Financial Aid Technical and Counseling Specialist

Position Summary

The Financial Aid Technical and Counseling Specialist provides technical, operational, and student-facing support within the Financial Aid Office. This position supports Workday Student reporting and analytics, financial aid processing and packaging, student communications, business process management, compliance reporting, and system testing.

The position will work closely with the Associate Director, Student Enrollment Data Services, and collaborate with Financial Aid Systems and Technology, Information Technology, and other campus partners. The role will also provide financial aid counseling and processing support at the Pocono and Main Campuses.

This position is essential to strengthening the Financial Aid Office's technical capacity, improving operational efficiency, supporting data-informed decision-making, and enhancing the student financial aid experience.

Essential Responsibilities

Workday Reporting, Data, and Analytics

• Develop, maintain, and optimize Workday Student financial aid reports and dashboards.

• Analyze financial aid data and monitor data integrity and accuracy.

• Respond to reporting and data requests from campus partners and institutional leadership.

• Identify opportunities to improve data accessibility, reporting efficiency, and operational decision-making.

Financial Aid Processing and Student Support

• Process and package financial aid in accordance with federal, state, and institutional requirements.

• Provide financial aid counseling to students and assist them in understanding the financial aid process.

• Provide financial aid services at the Pocono and Main Campuses as assigned.

• Assist students with financial aid questions, requirements, eligibility, and processes.

Student Communications and Engagement

• Build and maintain student communication campaigns and automated notifications within Workday Student.

• Support outreach initiatives designed to improve student engagement and completion of financial aid requirements.

• Monitor communication effectiveness and student response metrics.

• Recommend improvements to student communications based on data and trends.

Business Process and Systems Support

• Assist with maintaining and enhancing Workday Student business processes related to financial aid.

• Identify opportunities for workflow improvement, automation, and increased operational efficiency.

• Participate in system testing, upgrades, implementations, and new functionality.

• Troubleshoot Workday-related issues and coordinate with Information Technology and Workday support teams as appropriate.

• Document technical procedures, workflows, and business processes.

Compliance and Data Management

• Support federal, state, and institutional financial aid reporting requirements.

• Assist with audit preparation, data validation, and reconciliation activities.

• Ensure financial aid data and processes comply with applicable regulations and institutional policies.

• Maintain accurate and secure student and financial aid records.

Other Duties

• Collaborate with Financial Aid staff and campus stakeholders on projects and process improvements.

• Provide technical and operational support during peak financial aid processing periods.

• Perform other related duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Information Systems, Data Processing, Computer Science, Business Analytics, Higher Education Administration, or a related field.

• Experience working with enterprise systems, databases, reporting tools, or data analytics.

• Demonstrated ability to analyze complex data and develop reports and dashboards.

• Strong organizational, communication, analytical, and problem-solving skills.

• Ability to manage multiple priorities, meet deadlines, and work effectively with students, staff, faculty, and campus partners.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working in financial aid or higher education.

• Experience with Workday Student, Workday Reporting, Workday Dashboards, and Workday business processes.

• Knowledge of federal and state financial aid regulations and compliance requirements.

• Experience with student communication and engagement campaigns within enterprise systems.

• Experience with process improvement, workflow automation, system testing, or systems implementation.

• Experience with providing financial aid counseling and student support.

Equivalent Education and Experience

An equivalent combination of education, training, certifications, and progressively responsible professional experience in data management, systems administration, reporting, analytics, enterprise systems, financial aid, or higher education technology may be considered in lieu of specific degree concentrations.

Candidates with a bachelor's degree in a related technical field, such as Data Processing, combined with substantial experience in reporting development, data analysis, enterprise systems support, business process management, and financial aid technology are encouraged to apply.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

The successful candidate will demonstrate:

• Strong analytical and data-management skills.

• Ability to develop and interpret reports, dashboards, and data analyses.

• Ability to learn and support complex enterprise systems.

• Strong attention to detail and commitment to data accuracy.

• Understanding of financial aid processes and regulatory requirements.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• Strong customer service and student-support skills.

• Ability to identify problems, evaluate solutions, and recommend process improvements.

• Ability to work collaboratively across departments and with technical and non-technical stakeholders.

• Ability to maintain confidentiality when working with sensitive student and financial information.

Benefits Snapshot

The College offers a generous benefits package to full-time employees. Just a few highlights of the benefits package include comprehensive medical plan options for you and your family (plus dental and vision), a College retirement contribution of 8% of your salary upon hire, NCC tuition waiver and an abundance of time off - up to 25 days vacation/floating, 10 sick days, four-day workweeks during Summer, paid holidays (including a week+ break between Christmas and New Year's) - among other things! Please visit https://www.northampton.edu/about/working-at-ncc/employee-benefits/index.html for more details on the full array of benefits.