If you’re passionate about building a better future for individuals, communities, and our country—and you’re committed to working hard to play your part in building that future—consider WGU as the next step in your career.

Driven by a mission to expand access to higher education through online, competency-based degree programs, WGU is also committed to being a great place to work for a diverse workforce of student-focused professionals. The university has pioneered a new way to learn in the 21st century, one that has received praise from academic, industry, government, and media leaders. Whatever your role, working for WGU gives you a part to play in helping students graduate, creating a better tomorrow for themselves and their families.

The salary range for this position takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs.

At WGU, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their position, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is:
 

Grade: Management_Executive 609

Pay Range: $113,200.00 - $203,800.00

Job Description

The Director of Financial Aid is responsible for the management and oversight of financial aid administration in a high-volume financial aid operations processing center, The Director, Financial Aid will oversee department functions; communications; processes; ensure compliance with state and federal regulations; work across university departments to ensure collaboration of shared goals and key results and the long-term vision and strategy of the department.. This position reports to the Vice President of Financial Aid.

 

The Director of Financial Aid is responsible for providing strategic leadership, cross-functional coordination, and operational oversight within the Financial Aid organization. Directors lead one of several key focal areas within Financial Aid—Operations & Compliance, Training & Quality Assurance, or Strategic Initiatives & Pathways—while contributing to university-wide goals, regulatory compliance, and a seamless student experience.

The Director serves as a senior leader representing Financial Aid across the institution, ensuring alignment of processes, policies, and initiatives with institutional strategy and student success outcomes. This position reports to the Vice President or Senior Director of Financial Aid.

Responsibilities

Primary Responsibilities

· Represent Financial Aid in university-wide strategy and leadership meetings.

· Collaborate with Enrollment, Academic leadership, Compliance, Legal, Student Accounts, Registrar, and other partners to deliver aligned, compliant operations.

· Develop and execute strategies and project plans that support institutional mission and student success.

· Lead change management efforts for new policies, system updates, or regulatory changes.

· Ensure processes, systems, and communications align with federal and state regulations.

· Monitor operational performance, service levels, and compliance indicators.

· Develop and implement best practices that increase consistency, quality, and student satisfaction.

· Define and track performance metrics for assigned areas.

· Use data to drive improvements, risk mitigation, and decision-making.

· Prepares briefings and recommendations for senior leadership on policies, performance, and resource alignment.

· Manage a team of managers, professionals, or specialists.

· Develop staffing plans and make hiring, promotion, and performance decisions.

· Foster a collaborative, inclusive, high-performing culture.

· Performs other job-related duties as assigned.

This job description includes a general representation of job requirements rather than a comprehensive inventory of all required responsibilities or work activities. The contents of this document or related job requirements may change at any time with or without notice.

Qualifications

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

· Federal and State Financial Aid Regulations (Title IV, compliance, audit requirements).

· Higher education operations including enrollment, student accounts, registrar, and student services.

· Project and program management principles for large-scale initiatives.

· Data analysis, reporting, and performance measurement.

· Leadership and team management.

· Strategic planning and execution.

· Cross-functional communication and influence.

· Problem‑solving and risk identification.

· Change management and organizational alignment.rement.

· Manage complex programs with cross-functional dependencies.

· Interpret and apply federal and state regulations across diverse contexts.

· Oversee concurrent initiatives and competing priorities.

· Translate data insights into operational or strategic action.

· Innovate and adapt strategies in evolving regulatory and educational environments.

· Develop talent and cultivate a continuous improvement culture.

Requirements

Education

· Bachelor’s degree in Business, Higher Education Administration, Finance, or a related field.

Experience

· 10 years of progressive experience in financial aid administration or higher education operations.

· 5 years of leadership experience managing teams and cross-functional projects.

· Demonstrated experience leading complex projects across multiple departments.

· Extensive knowledge of federal and state financial aid regulations.

· Experience writing and implementing policies and procedures.

· Experience with Financial Aid Management Systems

Preferred Qualifications

· Master’s Degree.

· Experience using Banner preferred.

· Experience working in competency-based or nonstandard academic models.

Position & Application Details

Full-Time Regular Positions (classified as regular and working 40 standard weekly hours): This is a full-time, regular position (classified for 40 standard weekly hours) that is eligible for bonuses; medical, dental, vision, telehealth and mental healthcare; health savings account and flexible spending account; basic and voluntary life insurance; disability coverage; accident, critical illness and hospital indemnity supplemental coverages; legal and identity theft coverage; retirement savings plan; wellbeing program; discounted WGU tuition; and flexible paid time off for rest and relaxation with no need for accrual, flexible paid sick time with no need for accrual, 11 paid holidays, and other paid leaves, including up to 12 weeks of parental leave.

How to Apply: If interested, an application will need to be submitted online. Internal WGU employees will need to apply through the internal job board in Workday.

Additional Information

Disclaimer: The job posting highlights the most critical responsibilities and requirements of the job. It’s not all-inclusive.

Accommodations: Applicants with disabilities who require assistance or accommodation during the application or interview process should contact our Talent Acquisition team at [email protected].

Equal Employment Opportunity: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any protected characteristic as required by law.