Assistant Director, Financial Aid Systems

Special Instructions to Applicants

All interested applicants should attach a resume and cover letter

in the Supporting Documents section of the application, preferably

in a PDF format to avoid any formatting issues.

About Rice

Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice

University is ranked among the nation’s top 20 universities by U.S.

News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate

student-to-faculty ratio, and a residential college system, which

supports students intellectually, emotionally and culturally

through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lectures

series, courses and student government. Developing close-knit,

diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is

why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value

among private universities.

Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff and

students share values that are essential to our success as a

healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors

and shape Rice’s culture. They come through in the way we treat

each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values

can be recalled simply by our name — RICE — Responsibility,

Integrity, Community and Excellence.

Position Summary

The Assistant Director of Financial Aid is an integral part of the

Office of Financial Aid within the Enrollment Division at Rice

University, a highly selective research institution located in the

heart of Houston, Texas. The Office of Financial Aid is responsible

for the administration of all sources of student financial aid in a

manner strategically driven to meet the enrollment goals of Rice

University. The office is also responsible for ensuring that

students and families are informed about the financial assistance

available to them, including information on all federal, state, and

institutional financial assistance programs.

The Assistant Director will be responsible for projects or

initiatives that have a defined scope, moderate to high levels of

complexity, and external visibility, and require autonomous

(independent) execution. As part of a team, the Assistant Director

will provide technical support for Banner and other software to the

Office of Financial Aid and administer the university’s financial

aid programs and policies for undergraduate and/or graduate

students. The Assistant Director is also responsible for drafting

procedures, problem solving, and special projects. The ability to

communicate financial aid policies and convey complex financial

information is essential. The position has minimal interaction with

students and families.

The Assistant Director will be building skills to learn the work of

the Enrollment Division at a highly selective institution.

Familiarity with business processes, institutional methodology,

verification, and financial aid systems, as well as knowledge of

Rice University and/or experience in a higher education

environment, is desired.

Ideal Candidate Statement

The ideal candidate will have at least 3 years of experience in

financial aid administration with progressive responsibilities and

exhibit excellent functional and technical financial aid knowledge.

They will have demonstrated initiative in utilizing professional

development resources available to them. Experience with system

testing, development of instructional materials, and implementing

system solutions is desired. Current or past experience managing a

Federal Student Aid fund portfolio and Banner aid-year setup is

preferred. Automic experience is a plus.

Workplace Requirements

This position is offered as a hybrid role, combining both in-office

and remote work to provide flexibility and support collaboration.

The hybrid schedule will be 60–90% remote after a probationary

period. Per Rice policy

440 , work arrangements may be subject to change.

• Other requirements: Valid driver’s license and reliable

transportation. Some travel expected.

Hiring Range: Salary commensurate with experience.

• Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA

are not eligible for overtime.

Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree
• 2+ years of experience in higher education financial aid and a

successful track record of working with diverse student populations

in a positive manner

• In lieu of the education/experience requirement, additional

related education and/or experience, above and beyond what is

required, may be substituted on an equivalent year-for-year

basis.

Skills

• Knowledge of computer system capabilities, business processes,

and workflow

• Banner system technical support experience
• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal,

including the ability to bridge functional and technical resources

by communicating effectively with individuals of varying systems

expertise and business needs

• Demonstrated ability to set priorities, manage time and

workflow, and manage multiple concurrent high‑priority projects in

a time‑pressured environment

• Demonstrated analytical and quantitative skills and sound

judgment

Preferences

• Three to five years of progressively responsible and successful

experience in a higher education financial aid office

• Institutional Methodology (IM) financial aid experience
• Federal aid program management experience
• Banner system technical support experience
• Automic experience

Essential Functions

• Analyzes and documents user needs, existing and new policies,

processes, procedures, and operational methods to consider possible

improvements to new and existing systems

• Utilizes elicitation techniques to understand business

processes and translate them into system requirements and/or

development of system solutions

• Defines and documents business requirements and test cases for

system development

• Coordinates with business and technology teams, ascertaining

system requirements such as program functions, output requirements,

input data acquisition, and system techniques and controls

• Problem solves in areas such as system design, input/output

requirements, and procedural flow between departments and/or

business systems

• Performs configuration of enterprise application software
• Performs testing of new systems, upgrades, and patching of

existing systems; may include developing test plans

• May develop instructional materials, training, and job

aids

• Assists with analysis of applications and completing need

analysis for a high volume of financial aid applications

• Reviews detailed financial documents, including tax returns,

for accuracy of reported financial information

• Determines student awards based on computed financial need and

other factors; adjusts budget and packages based on special

circumstances

• Reviews a wide variety of reports to identify changes or

conflicting data in financial systems

• Facilitates solutions and resolves complex issues regarding

financial aid packaging, verification, origination, disbursement,

or other financial aid concerns

• Performs all other duties as assigned

Rice University HR | Benefits: https://knowledgecafe.rice.edu/benefits

Rice Mission and Values: Mission and Values | Rice

University

Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment

Opportunity and welcoming the fullness of diversity into our

candidate pools. Rice considers qualified applicants for employment

without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual

orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic

information, disability, or protected veteran status. Rice also

provides reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with

disabilities. If an applicant requires a reasonable accommodation

for any part of the application or hiring process, please get in

touch with Rice University’s Human Resources Office via email at

[email protected] for support.

If you have any additional questions, please email us at

[email protected]. Thank you for your interest in employment with Rice

University.