and a variety of educational and cultural resources for its students, alumni, and citizens of southeastern Pennsylvania. We are a community of educators dedicated to developing graduates who succeed personally and professionally and contribute to the common good.

WCU proudly offers a positive and purposeful work environment; comprehensive employee benefits including health, vision, and dental insurance along with many wellness programs; a commitment to work-life balance including generous paid vacation, paid sick time, military leave and paid time off for most major holidays; and a University mission to support employee personal and professional growth including a tuition waiver for self and family members, training and development, and advancement opportunities.

The Financial Aid Office supports the recruitment, retention, and student success efforts of the University’s diverse undergraduate and graduate student population by helping students and their influencers seek, obtain, and make the best use of all financial resources.

Reporting to the Deputy Director of Financial Aid, The Associate Director serves as the primary on-campus leader for the office to ensure excellent service and support to students and their families. This position oversees and maintains efficient day-to-day office operations; supervises and supports customer service staff and graduate student workers; serves as a liaison to campus partners; serves as the single point of contact for veterans, study abroad, and international students; and coordinates financial aid for consortium agreements.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate excellent customer service, leadership, problem-solving, and communication skills; experience serving diverse populations; experience supporting veterans and National Guard funds and study abroad; and will value teamwork, collaboration, and continual process improvement.

Responsibilities include:

Provide onsite oversight to ensure efficient day-to-day office operations
Supervise and train customer service staff
Hire, train, and supervise graduate student workers
Foster a supportive and student-centered service environment
Collaborate with campus partners to provide excellent customer service and support to students and their families
Act as a liaison with the Bursars Office
Provide financial aid process counseling to staff, prospective and current students, and parents via email, in-person meetings and phones as needed
Coordinate financial aid processes for consortium agreements including study abroad
Support international students
Act as primary customer service contact for veterans and National Guard
Monitor and ensure compliance with all the laws, rules, regulations, and guidelines for each of the financial aid programs as set forth by the University, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the federal government, and all other private and public funding sources
Maintain a thorough understanding of current federal, state, and institutional financial aid regulations
Maintain accurate program and student files and records
Serve as primary contact for walk–in counseling
Provide financial aid trainings and presentations
Develop and update aid publications, forms, and applications
Represent the Financial Aid Office on University committees
Serve as the primary administrator of the case management system, Navigate
Other duties assigned