Executive Director of Financial Aid

Application Instructions

To apply, send the following to (email protected) by February 27, 2026:

• Your resume


• A detailed letter of interest


• Contact information for five professional references

Duties and Responsibilities

• Partner with the enrollment leadership team to align financial aid strategy with institutional initiatives and objectives, directing resources for maximum effectiveness and sustainability;


• Collaborate with enrollment leadership team and external partners on enrollment and retention strategies and initiatives;


• Partner with Vice President for Enrollment Management to balance class size, profile, discount rate, and net‑tuition revenue; provide the Vice President and senior leadership with financial aid optimization models and projections;


• In partnership with the Vice President of Enrollment Management, provide strategic leader in the development, evaluation and adoption of financial aid leveraging models;


• Provide oversight and wisdom in the selection, management, and evaluation of a university financial aid leveraging vendor;


• Serve as the University’s primary compliance agent and oversee the administration and regulatory reporting of all federal and state financial aid programs, ensuring full compliance and accuracy;


• Oversee the A‑133 audit including any necessary response and remediation efforts related to financial aid management and programs;


• Administer the timely delivery of student financial assistance at the federal, state and institutional level, including institutional need‑based, merit and endowed gift assistance, as well as all federal and state grants, loans and work programs;


• Recommend, interpret, and administer financial aid policies ensuring compliance with pertinent federal, state and university regulations;


• Monitor changes in state and federal regulations; assess, evaluate, and illustrate the impact of changes to financial aid staff and university stakeholders, and articulate of changes on students and families;


• Contribute to or complete financial aid surveys, forms and reports, including, but not limited to the annual FISAP, CDS, NCAA, yearly statistical updates, and recertification of the program participation agreement;


• Manage the financial aid awarding and verification process within the Banner financial aid software module;


• Proactively educate campus partners, students, and families on financial aid policies processes, timelines, opportunities, and regulations, sharing information across multiple channels;


• Propose the annual financial aid departmental operating budget and manage staffing, processing expenses, training and planning within the approved budget;


• Lead, mentor and develop financial aid staff, providing supervision, training and professional development opportunities as well as organizing, prioritizing and scheduling office assignments;


• Build a cohesive, capable and nimble financial aid team assuring a depth of expertise and a culture of collaboration, cross training, advancement, and exceptional service to students and colleagues;


• Partner with marketing communications in the development of messages and campaigns to inform and educate students and families;


• Collaborate with the Office of Advancement to ensure adherence to endowed scholarship agreements with regard to institutional financial aid budget relief;


• Collaborate with the Office of Admission to ensure admission counselors are well trained on financial aid topics;


• Build a positive partnership with athletics assuring compliance with all NCAA DIII regulations, while supporting the recruitment and retention of student athletes;


• Prepare and present financial aid related topics and materials to a broad range of internal and external audiences including administration, faculty, staff, alumni, the Board, students, and families;


• Represent Alfred University at professional state, regional and national organizations.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• A strategic and critical thinker with an understanding of econometric enrollment models, development of financial aid leveraging programs, and strategic use of merit and need‑based aid funding, able to balance institutional needs with the needs of individual students from a variety of backgrounds;


• A history of crafting financial aid policy and comprehensive working knowledge of Title IV financial aid programs, as well as the ability to quickly master New York State student scholarships and grants programs;


• Previous experience working with A‑133 audits, reconciliation, and federal reporting;


• Experience in all government processing and reporting systems related to financial aid;


• Comprehensive knowledge of financial aid information systems, models and interfaces, including annual application setup, routine and exception processing, data import and export functions, and complex query languagedata extraction and reporting with a strong preference to experience in Banner;


• Experience in financial aid packaging and processing automation, as well as the automation of checks and balances, and reconciliation;


• Ability to evaluate, create, innovate and improve processes for greater efficiency and effectiveness in all manual and electronic processes and reporting and for the benefit of customer service;


• Experience in developing, documenting, and appropriately disseminating institutional policies and procedures;


• Experience leading a team of financial aid professionals with an approach that prioritizes mentorship, cross training, empowerment, transparency and accountability;


• An approachable, positive leader experienced in leading change thoughtfully and successfully;


• Outstanding communication (both oral and written) and presentation skills;


• A collaborative spirit, committed to the well being of students and providing exemplary customer service to students, families and campus constituents;


• Familiar and comfortable serving students with a highly personalized approach;


• Demonstrated emotional intelligence; empathetic with the ability to engage and educate students, families and colleagues;


• A visible and communicative leader who values relationships, listens deeply, and engages the community;


• Demonstrated ability to work independently and to maintain confidentiality where appropriate.

Compensation

Alfred offers a competitive compensation and benefits package, including relocation assistance, and a salary commensurate with qualifications and experience. The range identified for this role is $120,000–$140,000. In this important leadership position, the successful candidate will have an active on‑campus presence.

Contact

• Drew Nichols - (email protected)


• Catherine Capolupo - (email protected)

Preferred start date: late spring 2026.

Equal Employment Opportunity Statement

Alfred University actively subscribes to a policy of equal employment opportunity, and will not discriminate against any employee, student or applicant because of race, age, sex, color, sexual orientation, gender identification or expression, physical or mental disability, religion, ancestry or national origin, marital status, genetic information, military or veteran status, domestic violence victim status, criminal conviction status, political affiliation or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

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