Assistant Director, Financial Services; Center Youth

Overview

We are seeking an Assistant Director, Financial Services to provide strategic and operational leadership for all financial aid and student account functions at the Johns Hopkins Center for Talented Youth (CTY). Reporting to the Director of Enrollment Services, this role oversees a team of Financial Services Specialists responsible for financial aid processing, billing, payment posting, refunds, and reconciliation. The Assistant Director ensures compliance with university policies, promotes process efficiency, and delivers a seamless financial experience for CTY students and families.

The ideal candidate is a critical thinker and problem solver who brings a process-oriented approach to managing complex financial operations. They will drive cross-departmental collaboration, strengthen data integrity, and enhance operational effectiveness across financial systems and workflows.

• Leadership and Supervision (35%):
  Supervises, trains, and evaluates the Financial Services Specialist team, ensuring alignment of priorities and accountability for results; establishes team goals, assigns work, and monitors progress toward performance benchmarks and service-level agreements; coaches staff to develop cross-functional expertise in both financial aid and student accounts management; fosters a collaborative, customer-focused culture grounded in continuous learning and operational excellence; develops and maintains staffing plans and professional development pathways.
• Financial Aid Administration (25%):
  Oversees the full lifecycle of financial aid processing, including application review, eligibility determination, award distribution, and reconciliation; maintains compliance with institutional policies, FERPA, and relevant federal regulations; analyzes financial aid trends and budget allocations; prepares forecasts and reports for leadership; serves as the primary contact for escalated financial aid inquiries, appeals, or exceptions; partners with university offices to ensure accurate fund disbursement and reporting.
• Student Accounts Management (25%):
  Oversees student billing, payments, refunds, tuition remission, and third-party billing activities; approves complex account adjustments and ensures timely, accurate posting in Modern Campus and SAP; supervises reconciliation of account activity and collaborates with Central Finance on cash management and aging reports; monitors delinquent accounts, coordinates collection procedures, and recommends policy updates to improve receivable management; ensures student financial records are maintained with accuracy and confidentiality.
• Process Improvement and Compliance (15%):
  Leads initiatives to document, analyze, and optimize financial services workflows for efficiency and accuracy; identifies upstream and downstream impacts of proposed system or policy changes; recommends creative, data-driven solutions; collaborates with IT, Finance, and Enrollment teams to enhance data integration and automate processes across SAP and Modern Campus; maintains and refines standard operating procedures, internal controls, and audit documentation; prepares reports, data analyses, and findings for audits, leadership presentations, and strategic planning.

• Commitment to providing equitable, student-centered financial support.
• Proven ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced, high-volume environment.
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Excel (pivot tables, logic formulas, data modeling).
• Ability to translate business challenges into process and system solutions.
• Strong analytical, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities.

• Bachelor s degree in accounting, finance, business administration, or a related field.
• Five years of progressively responsible experience in accounting, student financial services, or financial aid administration. Prior experience in supervising or leading a team.
• Additional education may substitute for required experience and additional related experience may substitute for required education beyond a…