Director of Financial Aid - Spokane Community College

Location: Spokane CC Main Campus Spokane

Department: SCC Financial Aid/Work Study

Salary Range: $100,707 - $113,645

Starting salary for this position is: $100,707 (Annually)

The salary range represents the earning potential for this position, through training, evaluations and years spent working in this position with Spokane Colleges.

About Us 

Spokane Community College, part of Spokane Colleges, serves 15,000 students with career technical, liberal arts, and adult education programs in Spokane and surrounding rural communities.

Applications will be accepted until 4:00 p.m. PST on 08/25/2025. The application process will not be available after this time. To ensure consideration make sure your application is completed and submitted as soon as possible. Applications will only be accepted prior to 4:00 p.m. on the closing date.

About the Director of Financial Aid - Spokane Community College

JOB SUMMARY

The Director of Financial Aid is responsible for the overall management and leadership of a variety of student funding service areas, including federal and state financial aid, workforce funding, and military benefit certifications.

This position is responsible for Spokane Community College’s federal, state, and institutional financial aid programs and services in excess of $35 million annually.

Reporting to the Vice President of Student Services, this position requires significant skill in coordinating across campus and leading a team through a variety of internal and external changes, both anticipated and unanticipated. This position has the ultimate responsibility for developing and implementing a student funding distribution process that is student-centric, seamless, and a user-friendly experience within the SCC Student Services model. 

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Leadership

• Provide overall leadership, management, and coordination of student financial programs including all federal and state aid sources. Provide fiduciary oversight of day-to-day financial aid operations in the Financial Aid department. *
• Foster an environment of integrity, teamwork, student-centered service and collaboration within the financial aid office, across departments, and institution-wide. *
• Provide clear and robust communication to ensure staff are well informed and working synergistically with other areas of student services and the college. *
• Supervise (recruit, select, train, and evaluate) full/part-time classified and professional exempt employees. Adhere to the classified contract, and all district rules and regulations ensuring efficient operations at SCC’s financial aid office. *
• Lead staff to streamline systems and services to effectively meet and exceed compliance with federal and state regulations with a focus on innovation to improve student outcomes. *
• Represent the college at professional meetings and serve as a departmental liaison for funding areas with the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges and to community organizations and other public agencies. Foster new and maintain existing collaborative relationships with partner organizations. *
• Act as the primary contact for state and local agencies e.g., Higher Education Coordinating Board, Department of Education (ED), Washington Association of Financial Aid Administrators etc. Act as the primary resource for administrators and staff ensuring information on federal, state and agency rules/regulations are communicated accurately. *
• Develop and maintain strong working relationships within the campus community including representing the Student Services division on committees, and participate in college planning, campus-wide activities or new programs and initiatives as appropriate. *
• Actively and collaboratively engage with the Student Services Leadership Team to provide effective and seamless student recruitment, enrollment, retention, and completion. *

Program oversight

• Oversee the monitoring of ongoing student eligibility which includes satisfactory academic progress standards, petition processing, withdrawal, and repayment processing. *
• Develop and implement a comprehensive plan to engage students who qualify for funding programs with the ultimate goal of increased retention, decreasing dependence on student loans, and reducing our cohort default rate (CDR). Assess the success, effectiveness, and appropriateness of funding services for students, ensuring student funding programs meet the needs of the college and students. *

Funding oversight

• Act as lead budget authority for multiple, complex budgets, overseeing the development and submission of budget revisions to ensure budgets are spent appropriately within federal and state fiscal year. *
• Oversee and manage the timely disbursement of funding to students with appropriate process and procedure adhering to all state and federal regulations, e.g., authorizations and disbursement reports which include all discrepancy reports, coordination of federal ‘Return of Funds’ and institutional/state refund processes. Research and resolve federal student database match issues and manage system generated by the Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR) review process. Appropriately resolve over-award issues resulting from either student or institutional error ensuring a smooth and accurate financial aid disbursement process. *
• Provide oversight and leadership of multiple funding sources supporting student basic needs including Passport to College, Supporting Students Experiencing Homelessness (SSEH), SEAG, Basic Needs program (including the Student Food Pantry) and urgent funding team. *

Compliance

• Provide students and prospective students information regarding financial aid. *
• Responsible for SCC’s student consumer information materials both printed and on the website. Manage the development and maintenance of an integrated procedural manual and coordinate institutional financial aid policies and procedures, collaborating with campus stakeholders, i.e., admissions, registration, assessment, and counseling, to provide required consumer information to the public. *
• Integrate and interpret new federal and state regulatory changes into institutional policies and procedures making sure that the college complies with all funds awarded by the Financial Aid Office. *
• Ensure compliance with accountability standards of federal, state, and institutional financial aid regulations through the collection, analysis, and interpretation of data to make informed decisions. Audit quarterly reconciliations and compile and analyze data for multiple mandatory state and federal reports - Federal Fiscal Operations Report and Application to Participate (FISAP), State Unit Record and Institutional services, meeting all deadlines. *
• Ensure the college has exception-free financial aid audits and program reviews. *
• Oversee file maintenance and retention/archive functions to comply with federal and state financial aid regulations. *
• Model professional decorum and mutual respect in all personal interactions. *
• Comply with district policy, procedures and directives, state and federal regulations, orders and statute and collective bargaining agreements. *
• Support and advance the Spokane Colleges strategic plan, and perform other duties as assigned. *

* Indicates this is an essential duty

COMPETENCIES

• Manages Complexity
• Strategic Mindset
• Action Oriented
• Drives Results
• Manages Conflict
• Builds Effective Teams
• Drives Vision and Purpose

Learn more about our competencies.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Successful supervision experience.
• A master’s degree in education, finance, business administration, or another closely related field. Or an equivalent mix of education and experience that demonstrates the candidate meets all competency requirements for this position.
• Five years of higher education financial aid leadership experience.
• Working knowledge of Federal Financial Aid and other processes and regulations including FERPA, Title IV and Title IX
• Excellent communication skills both orally and in writing
• Ability to work cooperatively with employees, students, and other departments.
• Demonstrated technology skills in working within databases, spreadsheets, etc., and analyzing data and information to make informed decisions.
• The ability to develop and manage complex institutional/agency budgets.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Working knowledge of federal software applications and PeopleSoft.
• Working knowledge of query database management software.
• Experience supporting student service processes to foster student enrollment, retention, and completion through funding services and support.
• Knowledge of workforce funding and veterans’ benefits.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

• Work is sedentary in nature.
• Frequent use of computer and exposure to monitors
• Visual focus and strain
• Work involves constant interruptions and requirement to answer on demand questions by phone, in person, or electronically.
• Frequent repetitive hand/wrist motions and finger manipulation
• Frequent oral and auditory communication with others

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

• Contract 12-month position
• Position is exempt from Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
• Requires criminal background check.
• Ability to travel locally as well as occasional out-of-town travel.

Person hired must be able to provide acceptable documentation of U.S. Citizenship or lawful authorization to work in the United States. This is an absolute condition of employment. An offer of employment will not carry with it any responsibility or obligation on the part of the district to sponsor an H1-B visa. In addition, the Spokane Colleges maintain a drug-free work environment and prohibits all smoking in the college buildings and state-owned vehicles. Must be able to successfully work in and promote a multicultural work and education environment.  

Prior to a new hire, a background check including criminal record history will be conducted. Information from the background check will not necessarily preclude employment but will be considered in determining the applicant’s suitability and competence to perform in the position. Once an applicant is chosen for a position, they are required to complete and submit a declaration regarding sexual misconduct and investigation per state law.

Benefits Information

This is a contracted, exempt management position. Medical, dental life and long term disability insurance benefits are provided as currently administered under the Public Employees Benefits Board; TIAA-Cref retirement plan or WA State Retirement Plan. Vacation leave accrues at the rate of 14.67 hours per month (22 days per year) and sick leave accrues at the rate of 8 hours per month, effective upon employment. (For positions that are less than full time, leave accruals will be prorated to the percentage of the position.)

Public Employees Benefits Board

Additional benefits information

Required Application Materials

To qualify for consideration, applicants must meet required competencies and submit a complete application packet, which includes the following:

• Cover letter - addressing your qualifications relevant to the responsibilities of this position.
  
• Resume.
  
• References – the names, addresses, and phone numbers of three professional references.
  
• College transcript(s) if applicable - unofficial/copies of transcripts are acceptable; official transcripts are required upon hire.

For questions regarding a job application or the hiring process, or if you require an accommodation during the application or interview process, please contact HR at CCS.Recruiter@ccs.spokane.edu.

Equal Opportunity Institution

Spokane Colleges does not discriminate in its programs, activities and employment on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, age, sex, marital status, pregnancy, pregnancy related conditions, parental status or families with children, status as a mother breastfeeding their child, AIDS/HIV or hepatitis C, honorably discharged veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, disability, use of a trained guide dog or service animal by a person with a disability, genetic information, or any other legally protected category. 

Direct all inquiries or grievances regarding access, Title IX, ADA, equal opportunity compliance, and/or grievances to:
Fred Davis | Chief Human Resources Officer
Spokane Colleges
P.O. Box 6000, MS1004
Spokane, WA. 99217-6000
509-434-5040