Job Details

Student Financial Services Center Assistant Director (Lead Area: Student Funding)

Position Number: 7242861
Location: Boulder, CO
Position Type: Financial Aid

Student Financial Services Center Assistant Director (Lead Area: Student Funding)

Requisition Number: 72802
Location: Boulder Colorado
Employment Type: University Staff
Schedule: Full Time
Posting Close Date: 25-Jun-2026
Date Posted:

Job Summary

The Division of Enrollment Management at CU Boulder invites applications for the Student Financial Services Center Assistant Director - (Lead Area: Student Funding) position! The Student Financial Services Center within the Enrollment Management division plays a key role in helping students achieve their educational goals. We provide proactive, accurate, and seamless financial guidance to support student success and campus operations, serving as a trusted source of expertise for students, families, campus partners, the community, and one another.

The Assistant Director of Student Financial Services Center (SFSC) is an inaugural role responsible for leading daily customer-facing operations with a specialization in financial aid advising while maintaining generalist knowledge across billing and scholarship services.

This position plays a critical role in shaping and stabilizing a centralized Student Financial Services (SFS) contact model, ensuring consistent, accurate, and student-centered service delivery across all channels. The Assistant Director provides hands-on operational leadership, directly supporting advising functions, resolving escalated student cases, and ensuring compliance with federal, state, and institutional regulations.

This role serves as a key operational leader and connector across the SFS unit and campus partners, overseeing daily customer-facing services, managing staff and a large Peer Team (student workers), and ensuring consistent, high-quality support for students and families. The Assistant Director maintains hands-on involvement in advising and awareness of financial aid processing, leads resolution of complex cases, and collaborates across Bursar, Financial Aid, Scholarships, and campus departments to ensure seamless service and alignment in processes and communication.
CU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating a workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Who We Are

As one of only 35 U.S. public research institutions in the Association of American Universities (AAU), CU Boulder is about realizing the positive impacts of new knowledge.

From offering dozens of exciting programs in a range of academic fields, to serving as one of the world's most dynamic research and innovation hubs, to working closely through hundreds of public outreach efforts with communities across Colorado and the world, we take pride in helping our students, faculty, staff, and partners turn new insights into productive outcomes that change lives.

What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be

SFSC Operations & Customer-Facing Service Oversight

Lead daily operations related to advising, application support, and eligibility inquiries across all service channels.
Ensure accurate interpretation and resolution of student financial aid information, including application status, verification requirements, aid eligibility, awarding, and disbursement processes.
Monitor service delivery for quality, timeliness, and consistency across phone, email, and in-person interactions.
Coordinate with campus partners (e.g., Bursar, Scholarships, Registrar, Housing, Health & Wellness) to resolve student financial aid and funding-related issues.
Ensure compliance with FERPA, Title IV federal regulations, State of Colorado programs, and institutional policies in all customer interactions.
Identify operational issues and implement process improvements to enhance financial aid service delivery and student experience.

Staff Supervision & Student Employee Management

Supervise customer-facing professional staff and oversee student employee workforce.
Provide coaching, training, and performance management to ensure high-quality service delivery.
Ensure direct reports maintain compliance with state and federal regulations and University guidelines and that staff are trained to answer client questions in accordance with these rules, regulations, and guidelines in a courteous and timely manner through robust training.
Develop staffing plans and schedules aligned to service demand and peak periods.
Support onboarding and cross-training to build generalist capability across Bursar, Financial Aid, and Scholarship functions.
Foster a collaborative, accountable, inclusive, and service-oriented team environment.

Counseling, Escalation Management, & Case Resolution

Provide direct advising and support related to financial aid processes, eligibility, financing options, billing concerns, and student financial matters across all channels.
Serve as a primary escalation point for Advisors and Senior Advisors, resolving complex student account and financial aid issues involving billing discrepancies, refunds, financial holds, appeals, and multi-office coordination.
Assess and guide students and families through available options when navigating unusual financial circumstances or appeal-related situations, while ensuring staff are appropriately trained to provide accurate guidance and support throughout the process.
Maintain a strong understanding of financial aid processing workflows, policies, and regulatory requirements to effectively guide students and support case resolution.
Gather, review, and organize documentation related to appeals, verification, enrollment changes, and other financial aid matters to ensure complete and accurate handoff to appropriate processing staff.

Cross-Functional Collaboration, Training, & Continuous Improvement

Serve as a liaison between customer-facing operations, SFS departments, and campus partners to support issue resolution, process alignment, and consistent service delivery.
Contribute to the development and refinement of centralized Student Financial Services operations, including participation in operational projects, process improvements, and service enhancement initiatives.
Develop, coordinate, and support ongoing training and professional development for staff and student employees to ensure consistent service delivery, regulatory compliance, and continued growth in student financial services knowledge and customer support skills.
Maintain and support knowledgebase content, process documentation, and communication standards across the SFS unit.
Identify trends in student inquiries and recommend improvements to services, workflows, and communication practices.
Participate in training, committee work, professional development, and cross-functional learning opportunities to support operational effectiveness and continuous improvement.

What You Should Know

Hybrid work schedule with 3 days in office and 2 days remote.
Final candidate must successfully pass a fingerprinted criminal and financial background check and cannot be in default on a student loan either upon hire or while employed in this position.

What We Can Offer

The annual salary for this position is $78,100.

Benefits

At the University of Colorado Boulder, we are committed to supporting the holistic health and well-being of our employees. Our comprehensive benefits package includes medical, dental, and retirement plans; generous paid time off; tuition assistance for you and your dependents; and an ECO Pass for local transit. As one of Boulder County's largest employers, CU Boulder offers an inspiring academic community and access to world-class outdoor recreation. Explore additional perks and programs through the CU Advantage program.

Be Statements

Be ambitious. Be inspired. Be Boulder.

What We Require

Bachelor's degree or equivalent combination of education and experience.
3+ years of experience in student financial services, bursar operations, financial aid, or related field with a strong customer service background.
2+ years of supervisory or team leadership experience.

What You Will Need

Demonstrated experience with student billing, payment processing, and account resolution.
Working knowledge of federal (Title IV), state, and institutional regulations.
A strong commitment to providing an extraordinary customer experience.
Ability to interpret financial information and apply basic accounting principles with accuracy and attention to detail.
Applies federal, state, and institutional policies to ensure compliance and accurate guidance.
Strong analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills.
Clearly conveys complex information in writing, verbally, and in presentations.
Builds trust through honesty, reliability, and ownership of outcomes.
Works effectively in a fast-paced environment and proactively solves problems.
Identifies and implements improvements to processes and services.
Works collaboratively and fosters a respectful, inclusive environment.

Special Instructions

To apply, please submit the following materials:

A current resume.
A cover letter that specifically tells us how your background and experience align with the requirements, qualifications, and responsibilities of the position.

We may request references at a later time.

Please apply by June 25, 2026, for consideration.

Note: Application materials will not be accepted via email. For consideration, please apply through CU Boulder Jobs.

In compliance with the Colorado Job Application Fairness Act, in any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information.

To apply, visit https://jobs.colorado.edu/jobs/JobDetail/Student-Financial-Services-Center-Assistant-Director-Lead-Area-Student-Funding/72802