Job Summary:
Reporting to the Vice President for Strategic Enrollment Management & Marketing, the Director, Financial Aid and Scholarships provides strategic, operational, and regulatory leadership for the University's financial aid and scholarship programs. The director ensures the accurate, equitable, efficient, and timely administration of federal, state, institutional, private, and donor-funded aid in support of student access, affordability, enrollment, persistence, and completion.
The director formulates and administers financial aid policies and fund-utilization strategies; leads a large, complex student-service team; safeguards institutional resources and student information; and maintains a strong culture of compliance, accountability, service, collaboration, and continuous improvement. A central responsibility is translating complex financial aid policies and processes into clear, accessible, timely, and student-centered communications delivered through multiple modalities.
Responsibilities:
- Develop and implement strategic and operational plans, annual priorities, service standards, and measurable goals for Financial Aid and Scholarships.
- Lead the delivery of accurate, equitable, accessible, and student-centered services to students and their families.
- Oversee the awarding, disbursement, reconciliation, reporting, and administration of federal, state, institutional, scholarship, private, and donor-funded aid.
- Interpret and implement federal, state, CSU, University, NCAA, CCAA, agency, and donor requirements. Maintain current policies, procedures, internal controls, and audit readiness.
- Ensure accurate reporting, data security, records management, quality assurance, and compliance with applicable laws and regulations.
- Develop fund-utilization and aid-leveraging strategies that support student access, affordability, retention, and responsible stewardship of resources.
- Lead proactive, coordinated, and accessible financial aid communications through websites, portals, email, text messaging, advising, workshops, webinars, social media, and other platforms.
- Use student feedback, service data, inquiry trends, and communication analytics to improve processes, reduce preventable inquiries, and strengthen student outcomes.
- Direct outreach and financial aid education for students, families, campus partners, and community stakeholders, particularly underserved populations.
- Provide leadership and supervision to staff responsible for compliance, processing, advising, scholarships, customer service, systems, and data.
- Recruit, develop, evaluate, and retain staff while ensuring appropriate staffing, cross-training, succession planning, and peak-period coverage.
- Oversee financial aid systems, including PeopleSoft Campus Solutions, OnBase, communication platforms, and related technologies.
- Establish performance measures, dashboards, service-level expectations, and reporting practices to monitor compliance, timeliness, workload, service quality, and outcomes.
- Develop and manage the departmental budget, monitor expenditures, and advocate for resources aligned with strategic priorities.
- Manage personnel actions and provide required documentation directly to Human Resources, including evaluations, recruitment, appointments, compensation requests, grievances, and corrective actions.
- Represent the University at meetings, conferences, committees, and community events; complete special assignments and other duties as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications:
- Bachelor's degree from an accredited four-year college or university in public administration, business administration, education, student affairs, behavioral or social science, or a related field; or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience; and 5-8 years of professional and supervisory experience
Required Qualifications:
- Expert knowledge of federal and state financial aid laws, regulations, policies, reporting requirements, and industry practices, including needs analysis, packaging, disbursement, reconciliation, satisfactory academic progress, return of funds, and scholarship administration.
- Ability to interpret complex requirements, assess institutional and student impact, develop compliant policies and procedures, and communicate changes clearly to varied audiences.
- Exceptional written, oral, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills, including the ability to translate technical policy and procedural information into plain, student-friendly, accessible content across web, email, portal, text, print, video, workshops, and one-to-one interactions.
- Demonstrated ability to design proactive, personalized, and multi-channel communication strategies that, paired with streamlined processes and self-service tools, reduce phone, email, and in-person inquiry volume during peak periods by anticipating student and family questions before they arise.
- Strong commitment to student access, affordability, equity, inclusion, and service; demonstrated ability to work effectively with a culturally and economically diverse community.
- Advanced leadership, organizational development, change management, coaching, conflict resolution, and employee performance-management skills.
- Advanced analytical, critical-thinking, problem-solving, risk-management, and decision-making abilities; demonstrated use of data and assessment to improve compliance, operations, and student outcomes.
- Experience managing complex projects, competing priorities, peak-cycle workloads, and cross-functional initiatives with high accuracy and firm deadlines.
- Knowledge of enterprise student-information systems and document-imaging, reporting, workflow, communication, and customer-service technologies; ability to guide system implementation, testing, controls, and continuous improvement.
- Strong budget, resource-management, audit, internal-control, and stewardship skills.
- Ability to handle sensitive and confidential student and personnel information with sound judgment and in accordance with applicable privacy requirements.
- Ability to work evenings and weekends for scheduled campus events or critical operational needs and to travel occasionally in-state and out of state.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Master's degree in higher education, public administration, business administration, student affairs, counseling, or a related field.
- Senior-level financial aid leadership experience at a four-year public university or within a complex multi-campus higher education system.
- Experience with PeopleSoft Campus Solutions, OnBase, or comparable enterprise financial aid and document-management systems.
- Experience leading communications, outreach, or financial literacy initiatives that measurably improved student understanding, completion of required actions, or service outcomes.
- Experience with enrollment strategy, aid leveraging, predictive modeling, scholarship optimization, or student-success initiatives.
- Experience preparing for or responding to federal, state, CSU/system, or independent audits and program reviews.
Compensation and Benefits:
The salary offered will take into account internal equity and experience among other factors.
The anticipated hiring range for this position is $7,595 - $10,000 per month
The CSU system provides a comprehensive benefit package that includes medical, dental and vision plans, membership in the California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS), sick and vacation time, and 15 paid holidays a year. Eligible employees are also able to participate in the fee waiver education program. A summary of benefit information can be found here.
Position Information:
Work status: Full-time/Exempt/At-will
Academic year schedule: Monday through Friday (8:00 am – 5:00 pm), some evenings/weekends.
Summer schedule: Monday through Thursday (7:00 am - 5:30 pm), some evenings/weekends.
This is a full-time management (MPP) position. MPP employees serve at the will of the campus President. MPPs do not serve a probationary period and never receive permanent status.
This position is a "designated position" in the California State University's Conflict of Interest Code. The scope of responsibilities for this position includes making or participating in decisions that may have a material financial benefit to the incumbent. Therefore, the individual holding this position is required to file an initial Conflict of Interest: Statement of Economic Interests ("Form 700") within thirty (30 days) from the date of hire and on an annual basis. In addition, the individual holding this position must complete the required conflict of interest training within thirty (30) days of their appointment and at least once during each consecutive period of two calendar years following the appointment, subject to the Fair Political Practices Commission regulations.
First considerations will be given to candidates who apply by Tuesday November 10, 2026 and will continue until the position is filled; however, the position may close when an adequate number of qualified applications are received.
California State University, San Bernardino, as part of the CSU system, is a State of California Employer. As such, the University requires all employees upon date of hire to reside in the State of California. As of January 1, 2022 the CSU Out-of-State Employment Policy prohibits the hiring of employees to perform CSU-related work outside the state of California.
California State University, San Bernardino is not a sponsoring agency for staff or management positions (i.e. H1-B Visas).
CSUSB is not an E-Verify employer and cannot support visa holders with certain requirements (e.g., H1B, F1, STEM OPT).
Education Code 89521 Requirements: Applicants will be required to disclose whether they have received a final administrative decision or final judicial decision determining that they have committed sexual harassment within the last 7 years only after a determination is made that they meet the minimum qualifications for the position, and before an offer of employment is extended. Applicants who reach the final stages of the application process must also sign a release form that authorizes the release of information by the applicant’s current and/or former employers to the CSU concerning any substantiated allegations of misconduct.
Conditions of Employment
Background Check
Satisfactory completion of a background check (including a criminal records check) is required for employment. CSU will make a conditional offer of employment, which may be rescinded if the background check reveals disqualifying information, and/or it is discovered that the candidate knowingly withheld or falsified information. Failure to satisfactorily complete the background check may affect the continued employment of a current CSU employee who was conditionally offered the position.
Drivers License Check
Possession of a valid Driver's License is required. Employees in this position will be enrolled in the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) Government Employer Pull Notice Program which confirms possession of a valid driver's license and reflects driving record.
Mandated Reporter
The person holding this position is considered a `mandated reporter' under the California Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act and is required to comply with the requirements set forth in CSU Executive Order 1083 as a condition of employment.
I-9
CSUSB hires only individuals lawfully authorized to work in the United States. In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to verify identity and eligibility to work in the United States and to complete the required employment eligibility verification form upon hire. See Form I-9 Acceptable Documents at https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents.
On Campus Commitment
In our commitment to the furthering of knowledge and fulfilling our educational mission, California State University, San Bernardino seeks a campus climate that welcomes, celebrates, and promotes respect for the entire variety of human experience. We welcome people from all backgrounds, and we seek to include knowledge and values from many cultures in the curriculum and extra-curricular life of the campus community. We will create, promote, and maintain activities and programs that further our understanding of individual and group diversity. We will also develop and communicate policies and promote values that discourage intolerance and discrimination.
Closing Statement:
Reasonable Accommodation
We provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants with questions about access or requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact CSUSB Benefits at benefits@csusb.edu.
Smoking
CSUSB is a smoke and tobacco-free campus. See policy at https://calstate.policystat.com/policy/6591951/latest/.
Clery Act
In compliance with state and federal crime awareness and campus security legislation, including The Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act, California Education Code section 67380, and the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA), the Cal State San Bernardino Annual Security and Fire Safety Report is available at: https://www.csusb.edu/clery-act