Executive Director of Financial Aid

Executive Director of Financial Aid

Location: Lynn/Danvers, MA

Category: Administrative

Job Type: Full-time

Posted On: Fri Apr 3 2026

Non-Unit Professional position, 37.5 hours/week

Campus Location: Lynn and Danvers Campus with 1 remote day

Work Schedule: Monday - Friday; 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

SALARY: Salary range $115,000.00 - $124,000.00. The offered salary will be commensurate with experience and education but will not exceed the stated range. Full time benefited employees at North Shore Community College are eligible for a comprehensive benefits package offered through the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Click HERE for a highlight of these benefits.

At this time, the College is not providing sponsorships for Visas.

GENERAL STATEMENT OF DUTIES:

The Executive Director of Financial Aid provides strategic leadership, operational oversight, and policy direction for the College's Financial Aid functions. This position ensures a student-centered experience, maintains full regulatory compliance, and advances institutional goals related to access, affordability, enrollment, and student success. The Executive Director works collaboratively across campus to deliver accurate, timely, and seamless financial services to students and families.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

Leadership & Strategic Direction

• Provide vision, strategic direction, and executive leadership for all Financial Aid and operations, fostering a culture of service excellence and continuous improvement.
• Assist the Dean with the development, implementation, and maintenance of policies and procedures that support enrollment, retention, student financial literacy, and institutional financial goals.
• Serve as the institution's primary authority on federal, state, and institutional aid regulations, ensuring full compliance across all aid and student account processes.
• Lead the Financial Aid team in the effective use of the Ellucian Banner system for data integrity, reporting, and process optimization.

Operational Management & Compliance

• Oversees the preparation of financial aid reports for federal, state, and third-party agencies. Maintains accountability for external audits related to financial aid; provides information to external auditors; response to audit inquiries; participates in resolving audit issues in cooperation with the college's comptroller's office.
• In compliance with federal, state, and institutional regulations, develops operating policies and procedures. Analyze and interpret federal, state, and institutional regulations to maximize compliance efforts pertaining to Title IV aid and veterans' benefits; monitors the school's financial aid regulatory compliance.
• Prepares and submits appropriate applications and reports for the continued funding of federal and MA state financial aid programs; supervises reconciliation of financial aid account balances with the Fiscal Affairs Office, the Federal Department of Education (DOE) and the MA Office of Student Financial Aid (OSFA). This includes the timely filing of the annual FISAP and Federal IPEDS report for Financial Aid, the annual MA State Financial Aid HEIRS report as well as other specific grant programmatic reporting required in order to maintain the College's eligibility for continued Federal and MA State financial aid funding.
• Monitors financial aid expenditures for all federal, state, and institutional financial aid programs to ensure funds are expended and awarded per guidelines and regulations.
• Work closely with the Assistant Director of Student Accounts to ensure compliance with cash management rules, 1098-T reporting, billing accuracy, refund processes, and student account integrity.

Cross-Campus Collaboration & Institutional Alignment

• Partner closely with colleagues in Enrollment Services, Finance, and other campus stakeholders to support recruitment, retention, and student success initiatives.
• Collaborate with the Dean of Enrollment Management & Student Financial Strategies on institutional aid modeling, budget oversight, and monitoring of federal, state, and institutional funding levels.
• Cultivate strong internal relationships to improve workflows between Financial Aid, Student Accounts, and One-Stop operations.
• Represent Financial Aid at campus events including Admissions programs, Commencement, FAFSA workshops, and financial literacy initiatives.

Student Experience & Financial Wellness

• Lead efforts to deliver clear, supportive, and proactive communication to students and families regarding financial aid and student account processes.
• Advance student financial literacy through workshops, outreach, and integrated communications across the student lifecycle.
• Champion a student-focused service model that prioritizes timely responses, transparency, and individualized support.

Team Leadership & Staff Development

• Supervise, mentor, and evaluate the Financial Aid and Student Accounts teams, creating an environment that values excellence, accountability, and professional growth.
• Provide meaningful training and professional development opportunities to ensure staff maintain expertise in best practices, compliance changes, and emerging trends.
• Guide and support continuous improvement initiatives that strengthen efficiency, service delivery, and interdepartmental coordination.

One-Stop & Service Integration

• Support coordination of streamlined, student-friendly processes within the College's One-Stop Office, collaborating with Recruitment, Admissions, Financial Aid, Student Accounts, Veterans Services, and ESL.
• Contribute to the development of integrated service models that reduce barriers for students and enhance the overall student experience.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED: Dean of Enrollment Management & Student Financial Strategies

SUPERVISION EXERCISED: Position currently supervises two full-time Coordinators, four full-time Counselors and a full-time clerk.

Job Requirements:

• Master's Degree with experience in accounting, business, information systems or other related field
• At least seven years of progressively responsible leadership experience in a financial aid office at a post-secondary institution
• Strong working knowledge of financial aid operations management, performance management, and change management. Demonstrated successful experience leading and managing teams.
• Extensive knowledge of Title IV Federal Financial Aid rules and regulations and the ability to research, interpret and implement these regulations where and when needed.
• Exceptional interpersonal, professional, and organizational skills with the ability to identify and prioritize work activities, engage, empower and motivate others while maintaining an accountable team environment
• Demonstrated ability to clearly convey information and ideas both verbally and in writing.
• Demonstrated ability in assessing staff development needs and implementing training solutions as needed.
• Experience working with technology tools necessary for financial aid operations and student success
• Demonstrated ability to work and communicate with diverse staff and student population.
• Demonstrated strong analytical and problem-solving skills, sound judgment and decision-making skills
• Must have the ability to work evenings when necessary and potentially weekends. Must have the ability to commute between campuses and to off campus events.
• Candidates will be required to pass a CORI/ SORI and or National background check as a condition of employment

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience working with Ellucian/Banner Student Information System
• Bilingual (Spanish/English)