Financial Aid Systems Specialist

Financial Aid Systems Specialist

Date Opened

9/14/2026 08:00:00 AM

Filing Deadline: 10/2/2026

Location: Los Angeles Community College District Office

Salary: $8,704.00 - $10,783.00/mo; $104,448.00 - $129,396.00/yr (based on a full-time, 12-mo position)

Job Type: Open & Promotional (Dual)

Definition

Identifies, defines, troubleshoots, and resolves student financial aid transactional and business process issues; develops requirements and specifications for financial aid system/module development and modification on a district-wide basis; and provides technical assistance, training, and coaching to financial aid staff on the use of PeopleSoft financial aid systems.

Typical Duties

Routinely audits student financial aid transactional data, reports, financial aid system functionalities, and inter-system integration to ensure effective operational outcomes; identifies opportunities for improving business processes and insuring compliance with all applicable state and federal laws and regulations on financial aid.

Consults with financial aid system users to identify and define operational needs and objectives, current operational procedures, problems, input and output requirements, and levels of systems access.

Analyzes the feasibility of and develops requirements/specifications for new systems/modules and enhancements to existing systems in area of financial aid and ensures that the system design fits the needs of the users.

Documents business processes and system changes; develops and distributes communications to colleges, students, and other stake holders regarding policy, process, and procedural changes.

Acts as liaison between process owners and IT systems and programming staff engaged in analyzing, designing, coding, implementing, maintaining, and modifying technology components of financial aid information technology systems and applications.

Performs testing for system projects from development to production and recommends changes in configurations to resolve errors and address user needs.

Recruits, trains, and guides user-testers from various business areas to complete quality testing of new features and changes to existing financial aid system modules.

Provides technical training, mentoring, and coaching to professional and technical staff of matters related to usage of PeopleSoft systems functionality.

Maintains effective and cooperative working relationships with process owners, technical team members, and users.

Writes instructions, procedures, and manuals associated with the implementation and maintenance of financial aid systems.

Writes reports and correspondence, including specifications, related to financial aid systems.

Acts as a liaison with auditors engaged in regulatory, contractual, and operational audits of District financial aid operations.

Supervises lower-level specialists and technical and clerical support staff.

Performs related duties as assigned.

Distinguishing Characteristics

A Financial Aid Systems Specialist through continuous audit and user consultation identifies and defines student financial aid transactional, business process, and financial aid system issues; reviews and translates departmental requirements into specifications based on an in-depth expertise regarding federal and state regulations, requirements and procedural guidelines and PeopleSoft financial aid systems; performs testing, and maintenance tasks; and serves as a technical resource to financial aid office staff on a district-wide basis.

An Assistant Financial Aid Systems Specialist applies a thorough knowledge of student financial aid federal and state regulations, requirements and procedural guidelines and basic understanding of PeopleSoft financial aid systems to moderately complex level assignments in student financial aid business process review and system maintenance and development on a district-wide basis. Assignments are selected to enhance the employee's skills and professional development in the preparation for promotion to higher-level specialist positions.

Supervision

General supervision is received from the District Financial Aid Systems Manager. Immediate supervision is exercised over lower-level professional, technical, and clerical financial aid staff at the District's Central Financial Aid Unit.

Class Qualifications

Knowledge of

Federal and state regulations, requirements, and procedural guidelines pertaining to governmentally-funded programs of student financial assistance

Eligibility requirements and application procedures for financial aid programs

Goals and objectives of the District and Division of Finance as they relate to financial aid operations

Characteristics and capabilities of state-of-the-art technology related to financial aid administration including PeopleSoft financial aid systems/modules

Capabilities of computer applications, systems, and hardware used in financial aid operations

Principles and methods of systems developing operational process specifications and documentation

Principles of work simplification and modification

Principles of training and coaching

Ability to

Identify operational problems, assemble and review facts, draw sound conclusions, and recommend solutions to financial aid system problems

Articulate technical specifications for the development and improvement of business processes and related technology systems

Interpret and apply applicable rules, laws, and procedures to financial aid operations

Document operational processes, functions, and procedures involving PeopleSoft financial aid modules

Perform testing tasks related to PeopleSoft financial aid systems modules