Description

Reporting directly to the Director of Financial Aid, the Associate Director for Compliance provides strategic leadership in interpreting and implementing federal, state, and institutional financial aid regulations. This position ensures the university’s financial aid operations meet all compliance requirements across Title IV Federal Student Aid programs, state-funded aid, and institutional programs.

Serving as the department’s chief compliance officer, this role requires substantial independent judgment, confidentiality, and high-level decision-making. The Associate Director builds strong, collaborative relationships within a large, decentralized university environment to support institutional compliance and risk mitigation. The role also includes direct supervision of compliance-related staff and cross-functional collaboration with campus partners.

This position requires a high degree of autonomy, expert knowledge of regulatory frameworks, and the ability to manage sensitive and complex situations with sound judgment. The successful candidate will demonstrate strong leadership, collaborative skills, and a deep commitment to compliance, equity, and student success.

Requirements

Minimum Qualifications:

- BA/BS degree from an accredited college or university with 3-5 years of financial aid experience and some financial aid counselor level or above experience

- Three years working in Financial Aid office with at least one year administering student financial aid programs: loans, FWS, Grants, SAP, R2T4, etc.

- The ability to work effectively with faculty, staff and students from a variety of diverse backgrounds.

- Experience with audit compliance monitoring and understanding of financial aid regulations

- Leadership skills and the ability to both lead and work as a member of an administrative team

- Knowledge of Title IV statutes and regulations and must not be in default on Title IV loans.

- Strong written and oral communication skills.

- Ability to develop and make presentations for PSU students, potential PSU students, peers, and other interested public audiences.

- Ability to work with a diverse, non-traditional student population.

- Effective time management and team skills.

- Ability to represent PSU in various settings such as orientations and other related outreach activities.

- Ability to work in a fast-paced environment that requires attention to detail and a high volume student appointments, student file reviews, and awarding.

- Ability to work in a highly computerized environment.

- Must perform a high volume of financial aid professional work requiring a high degree of accuracy.

- Must be sensitive to the needs of the diverse PSU student population and demonstrate solution oriented approaches in all aspects of job responsibilities.

Preferred Qualifications:

-At least one year of staff supervision

-Multilingual – Spanish Language Proficiency

-Experience with policy analysis