00001486 - Senior Financial Aid Functional Analyst

This position provides leadership and oversight within the Grand Rapids Community College (GRCC) Financial Aid Office to ensure that GRCC data systems are set up to ensure that financial aid awards are administered in compliance with federal and state regulations. Working under the general direction of the Executive Director of Financial Aid, and in collaboration with the Associate Director of Financial Aid Operations, and the GRCC Enterprise IT staff, this individual will oversee the annual set up, testing, and maintenance of the PeopleSoft College Wide Information System (CWIS) for financial aid purposes. A primary goal of this position is to ensure accurate and efficient financial aid processing. To accomplish this goal, the Senior Functional Analyst will analyze, identify, and implement process improvements; develop and maintain functional and technical process documentation; and provide training to Financial Aid customer service and processing staff, as needed. This position is also responsible for providing the Executive Director of Financial Aid and other college administrators with financial aid data to drive departmental and institutional decisions, and for use in required reporting functions. As part of the Financial Aid leadership team, this position participates in the development of departmental plans and IT project requests, as well as supervises the Financial Aid Functional Analyst.

Requisition ID:
Position Number: 00001486
Employee Group:  Professional, Management and Administration
Schedule: 40 hours/52 weeks
Compensation:
Benefits: Full-time Part-time Limited Benefits
Reports to:
Posting Opens:
Posting Closes: 

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

• Responsible for the setup of GRCC data systems (PeopleSoft) in compliance with federal and state financial aid regulations

• Ensure proper installation and integration with all external systems required for the transmission of financial aid by the US Department of Education, the State of Michigan, and other financial aid processing partners

• Lead projects to improve the use of technology and ensure compliance.  This includes regular audits of the data system and troubleshooting and correcting any issues that arise

• Oversee and lead projects to resolve complex procedural, operational, and technical problems.   Work with GRCC IT Enterprise staff, other campus offices, and outside consultants as needed

• Oversight of all automated federal financial aid processes and of the transmission, reconciliation and oversight of Federal Pell grant, State grants, and Direct Loan funds

• Lead the project to maintain and update student financial aid systems configuration and aid year set up annually to ensure accurate financial aid processing and compliance with federal Title IV and state financial aid regulations

  • Item type creation and maintenance

  • Job and Jobset creation and maintenance

  • Set up and maintain the overnight processing schedule for the downloads, packaging and repackaging

• Provide leadership and direction for the Financial Aid Office to ensure that PeopleSoft patches and updates are installed correctly. Analyze and troubleshoot system impacts and apprise Executive Director of Financial Aid and Associate Director of FA Operations of potential problems/resolutions

• Develop and maintain functional and technical policies and procedure documentation for the Financial Aid Office, including maintaining the systems calendar of regular processes and updates 

• Encourage a culture of continuous quality improvement by working with the Associate Director of FA Operations to analyze current processes, benchmark against other higher education institutions, and identify best practices, which will improve accuracy and efficiency of financial aid delivery to students. Propose new or enhanced processes and Campus Wide Information System (CWIS) functionality and assist with implementation

• Participate in the periodic assessment of financial aid processes through internal self-audits and the use of FSA assessment tools. Work with the Financial Aid leadership team to implement changes as necessary to ensure regulatory compliance

• Work with Financial Aid leadership to define security profiles for Financial Aid system end users; coordinate the administration of user security with IT

• Provide functional support and guidance to Financial Aid processing and customer service end users with regard to application use and operating parameters. Plan and conduct staff training, as necessary 

• Oversee the Communication Generation process (a.k.a. “3Cs”) in PeopleSoft.  Develop and update communication as needed to improve communication with students

• Oversee and manage the Satisfactory Academic Progress processes and semester end implementation

• Develop response to systems and compliance issues that arise from awarding processes.  Write ad hoc and regularly used queries to assist end users with data and processing needs

• Monitor regulatory changes and updates through publications such as the FSA Handbook, IFAP, NASFAA News, FSA Dear Colleague Letters and Electronic Announcements. Identify necessary enhancements to ensure regulatory compliance and provide feedback to the Executive Director of Financial Aid and Associate Director of FA Operations

• Assist Executive Director of Financial Aid and other college administrators with the collection of financial aid-related data necessary to guide institutional decision making, and for use in the FISAP and other required federal, state, accrediting agency, and institutional reporting requirements. Utilize the Data Warehouse, PS queries and other tools in the retrieval, analysis and reporting of this data

• Assist Executive Director of Financial Aid with collection of information required for external audits and federal and state program reviews. Work with Financial Aid leadership to implement necessary changes

• As part of the Financial Aid leadership team, assist in planning, coordination, and implementation of annual departmental goals and objectives

• Supervise the Financial Aid Functional Analyst

• Attend professional development conferences, seminars, workshops and webinars to stay abreast of current regulations, trends and best practices in the student financial aid profession

• Foster and promote practices which support the vision of a fully integrated enrollment management model in an effort to create a seamless, student service experience

• Assist Executive Director of Financial Aid with other duties as assigned

• Counsel students on financial aid issues as needed (marginal duty)

• Regular attendance during normal scheduled hours is required. Being present is essential for serving customers and performing the essential functions of this position

• Performs other related duties as assigned

JOB SPECIFICATIONS

Educational Credentials

• Bachelor’s degree required 

• National Career Readiness Certification (NCRC) preferred, but not required

Work Experience

• Comprehensive knowledge of and a minimum of three years of experience with database systems, including set up, analysis, testing, and troubleshooting, preferably within the PeopleSoft Campus Wide Information System

• A minimum of three years of experience utilizing financial aid-related web systems (SAIG, COD, NSLDS, Ed Connect, FAA Access, etc.)

• Experience with group facilitation and end user training

• Three (3) years of Information Technology related experience required, within a higher education setting preferred

• Experience developing procedural documentation and training materials preferred

Skills

• Extensive knowledge and understanding of federal, state, and institutional policies and procedures related to the processing, awarding, disbursement, recalculation, reporting, and general administration of financial aid programs

• Knowledge of computer programming languages

• Demonstrated ability to write SQL queries and analyze and update data systems

• Demonstrated experience in data system analysis and problem solving.

• Proficiency with MS Office products

• Understanding of mathematical and statistical concepts

Physical Demands

• Sitting or standing for long periods

• Long periods at a computer 

Mental Demands

• Ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously with a high level of accuracy

• Strong attention to detail, organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills

• Ability to delegate work appropriately, positively motivate staff, and set clear directions/goals

• Ability to communicate effectively with a diverse student, staff, faculty and business partner population 

• Ability to plan and work independently and as a team member

• Must be flexible and willing to learn about and contribute to any needs of the department

• Must be punctual with a good attendance record and the ability to accommodate a flexible work schedule, which includes evenings and weekends as needed

Working Conditions

• GRCC will comply with any mandated health and safety requirements. Compliance information is available on our policies website

• Office area is shared with multiple GRCC staff members, primarily Financial Aid employees.  This position currently has a private office in that shared space

• Some travel required for helping with financial aid-related events and attending conferences