Associate Vice Chancellor for Enrollment & Director of Financial Aid - The University Of Denver : Job Details

The Enrollment Division at the University of Denver works to attract, enroll, and graduate an optimal mix of qualified students that will enrich the composition of the University community. The division, which consists of Undergraduate Admission and Financial Aid, seeks to enroll students who will become leaders, scholars, artists, entrepreneurs, and public servants uniquely qualified to live in and shape a global society. The Financial Aid Office is dedicated to serving and educating students, families, colleagues, and the community through the financial aid process from pre-enrollment to program completion. We value empathy and integrity, knowledgeable and professional staff, advocacy and access, diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, clear and consistent communication, and compliance. We have primary responsibility for the undergraduate financial aid process and we also serve the graduate student population.

Position Summary

The Associate Vice Chancellor for Enrollment and Director of Financial Aid is a full-time position reporting to the Vice Chancellor for Enrollment. This position serves as a key strategic partner to the vice chancellor, especially in developing and assessing awarding strategies for both merit and need-based aid to meet enrollment and budget goals.

The director of financial aid is responsible for budgetary control and compliance processes for all financial aid award expenditures at the undergraduate level and all non-institutional financial aid offered at the graduate and professional levels. As part of the senior leadership team in the enrollment division, the director will advise the vice chancellor and lead the discussions regarding the affordability of a DU education and the impact on access, diversity, and the budgets needed to implement financial aid policies; embrace and foster the discussion of the challenges of access to higher education; the disparities in representation among various student cohorts; and seek actions that make progress at alleviating these challenges. Additionally, the director will assist in the management and strategic implementation of the enrollment division goals as a senior member of the leadership team.

The director leads a team of professionals at DU, an institution whose financial aid metrics include:

• 2,300 undergraduate need-based aid recipients
• 7,000 institutional undergraduate aid applications
• 5,700 total undergraduate aid recipients
• 3,400 graduate institutional aid recipients
• 5,900 total graduate aid recipients (this number includes students who may only have a private scholarship or private loan)
• 30,000 FAFSAs processed annually

Essential Functions

• Direct and oversee awarding, processing and distribution of federal, state, and institutional financial aid to undergraduate students, and the non-institutional aid to graduate and professional students in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations. The annual total Federal aid expenditure is approximately $160 million and annual undergraduate gift aid expenditure is approximately $180 million.
• Lead the development and utilization of need-based undergraduate financial aid. Create and oversee staff training and assess the undergraduate need-based financial aid file review and awarding policies, which currently utilize the Institutional Methodology principles (CSS Profile).
• Maximize the strategic impact of available funds, both merit and need based.
• Foster transparent, efficient processes and services that support student success among underrepresented, first-generation, and low-income students.
• Maintain expertise in federal and state financial aid regulations and application processes, and provide resources and leadership to the financial aid team to enhance proficiency in an ever-changing and unpredictable environment.
• Lead and manage the Office of Financial Aid (20 FTE). Supervise five associate directors, including the areas of advising for undergraduate and graduate students; the systems and operations functions; and the compliance and communications teams.
• Engage regularly with staff to provide resources necessary to ensure excellent service to students and campus partners and maintain full compliance with applicable regulations to maximize the positive impact of the University's resources.
• Design and supervise office procedures that lead to excellent customer service for all financial aid recipients and prospective aid applicants.
• Ensure sound data management practices and policies. Contribute to a culture of data-informed decision making - especially related to aid optimization, customer service, and other enrollment services including partnerships with persistence and retention efforts.
• Lead the financial aid office in building and maintaining relationships with key campus constituencies including student billing, information technology, registrar, advancement, athletics, controller, student affairs and inclusive excellence, office of graduate education, individual graduate education units, provost's office, international education, and academic units.
• Meet monthly with the vice chancellor and our liaison in Advancement to discuss campaign goals, donors, and strategies for raising funds to meet more need; full-need; and/or tuition promise programs.
• Serve as the responsible authority for required state, federal and institutional reports related to financial aid policies and procedures. Monitor compliance with applicable regulations and submit required documentation to federal and state regulatory bodies and auditors, internal and external, and including athletic compliance and appeals.
• Participate in the life of the University by serving on committees or task forces and engaging in strategic conversations and educational activities to advance the University's goals.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Possess the experience, leadership, and vision to plan, organize, manage, and direct the Financial Aid office.
• Provide strategic enrollment management leadership in collaboration with the Vice Chancellor and internal and external partners.
• Provide inspiration to advance the goals of the University, and to motivate and lead a successful financial aid team.
• Knowledge of the direction of financial aid administration at the undergraduate and graduate levels; strong working knowledge of Federal Student Aid programs, including processes, policies, and regulations.
• The ideal candidate will possess characteristics and qualities including vision and leadership; strong, effective, and caring management; strong analytical and technical capacity; superior communication skills; personal qualities that include a spirit of inclusivity, positivity, resilience, inspiration, listening and compassion, and collaboration and trust. A demonstrable commitment to and record of vigorous leadership in advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion is required.

Required Qualifications

• Ten (10) years of experience in financial aid
• Five (5) years of supervisory experience

Application Deadline

For consideration, please submit your application materials by 4:00 p.m. (MST) March 7, 2025.

Special Instructions

Candidates must apply online through jobs.du.edu to be considered. Only applications submitted online will be accepted.

Salary Range:

The salary range for this position is $150,000-$170,000.

The University of Denver offers excellent benefits, including medical, dental, retirement, paid time off, tuition benefit and ECO pass. The University of Denver is a private institution that empowers students who want to make a difference.

The University of Denver is an equal opportunity employer.