Head of Finance & Performance

Description

Lead Student Finance. Strengthen Compliance. We’re

Sonoran Desert Institute

and we are seeking an experienced

Director of Student Finance

to join our amazing team
As a DEAC accredited school, our mission is to provide students with current, industry-driven, quality education, delivered through online distance education and practical applications. SDI is an employee-owned company creating a culture with an ownership mentality at the foundation. The

Director of Student Finance

oversees the entire student funding lifecycle, from initial funding determination and packaging through ongoing funding administration, graduation or withdrawal, and repayment processes. The Financial Services Department strives to create an environment where students understand their financing options and how they impact their current educational experience as well as their financial future, and students can complete the Financial Services process quickly and accurately in order to focus on their studies.
The

Director of Student Finance

will provide leadership for the department to ensure students are properly serviced throughout their funding lifecycle, while ensuring the timely, accurate, and compliant administration of all applicable funding sources, including Title IV, Veterans Affairs (VA) education benefits, Department of Defense Tuition Assistance (TA), employer assistance, self-pay, and other institutional or third-party funding sources. The

Director of Student Finance

provides oversight of both student-facing funding and packaging functions and back-office Student Finance processing and operations and collaborates across departments to support the student experience and effective administration of student funding.
Oversees development and maintenance of Student Finance procedures, SOPs, training materials, and operational controls and partners with the Director of Funding Compliance on institutional policy and regulatory interpretation
Maintains strong working knowledge of all applicable federal, state, accreditor, VA, DoD, and institutional funding requirements and ensures Student Finance processes are operationally aligned with those requirements in coordination with the Director of Funding Compliance
Oversees required data exchanges and processing between the SIS and applicable to federal, military, and other funding systems
Serves as an escalation point for complex student funding, operational, and cross-functional issues.
Oversees operational reporting, data quality, and processes necessary to ensure student funding information is timely and accurately reflected in institutional and external system
Maintains current professional and operational knowledge through ongoing training, professional development, and collaboration with the Director of Funding Compliance and other subject matter experts. Oversees timely and accurate processing of credit balance stipends and refunds, in conjunction with Student Accounts
Ensures compliant and timely batching of Title IV funding and posting to student ledger cards
Ensure all student funding communications, counseling, award notifications, and outstanding-item outreach are timely, accurate, clear, and compliant
Maintains sufficient working knowledge of institutional, federal, VA, DoD, and third-party funding systems to effectively oversee departmental operations
Works closely with employees, peers, and Online President to identify process gaps and inefficiencies and ensure corrections are implemented
Provides Student Finance operational insight and recommendations to institutional leadership as requested
Oversees front-end eligibility and packaging functions, including FAFSA/ISIR processing, verification, C-code resolution, conflicting information, professional judgment, file completion, packaging, and repackaging. Oversees post-packaging Student Finance operations, including funding adjustments, over awards, COD processing, reconciliation, and other activities affecting student funding eligibility or disbursement.
Maintains relationships and oversight of third-party vendors and consultants and assists with contract renewals and terminations
Serves as the primary Student Finance operational contact for funding-related audits, program reviews, VA compliance surveys, TA audits, and other regulatory examinations and coordinates with the Director of Funding Compliance and other institutional stakeholders
Provides operational input to Compliance and institutional leadership regarding proposed or changing funding requirements and new program offerings and their potential impact on students and Student Finance operations
Establishes and monitors processing timelines, service levels, workload, staffing needs, quality indicators, and other performance measures for Student Finance
Partners with Compliance and Quality Assurance to address identified errors, trends, findings, and corrective actions while maintaining appropriate independence between operational processing and QA review.
Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP)
~ Comprehensive benefits package with 100% company-paid medical option for employee
~Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
~ Company-paid Life insurance
~ 14 Paid holidays
~ Bachelor’s degree in business, finance, education, administration, or related field
Minimum of 8 years of progressive experience in student financial aid, student finance, or related higher education operations, including significant leadership and supervisory responsibilities and demonstrated experience overseeing Title IV financial aid operations
Strong knowledge of student funding operations, Title IV administration, VA and TA benefits, scholarships, employer reimbursement, internal controls, and applicable regulatory requirements
Proficiency with student information systems, financial aid and federal funding systems, and data/reporting tools, with the ability to analyze operational data and identify risks and process gaps
Knowledge of online, modular delivery models is a plus
Highly organized, results-oriented self-starter with strong multitasking skills and the ability to lead cross-functional initiatives and implement sustainable process improvements
It recruits and hires without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, age, veteran or disability status, sexual orientation, gender expression, or any factors prohibited by law and affirms in policy and practice to support equal opportunity in accordance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws.
*We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time.
* *All benefits not available immediately upon hire. Some eligibility requirements may need to be met to be eligible for some benefits based on company policy.