Director of Financial Aid Chicago

Department: Financial Aid CH
Salary/Grade: EXS/11

Job Summary:

Reporting to the University Director of Financial Aid, the Director of the Financial Aid Chicago Office serves as the primary manager at the Chicago campus location. In partnership and consultation with the University Aid Director, this position manages the daily operations and processes of the programs managed by the Chicago Financial Aid Office, including the Medical School, Law School, allied health programs, Kellogg Evening & Weekend MBA program and the School of Professional Studies graduate and undergraduate programs. The Director ensures institutional procedures are implemented and regulatory deadlines are achieved while providing excellent customer service to students and colleagues. The Chicago Director supervises daily operations of a team of eight, provides oversight and support to the staff managing various project areas that include federal and state grants, federal and private loans, institutional aid, budget appeals, special circumstance review, outside scholarships processing, summer awards, student support, document intake and data-entry.

Specific Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership, Organizational Management, and Collaboration

• Provides vision and leadership for all aspects of financial aid operations serving graduate and professional programs, as well as a non-traditional undergraduate programs.
• Oversees staff recruitment, development, performance management, and succession planning to foster a high-performing, engaged team.
• Serves as a trusted advisor to university leadership, providing expertise on complex financial aid and compliance matters.
• Builds and sustains strong partnerships across schools (Law, Medicine, Business, SPS) and administrative units (Registrar, Student Finance, IT, Admissions) to align financial aid strategies with institutional priorities.
• Represents the university in national organizations (e.g., NASFAA, MASFAA, AAMC), advocating for graduate, professional and non-traditional education priorities.

Financial Aid Operations, Technology, and Process Excellence

• Oversees the administration of financial aid operations for complex and varied program structures and academic calendars, including packaging, disbursement, and compliance reporting.
• Leads process improvement initiatives to enhance operational efficiency, accuracy, and service quality.
• Partners with IT to optimize systems (PeopleSoft, MachForm, NSC/NSLDS) and advance automation strategies.
• Test and validate the University's financial aid software system (PeopleSoft) during upgrades to confirm accuracy and reliability of aid processing, then communicate relevant changes to staff.
• Drives initiatives to modernize communication tools, digital workflows, and student service delivery.

Data Analysis, Reporting, and Institutional Accountability

• Oversees reporting functions for accreditation (ABA, LCME, AAMC), rankings (US News), federal compliance, and institutional leadership.
• Utilizes data analytics to inform scholarship strategies, debt management initiatives, and financial forecasting.
• Ensures data accuracy and transparency through collaborative reporting and effective data governance practices.
• Provides leadership in identifying trends, benchmarking performance, and supporting institutional decision-making through robust reporting and analysis.
• Oversee the reconciliation process for the Chicago Office's Loan program to ensure all loan funds are accounted for and balanced with federal records.

Policy Development, Risk Management, and Policy Development

• Maintains knowledge of federal, state, and institutional financial aid regulations, including Title IV, SAP, Gainful Employment, Financial Value Transparency, and accreditation standards.
• Oversees institutional compliance initiatives, including audit preparation, accreditation reporting, and risk mitigation strategies.
• Leads the development, revision, and documentation of policies and procedures to ensure compliance, operational effectiveness, and readiness for external reviews.
• Monitors evolving federal guidance and proactively ensures institutional alignment and response.
• Advises on regulatory impacts to enrollment, funding strategies, and institutional reputation.
• Leads campus-wide training and professional development initiatives related to compliance, systems, and financial aid best practices.

Counseling, Engagement, and Student Support

• Provides clear and timely communication to students, staff, faculty, and university leadership on financial aid policies, processes, and regulatory updates.
• Champions a student-focused service model, ensuring transparency, accessibility, and responsiveness to the unique needs of graduate and professional students.
• Advocates for the evolving financial needs of diverse graduate, professional and non-traditional undergraduate student populations through targeted program development and service innovation.

Miscellaneous

Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree;
• Eight years' experience in financial aid;
• Excellent communication skills, both written and oral;
• Ability to work as a leader in the office and member of the team.

Minimum Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities.)

• Experience in explaining, processing, reviewing federal financial aid regulations.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree;
• Experience in an office that uses the PeopleSoft student information system;
• Experience in a highly selective, complex, institution of higher education.
• Experience working with graduate, professional and non-traditional undergraduate populations.
• Experience working with multiple academic calendars and a strong understanding of academic calendar structures.
• Experience working with Institutional Methodology (IM) to determine graduate/professional grants and scholarships.

Preferred Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities)

• Microsoft Office suite; comfort with technology including the use of web-based online forms tools; user-focused knowledge of what is possible in the PeopleSoft system.

Target hiring range for this position will be between $116,000 $126,000 per year. Offered salary will be determined by the applicant's education, experience, knowledge, skills and abilities, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data.

Benefits:
At Northwestern, we are proud to provide meaningful, competitive, high-quality health care plans, retirement benefits, tuition discounts and more! Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/index.html to learn more.

Work-Life and Wellness:
Northwestern offers comprehensive programs and services to help you and your family navigate life's challenges and opportunities, and adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles.
We support flexible work arrangements where possible and programs to help you locate and pay for quality, affordable childcare and senior/adult care. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/work-life/index.html to learn more.

Professional Growth & Development:
Northwestern supports employee career development in all circumstances whether your workspace is on campus or at home. If you're interested in developing your professional potential or continuing your formal education, we offer a variety of tools and resources. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/learning/index.html to learn more.

Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of protected characteristics, including disability and veteran status. View Northwestern's non-discrimination statement. Job applicants who wish to request an accommodation in the application or hiring process should contact the Office of Civil Rights and Title IX Compliance. View additional information on the accommodations process.