Special Information

• This position is a hybrid position which allows the incumbent to complete their work at both an NAU site, campus, or facility and at a non-centralized site with or without accommodation.

About the Department/College

NAU's Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid plays a critical role in supporting student success by helping students access resources they need to pursue their academic goals. The office provides support on federal aid, state programs, and institutional scholarships, ensuring students and families understand their options and feel confident navigating the financial aid process. Through personalized support, outreach, and collaboration with campus partners, the team works to remove financial barriers and promote equitable access to education. Joining this office means contributing to a mission‑driven environment where service, accuracy, and student empowerment are at the heart of daily work.

About the Position

The Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid (OSFA), within the Strategic Enrollment and Marketing (SEM) division, seeks one individual to serve as a Financial Aid Advisor within the Operations and Compliance team. The Financial Aid Advisor works closely with the Assistant Manager of Financial Aid to support oversight of multiple functions within the office, including, but not limited to, compliance, maintaining the Policy and Procedure manual, Pell Grant management, document imaging, Verification, ISIR processing, and daily file transmission with the Department of Education. This role contributes senior-level skills and knowledge to the administration of financial aid programs, including work-study employment, scholarships, and grants, and supports new and continuing student eligibility through required planning, processing, awarding, and reporting.

The Financial Aid Advisor partners with the Scholarships and Client Services teams to maintain consistent service standards, equitable staff practices, and aligned policies and procedures. The position is responsible for financial aid planning, coordination, and regulatory compliance, and for advising students on financial resources and support options. This role also builds and maintains strong, positive relationships with division and campus partners to support recruitment and retention efforts and demonstrates active participation in fulfilling the mission of the organization. Campus partners include, but are not limited to: University Admissions, the Office of the Registrar, Student and Departmental Account Services, Student Affairs, academic departments, the Center for International Education, and Disability Resources.

Responsibilities Include

Intermediate:

40% - Program Management

• Evaluate information and documentation in order to make changes to student awards, budgets, and other data elements in PeopleSoft.
• Research student account issues as they pertain to federal, state, and institutional aid, and provide/communicate timely resolutions.
• Process reports in a timely manner in accordance with federal, state, and institutional guidelines to ensure compliance and student eligibility.
• Maintain a high-level working knowledge of regulations and policies that affect the program of responsibility.
• Assist with Verifications to ensure accurate federal financial aid eligibility.

25% - General Responsibilities

• Evaluate program effectiveness to identify potential issues and trends that could impact efficient and accurate processing of financial aid and notify managers so that procedures can be corrected in a timely manner.
• Participate in special projects and cross-training within the office as directed.
• Develop and nurture an impactful level of internal and external service, and work with the Assistant Manager to coordinate the advising of students and their families.
• Perform document imaging database tasks and ensure the scanning and indexing of documents is done accurately and efficiently.
• Maintain and apply knowledge of: Institution and government guidelines to determine eligibility for various types of financial aid.
• Internal and external databases such as PeopleSoft, COD, NSLDS, ELM, etc. to ensure student eligibility for financial aid.

20% -  Team Leadership & Primary Contact

• Serve as the intermediate level contact for students, parents, staff, and others to provide problem-solving assistance and to answer questions regarding the position’s program of responsibility.
• Support the Assistant Manager with day-to-day management of their team, such as coordinating activities, determining workflow, maintaining proper procedures, and preparing reports.
• Serve as designee in absence of the team’s Assistant Manager. - Assist with individual and group trainings as necessary.
• Communicate clearly and in a timely manner across all modalities: phone, email, IM, and Salesforce cases.

10% - Support Department & Division Priorities

• Support the missions of the department, division and institution.
• Demonstrate the ability to lead and follow.
• Voice feedback or concerns appropriately.
• Engage in discussions to improve processes.

5% - Other

• Serve on University committees as assigned.
• May require travel, weekend and overtime work.

Senior: 

40% - Program Management

• Evaluate information and documentation in order to make changes to student awards, budgets, and other data elements in PeopleSoft.
• Research student account issues as they pertain to federal, state, and institutional aid, and provide/communicate timely resolutions.
• Process reports in a timely manner in accordance with federal, state, and institutional guidelines to ensure compliance and student eligibility.
• Maintain a high-level working knowledge of regulations and policies that affect the program of responsibility.
• Assist with Verifications to ensure accurate federal financial aid eligibility.
• Serve as a subject matter expert within the unit, demonstrating advanced knowledge of key concepts, practices, and procedures.
• Apply comprehensive knowledge to independently perform complex tasks and assignments.
• Identify, analyze, and resolve problems with minimal guidance, developing effective solutions.
• Assess situations to recognize gaps or missing information and take initiative to obtain or clarify necessary details.
• Evaluate and improve existing processes to enhance efficiency, accuracy, and overall performance.

25% - General Responsibilities

• Evaluate program effectiveness to identify potential issues and trends that could impact efficient and accurate processing of financial aid and notify managers so that procedures can be corrected in a timely manner.
• Participate in special projects and cross-training within the office as directed.
• Develop and nurture an impactful level of internal and external service, and work with the Assistant Manager to coordinate the advising of students and their families.
• Perform document imaging database tasks and ensure the scanning and indexing of documents is done accurately and efficiently.
• Maintain and apply knowledge of: Institution and government guidelines to determine eligibility for various types of financial aid.
• Internal and external databases such as PeopleSoft, COD, NSLDS, ELM, etc. to ensure student eligibility for financial aid.
• Perform assigned duties independently with minimal supervision, exercising sound judgment in decision-making on matters of significance.
• Take ownership of tasks and projects, ensuring timely and accurate completion.
• Analyze complex issues and seek clarification or guidance when needed to determine appropriate solutions.
• Apply discretion and professional expertise when making decisions that impact operations or outcomes.

20% -  Team Leadership & Primary Contact

• Serve as the intermediate level contact for students, parents, staff, and others to provide problem-solving assistance and to answer questions regarding the position’s program of responsibility.
• Support the Assistant Manager with day-to-day management of their team, such as coordinating activities, determining workflow, maintaining proper procedures, and preparing reports.
• Serve as designee in absence of the team’s Assistant Manager. - Assist with individual and group trainings as necessary.
• Communicate clearly and in a timely manner across all modalities: phone, email, IM, and Salesforce cases.

10% - Support Department & Division Priorities

• Support the missions of the department, division and institution.
• Demonstrate the ability to lead and follow.
• Voice feedback or concerns appropriately.
• Engage in discussions to improve processes.

5% - Other

• Serve on University committees as assigned.
• May require travel, weekend and overtime work.

Minimum Qualifications

Intermediate:

• Associates or undergraduate Bachelor’s degree.
• 2 years of relevant experience.

Senior:

• Bachelor's degree in a related field.
• 3 years of relevant experience.

*A combination of related education, experience, and training may be used as an equivalent to the above Minimum Qualifications.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in relevant field.
• Experience working in a financial aid office and administering federal, state, and institutional aid.
• Demonstrated ability to efficiently and effectively solve problems and initiate and implement projects independently.
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity and ability to work with a diverse student, staff, and faculty population.
• Demonstrated capacity to adapt to change.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

Knowledge

• Knowledge of government rules, regulations, guidelines, and procedures related to financial aid.
• Knowledge of higher education law, including FERPA, Title IX, HIPAA, etc.

Skills

• Skills in prioritizing and completing multiple tasks of varying complexity and urgency in a timely and efficient manner.
• Customer service skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).

Abilities

• Works with confidential and/or sensitive information.
• Establishes and maintains effective working relationships.
• Communicates effectively, including the ability to present to small and large groups.
• Possesses problem solving, organizational, and analytical capabilities.

Compensation

Intermediate:

Salary range begins at $40,386. Annual salary commensurate with candidate's qualifications and related experience.

Senior: 

Salary range begins at $44,422. Annual salary commensurate with candidate's qualifications and related experience.

Pre-Employment Check

Northern Arizona University requires satisfactory results for the following: a criminal background investigation, an employment history verification and a degree verification (in some cases) prior to employment. You may also be required to complete a fingerprint background check. Also, as an employer in the state of Arizona, NAU is required to participate in the federal E-Verify program that assists employers with verifying new employees' right to work in the United States.

This position has been identified as a safety/security sensitive position. Therefore, per AZ Revised Statute, Northern Arizona University requires satisfactory results for the following: a criminal background investigation, employment history investigation, degree verification (in some cases) and fingerprinting. If you are applying for a job that requires a CDL, you will be required to register with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse and adhere to the clearinghouse requirements.

Notice of Availability of the Annual Fire and Security Report

Each year Northern Arizona University releases an Annual Security Report. The report is a result of a federal law known as the Clery Act. The report includes Clery reportable crime statistics for the three most recent completed calendar years and discloses procedures, practices and programs NAU uses to keep students and employees safe including how to report crimes or other emergencies occurring on campus. In addition, the Fire Safety Report is combined with the Annual Security Report for the NAU Flagstaff Mountain Campus as this campus has on-campus student housing. This report discloses fire safety policies and procedures related to on-campus student housing and statistics for fires that occurred in those facilities. If you would like a free paper copy of the report, please contact the NAUPD Records Department at (928) 523-8884 or by visiting the department at 525 E. Pine Knoll Drive in Flagstaff.

Immigration Support/Sponsorship

Northern Arizona University will not provide any U.S. immigration support or sponsorship for this position.

Submit your Application

To apply for this position, please click on the "Apply" button on this page. You must submit your application by midnight of the application deadline.

If you are an individual with a disability and need reasonable accommodation to participate in the hiring process, please contact the Disability Resources Office at 928-523-8773, DR@nau.edu, or PO Box 5633, Flagstaff AZ 86011.