Join a vibrant campus community whose excellence is reflected in its diversity and student success. West Chester University of Pennsylvania's Financial Aid Office invites applicants for the position of Associate Director of Financial Aid Customer Service.

West Chester University, a member of the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education, is a public, comprehensive institution committed to offering high-quality undergraduate education, selected post-baccalaureate and graduate programs, and a variety of educational and cultural resources for its students, alumni, and citizens of southeastern Pennsylvania. We are a community of educators dedicated to developing graduates who succeed personally and professionally and contribute to the common good.

WCU proudly offers a positive and purposeful work environment; comprehensive employee benefits including health, vision, and dental insurance along with many wellness programs; a commitment to work-life balance including generous paid vacation, paid sick time, military leave and paid time off for most major holidays; and a University mission to support employee personal and professional growth including a tuition waiver for self and family members, training and development, and advancement opportunities.

The Financial Aid Office supports the recruitment, retention, and student success efforts of the University's diverse undergraduate and graduate student population by helping students and their influencers seek, obtain, and make the best use of all financial resources.

Reporting to the Deputy Director of Financial Aid, The Associate Director serves as the primary on-campus leader for the office to ensure excellent service and support to students and their families. This position oversees and maintains efficient day-to-day office operations; supervises and supports customer service staff and graduate student workers; serves as a liaison to campus partners; serves as the single point of contact for veterans, study abroad, and international students; and coordinates financial aid for consortium agreements.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate excellent customer service, leadership, problem-solving, and communication skills; experience serving diverse populations; experience supporting veterans and National Guard funds and study abroad; and will value teamwork, collaboration, and continual process improvement.  
 
Responsibilities include:

• Provide onsite oversight to ensure efficient day-to-day office operations
• Supervise and train customer service staff
• Hire, train, and supervise graduate student workers 
• Foster a supportive and student-centered service environment
• Collaborate with campus partners to provide excellent customer service and support to students and their families
• Act as a liaison with the Bursars Office 
• Provide financial aid process counseling to staff, prospective and current students, and parents via email, in-person meetings and phones as needed
• Coordinate financial aid processes for consortium agreements including study abroad
• Support international students
• Act as primary customer service contact for veterans and National Guard
• Monitor and ensure compliance with all the laws, rules, regulations, and guidelines for each of the financial aid programs as set forth by the University, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the federal government, and all other private and public funding sources
• Maintain a thorough understanding of current federal, state, and institutional financial aid regulations
• Maintain accurate program and student files and records
• Serve as primary contact for walk-in counseling 
• Provide financial aid trainings and presentations
• Develop and update aid publications, forms, and applications
• Represent the Financial Aid Office on University committees
• Serve as the primary administrator of the case management system, Navigate
• Other duties assigned

• Bachelor's degree
• Two years of professional financial aid or related higher education experience
• Customer service experience
• Supervisory experience 
• Demonstrated proficiency in Microsoft Office including Outlook, Word, and Excel

• Customer service supervisory experience
• Experience supporting diverse student populations
• Experience using student information systems including Banner and Campus Logic  
• Knowledge of financial aid verification, federal, state, institutional guidelines, and regulations
• Experience with Veterans and National Guard financial aid
• Experience with consortium agreement and study abroad support

About West Chester University of Pennsylvania

West Chester University (WCU) of Pennsylvania is among the top regional comprehensive public universities in the nation, serving more than 17,500 students at the undergraduate and graduate levels with a national reputation for excellence, value, and student success. Founded in 1871 as an institute for teacher preparation, West Chester offers more than 118 undergraduate and 103 graduate programs in more than 50 fields of study. In addition to the main campus in West Chester, the University offers programs through its graduate center, the Philadelphia campus, and online. Five colleges and two schools comprise the University: Colleges of Arts and Humanities, Business and Public Management, Education and Social Work, Health Sciences, and the Sciences and Mathematics, as well as the School of Music, and the School of Interdisciplinary and Graduate Studies. Located in Chester County (25 miles from downtown Philadelphia) the area combines the best of enjoyable daily living with easy access to the full spectrum of country and city attractions. We are a community of educators dedicated to developing graduates who succeed personally and professionally and contribute to the common good.

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