Associate Director, Scholarships

Who We Are

Founded in 1965, UC Irvine is a member of the prestigious Association of American Universities and is ranked among the nation's top 10 public universities by U.S. News & World Report. The campus has produced five Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UC Irvine has more than 36,000 students and offers 224 degree programs. It's located in one of the world's safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County's second-largest employer, contributing $7 billion annually to the local economy and $8 billion statewide.

To learn more about UC Irvine, visit www.uci.edu.

The Division of Enrollment Management is a key campus thought partner that provides collaborative leadership in university-wide efforts, utilizing systematic, innovative, and synergistic approaches to leverage a data-informed enrollment strategy to improve market distinctiveness, and execute the campus strategic plan. The division comprises the offices of Enrollment Management, Financial Aid & Scholarships, University Registrar, and Undergraduate Admissions.

The Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships is a key contributor to student success and student access in higher education, administering all types of financial assistance for eligible students demonstrating financial need, academic merit, and/or other merit factor(s). This includes, but is not limited to scholarships, grants, loans, and/or work-study awards.

Your Role on the Team

Reporting to the Director, Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships, the Associate Director of Scholarships is responsible for the management of UC Irvine's Centralized Scholarship Platform and associated funds, cross-organizational strategic planning of scholarship programs with organization wide impact, life-cycle management of existing scholarships, planning & development of new scholarships, and marketing & outreach to current & incoming student populations and donors. Develops and implements budgets for managed functions, including supervising managers, supervisors, and/or team leaders.

The Associate Director of Scholarships plans short-term and long-term scholarship goals in alignment with campus enrollment directives. Proactively assesses risk to establish systems and procedures to protect organizational assets. Responsible for establishing a structure of duties associated with scholarship timelines, application reviews, scholarship candidate selections, and all related marketing and outreach activities. The Associate Director of Scholarships works closely with the Director & management team members from the Office of Financial Aid & Scholarships and with schools and campus leadership teams to identify need and management of scholarship programs. Recommends changes to policies and procedures to ensure accurate, efficient, and timely delivery of student aid that is in compliance with all federal, state, University, and donor policy and regulations and supports departmental objectives. Position duties and responsibilities will be performed in support of the office vision, mission, and values as well as those of the Division of Enrollment Management and the University of California, Irvine mission and goals.

What It Takes to be Successful

Required:

• Advanced knowledge of policies, regulations, and practices for awarding scholarships and financial aid, including needs analysis and packaging.
• Working knowledge of techniques for recruitment and retention of students through scholarships and financial aid.
• Thorough knowledge of University policies, processes, and procedures, including those related to supervising employees.
• Strong knowledge of advising and counseling techniques.
• Experience with project management, strategic decision making, and organizational change management.
• Ability to interpret complex policies and develop procedures to ensure compliance.
• Thorough problem identification, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills; judgment and decision-making ability.
• Strong quantitative analysis and resource management skills.
• Experienced in staff motivation, supervision, training, and employee relations
• Organizational skills and ability to prioritize work for self and others to meet deadlines; project management skills.
• Strong written and verbal communication, active listening, persuasion, and negotiation skills.
• Strong customer service orientation.
• Ability to assess processes and implement improvements.
• Interpersonal skills including social perceptiveness.
• Experience with online marketing including social media and content marketing
• Experience using complex databases. Ability to define specifications for database programming.
• Ability to maintain security and confidentiality of information and records
• Bachelor's degree in related area and / or equivalent experience / training
• 10+ years of directly related professional experience and experience leading a team in a management role.

Preferred:

• Experience using ScholarshipUniverse and UPP platforms and/or SBS
• Knowledge of Institutional Need Analysis System (INAS)

Special Conditions:

• Occasional/seasonal nights and weekends
• Must complete and pass a US Department of Justice background check
• Occasional on-campus presence to meet with students and families, collaborate with university partners, and represent the office at campus events