Assistant Director, Financial Resolution Services

continuous improvement.

This position is responsible for the direct supervision of multiple Finance Professionals who have independent oversight of designated portfolios that include both tuition accounts and loan accounts at various stages of delinquency across the Twin Cities, Rochester, Crookston, and Morris campuses. Primary responsibilities include hiring, coaching, supervising and evaluating staff, promoting a high level of customer service, and overseeing day-to-day functions of the Finance Professional team. This position serves as a central point of contact, providing guidance and fostering collaboration with students, borrowers, departments, and external partners to ensure seamless and efficient operations. This position also requires a high degree of professional judgment, training, critical thinking, and project management skills to be successful working with University and system wide projects and initiatives.

Please note, this position is not eligible for H-1B or Green Card sponsorship. This position does not offer a STEM OPT training program.

Staff Supervision/Management (50%)

• Responsible for the daily direct supervision of four full-time staff and one manager (who supervises 2 full-time staff and 1 student employee) including hiring, training, performance management, and coaching.
• Work with staff to provide the necessary tools and resources to perform their jobs efficiently and effectively.
• Establish work priorities, assignments, and deadlines for staff.
• Manage the billing, payment, and collections processes for tuition/fee receivables and campus-based student loan programs for Crookston, Morris, Rochester, and the Twin Cities campus.
• Utilize performance metrics and other data to inform decisions to maintain an effective and efficient operation.
• Assist customers and staff with complex issues, providing resolution for all referrals from internal and external units.
• Solve escalated, complex issues using professional judgment and individual discretion.
• Provide expertise and recommendations on high level policy decisions regarding student account billing and payment processes, collections, student accounts receivables, institutional loan billing/collections, and related tax forms/processes.
• Identify inefficiencies to promote operational excellence and coordinate process improvements of service to students and the University community.
• Ensure compliance with all federal and state laws such as FERPA, FDCPA, TCPA, FCRA, HIPPA, GLB, TILA/Regulation Z, and Title IV, VII, & VIII, as failure to comply may result in loss of federal & state financial aid programs, legal ramifications, ramifications for the university's reputation and financial penalties.
• Demonstrate and promote a high level of customer service. Demonstrate and support a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Project and Process Management (20%)

• Lead or provide direction on large scale projects that strategically enhance One Stop Student Services and University goals including, but not limited to: Student and borrower account resolutions, Full-time Staff Training, Academic Support Resources/One Stop Student Services, Communications related to Financial Resolution Services Financial Wellness
• Provide leadership and oversight of the account resolution operations for student tuition/fees account receivables and student loan receivables.
• Provide administration and oversight of the loan collection and student account collection imaging system drawers, including identifying document types and workflow for those documents.
• Oversee the maintenance of all collection letters and publications used by staff for payment processing, billing, and collections purposes.
• Work collaboratively with ASR Information Technology and Office of Student Finance staff to produce and maintain the 1098T tax form filings to students and the IRS. Coordinate with the University of Minnesota Tax Director and One Stop Student Services on any website information, materials and notices created or sent out regarding tax filings.
• Ensure compliance with federal and state regulations related to billing, collections, and campus-based loan programs.

University and Community Ambassador for Financial Resolution Services (20%)

• Orchestrate collaboration efforts amongst Academic Support Resources units and other University departments (e.g., Office of Information Technology, Tax Office, College of Continuing and Professional Students, International Student and Scholar Services, University of Minnesota system campuses, and collegiate units etc.) to promote University goals of operational efficiency and the creation of a welcoming University environment.
• Act as a coordinating entity for various university officials to ensure multi-faceted student situations are managed with care and confidentiality.
• Provide knowledge, expertise, and solution options to complex university policy or procedural situations.
• Present and train on new concepts and best practices at local, regional, and national conferences, and share knowledge with national higher education leaders.
• Attend training, workshops, and other professional development opportunities to maintain and increase knowledge base.

Reconciliation, Reporting, and Analytics (10%)

• Work collaboratively with the Office of Student Finance-Fiscal unit staff on the reconciliation of the loans cash clearing account and campus-based loan funds.
• Assist with the preparation of the Annual Operating Reports and FISAP for Crookston, Morris and the Twin Cities campuses. Assist with reconciling and correction of errors in these reports and the setup of any new reports as the University enters into new loan programs.
• Perform data analysis and provide reporting surrounding student account and student loan collections, collection agency performance, and revenue recapture statistics.
• Oversee and manage collection agency payment processing. Lead efforts to investigate and resolve discrepancies related to check and electronic fund transfer transactions, ensuring timely and accurate financial reconciliation.

Qualifications

Required

• BA/BS degree with at least 6 years of relevant work experience or master’s degree with at least 4 years of relevant work experience
• Ability to analyze and interpret data and make independent decisions
• Sensitive to cultural diversity and ability to communicate and interact effectively with people of all ages and identities
• Ability to multitask and prioritize work for self and others
• Effective communication and customer service skills

Preferred (Core Competencies)

• Experience working at the University of Minnesota or a similar multi-campus university.
• PeopleSoft experience (i.e., Campus Solutions, PeopleSoft Financials/Enterprise Financial System)
• Salesforce Customer Relationship Management experience
• Knowledge of federal student loan regulations and federal collection laws.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, and ability to communicate and build relationships across departments
• Excellent organizational and time management skills
• Ability to manage multiple priorities