About the Position:

The Executive Director, Student Financial Services is expected to assist the College in achieving its vision and mission of student success and service to the community. Highly motivated and eager to apply leadership ability towards supporting the objectives at Polk State College as a leader who is professional with exceptional communication and organizational skills. The Executive Director oversees all the College’s financial aid programs; federal, state, and institutional aid programs. Services are provided at both Winter Haven and Lakeland campuses. The Executive Director is expected to be the chief financial aid administrator representing the College before federal and state agencies.

The Executive Director is expected to lead the overall strategic planning for Student Financial Services which include overseeing three senior staff members that include compliance and quality assurance, processing, and student services. As part of the leadership for the department, the Executive Director is to ensure there is an active and up-to-date comprehensive training program so staff are current in their knowledge for the financial aid programs. As part of Student Financial Services, the department needs to give priority to the overall student services delivered to our students.

Essential Functions/Duties:

• Oversees the compliance operations for federal laws and regulations, state statutes and rules in the awards and disbursing of funds, including Title IV of the Higher Education Act, and other related legislation.
• Coordinates the overall preparing for the annual application for Title IV funding to assure annual approval.
• Coordinating the flow of information among students, external processors, state agencies and the college. Ensure communications are coordinated with other student areas of the College.
• Developing goals and objectives for the functions and performance plans for the staff assigned to carry out these functions.
• Coordinating resolution of problems that affect the operations of the entire Student Financial Services area.
• Providing oversight and program guidance to staff at all campuses.
• Providing executive leadership by creating an atmosphere of involvement and participation, making assignments, evaluating performance, reviewing, and supporting hiring and termination decisions; and other human resource functions.
• Setting an appropriate example, encouraging creativity, setting appropriate standards of performance and behavior, and applying other successful leadership skills to management style. Provide a leadership that is open to innovative ideas and ensuring staff have the resources to effectively serve students.
• Coordinates financial aid efforts with other areas of the college.
• Participates in professional development opportunities to expand knowledge and enhance performance.
• Manages the efforts and initiatives of the office and its staff to provide information and answers to questions relating to financial assistance available to students enrolled at the college.
• Ensure there are adequate internal controls in place for the authorization of disbursements.
• Coordinate and serve as the final reviewer for financial aid reports.
• Oversee the maintenance of records in compliance with Federal, State, and Institutional policy.
• Provide proper training and updates on financial aid for office staff such as Genesis, Financier, Federal and State programs as well as participate in college-wide training, on committees, and the development of policies and procedures.
• Assisting in identifying and resolving issues that negatively affect students.
• Serves as the chief financial aid administrators representing the College to federal and state agencies.
• Responsible for managing, planning, and supervising all aspects of the Financial Aid Office operation.
• Ensure the staff develop, implement, monitor, and revise policies and procedures relating to the financial aid functional area.
• Authorize all office expenditures in keeping with approved annual budget.
• Continually look for opportunities to streamline and improve processes to enhance the student experience.
• Oversee Student Financial Services portion of implementation of new Enterprise System (Ellucian/Banner).
• Performs other duties as directed.

• Proficiency in knowledge of U.S. Department of Education rules and regulations, current issues in higher education and pending legislation.
• Experience in managing a large staff and complex financial aid programs.
• Experience with multi-campus environment.
• Ability to think logically and to analyze and solve problems.
• Experience with automated financial aid systems.
• Ability to collaborate with people in a professional and concerned manner.
• Excellent communication and people skills.
• Strong ability to train, motivate, and manage staff.
• Experience in managing and supervising a diverse population.
• Superior change management skills while guiding department with patience and consistency.
• Thorough working knowledge of federal and state financial aid regulations.
• Demonstrated experience in organizing, developing, and implementing operational systems and writing guidelines in an educational setting and managing a high-volume workflow.
• Community college experience in the administration of student financial aid.
• Demonstrated experience of positive and proactive approaches in identifying problems, creating innovative solutions, managing projects, leading teams through collaboration, and implementing efficiencies and effectiveness using technology.
• Experience with automated financial aid software & systems. *New Enterprise System implementation in progress. Must be able to navigate and manage 2 systems during implementation.

Working Conditions:

• This position is a full-time, on-campus position with no remote or hybrid work options.
• This position will be stationed on our Winter Haven campus.
• The general schedule is Monday-Friday 8am-5pm.
• There may be times when business needs require extended hours, weekends hours, and working during College closures (holiday/spring break, inclement weather, etc.).

Salary and Benefits Information

• This position is a level P19. Please see below for specific salary range.
• We offer an excellent employer-paid benefits package including the following: Medical, Dental, Life, Long-Term Disability, Vacation (except faculty), Holiday and Sick Leave, Retirement (if eligible) and college fee waivers. Other employee-paid, voluntary benefits (vision, short-term disability, etc.) are also available.

Required Education:

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Master’s degree is required.

Alternate Credential: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Bachelor’s degree with minimum of ten years of management experience in student financial aid programs at an institution of higher education or with state government financial aid administration, 3 years of which must be at an Associate Director/Senior Manager level or higher. Must have supervisory experience.

Preferred Education:

A Master’s degree in Education, Finance, Accounting, or related discipline is preferred.

Minimum of ten years of management experience in student financial aid programs at an institution of higher education or with state government financial aid administration. Must have supervisory experience.

Community college experience in the administration of student financial aid is preferred.

Submissions that do not include all parts of the following required information will not be considered:

• a resume
• cover letter
• an electronic job application (all sections MUST be completed)

This position will be open until filled.

Important Information:

• If you are a retiree of the Florida Retirement System (FRS), please check with the FRS on how your current benefits will be affected if you are re-employed with the State of Florida. Your current retirement benefits may be canceled, suspended, or deemed ineligible depending upon the date of your retirement.

• Polk State College participates in E-Verify. Candidates must provide documentation of eligibility to work in the United States. Polk State College does not provide visa sponsorship.

• Polk State College is committed to equal access/equal opportunity in its programs, activities, and employment. For additional information, visit polk.edu/compliance. For questions or concerns, please contact: Lonnie Thompson, Chief of Institutional Compliance & Engagement/Title IX Coordinator; lthompson@polk.edu.
• To request Veteran’s Preference, please be sure to upload all necessary documents (DD-214, etc.) to your application.

• Polk State College is a drug-free workplace.

• Polk State College is committed to working with and providing reasonable accommodation to applicants and employees with disabilities. Reasonable accommodations are considered on a case-by-case basis.

• Reference checks, successful completion of a background check, and third-party Education Verification for all stated degrees will be required prior to employment.
• Polk State College does NOT provide relocation assistance for this position.

We encourage applicants to provide feedback of their experience or request help at Careers@polk.edu.