Job Description

Brief Summary of Work for this Position
The Assistant Director works as a part of the Counseling Team within UNCW’s Financial Aid Office. This position supervises several counselors and manages a student caseload of students.

The Assistant Director is also responsible for the following duties:
Administers all financial aid programs and ensures compliance with federal, state, and institutional rules, regulations, and requirements.
Advises, counsels, and educates students, prospective students, and their respective family members as it relates to their financial eligibility.
Supports the Associate Director and other leadership as needed.
Minimum Education and Experience Requirements
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent with at least 2 years of financial aid program experience and familiarity with relevant federal/state regulations.
3 years as a financial aid counselor.
Preferred Education, Knowledge, Skills & Experience
Master’s Degree.
Experience with Federal systems.
Experience with Banner, Image Now/Perceptive Content, Starfish, and Zoom/Teams.
Strong customer service and communication skills.
Strong time management and organizational skills.
1 year of supervisory experience (including, but not limited to, hiring, onboarding, training, coaching, and evaluating).
Required Certifications or Licensures
Primary Purpose of Organizational Unit
This position is assigned to the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid (OSFA) at the University of North Carolina Wilmington (UNCW). UNCW operates at a student capacity of about 16,500 and OSFA is expected to serve any of those students seeking financial aid assistance, any prospective students/families, as well as students who receive benefits that require coordination through the OSFA. The OSFA currently serves approximately 65% of the student body. This includes federal and financial assistance, Veteran’s educational benefits, all tuition waivers, all scholarships, all institutional aid, and all non-institutional aid. Typical office contact is 20,000 calls and 3,500 visits.

The major functions of the department include:

Management of funds exceeding $155 million.
Receiving and/or processing aid applications from approximately 25,000 students each year (this includes all admitted students- some do not matriculate).
Monitoring records and procedures for compliance with applicable federal and state laws and regulations and NCAA athletics rules.
Providing federal, state, and donor reports, and providing general financial aid advising and counseling to current and prospective students and their families.
Due to the national financial aid processing and delivery system, admission decision notification, and timing of orientation/billing, the heavier portions of the work are concentrated during March, April, June, July, and the first two weeks of each semester.
College/School Information
University Information
The University of North Carolina Wilmington, the state’s coastal university, is dedicated to the integration of teaching, mentoring, research and service. Widely acknowledged for its world-class faculty and staff and continuously recognized at a national level for scholarly excellence and affordability, UNCW offers a powerful academic experience that stimulates creative inquiry and critical thinking and a community rich in diversity, inclusion and global perspectives.

A public institution with nearly 18,000 students, UNCW offers a full range of baccalaureate- and graduate-level programs, as well as doctoral degrees in educational leadership, marine biology, nursing practice and psychology; and many distance learning options, including clinical research, an accelerated RN-to-BSN program, an Executive M.B.A. program structured for working professionals, and the nation’s only bachelor’s degree program focused on coastal engineering.

The university’s efforts to advance research and scholarly activities have earned UNCW the elevated designation of “Doctoral Universities: High Research Activity” institution (R2 University) by the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education.

UNCW has been part of the University of North Carolina System since 1969.
EEO Statement
At the University of North Carolina at Wilmington (UNCW), our culture reflects our values of inclusion, diversity, globalization, ethics and integrity and innovation and we are committed to providing equality of educational and employment opportunity for all persons without regard to race, sex (such as gender, gender identity, marital status, childbirth, and pregnancy), age, color, national origin (including ethnicity), religion, disability, sexual orientation, political affiliation, veteran status, military service member status, genetic information, or relationship to other university constituents – except where sex, age, or ability represent bona fide educational or occupational qualifications or where marital status is a statutorily established eligibility criterion for State funded employee benefit programs. UNCW believes that embracing the unique contributions of our faculty, staff and students is critical to our success and paramount in being recognized for our global mindset.
Eligibility for Employment
Final candidates are subject to criminal & sex offender background checks. Some vacancies also require credit or motor vehicle checks. UNC Wilmington participates in E-Verify. Federal law requires all employers to verify the identity and employment eligibility of all persons hired to work in the United States.