Assistant Director for Client Services

Provides strategic leadership and vision for the comprehensive delivery of financial aid counseling services; outreach services; and Client Services programs at Virginia Tech. This position is instrumental in advancing the mission of the Office of University Scholarships and Financial Aid by ensuring equitable access, student success, and operational excellence in the administration of scholarships and financial aid programs.

Key Responsibilities:

• The Assistant Director provides strategic leadership for the development, implementation, and evaluation of financial aid counseling services that advance institutional goals and student success.
• Directs the creation and execution of both short- and long-term strategies, policies, and programs, establishing priorities and setting performance expectations that align with the university’s mission and values.
• The role oversees all day-to-day counseling operations, ensuring that services are timely, accurate, student-centered, and fully compliant with federal, state, and institutional regulations.
• To strengthen accountability and efficiency, the leader implements systems for performance measurement and continuous improvement.
• The position also manages the office’s communication calendar and oversees tracking of emails, call volume, and other student and family interactions, using this data to guide operational decisions and improve service delivery.

The position ensures compliance with all applicable regulations and policies, anticipates regulatory changes, and leads proactive adjustments to safeguarding institutional integrity. In addition, this role provides oversight of key Client Services programs, including Satisfactory Academic Progress, Professional Judgment Appeals, and Study Abroad, ensuring each is administered with consistency, fairness, and compliance.

The leader also directs the preparation of financial aid planning, management reports, and audits. The role includes responsibility for recruiting, developing, and retaining a high-performing team of financial aid counselors, providing leadership in training, supervision, evaluation, and professional development, while fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and innovation.

The leader represents the office across campus and to external partners, advancing the university’s commitment to access and affordability. The role directs outreach to students, families, high schools, and community organizations through on-campus, off-campus, and virtual engagements, often outside of traditional business hours.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree with progressively responsible training or experience equivalent to an advanced degree is required.
• Proven leadership and supervisory ability, with the skills to inspire, mentor, and hold staff accountable in a complex, high-volume environment where accuracy and compliance are critical.
• Extensive customer service experience and a strong record of managing sensitive, high-impact interactions are essential.
• Candidates must also have substantial experience with federal financial aid programs and a thorough understanding of applicable federal, state, and institutional regulations.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree in higher education, business, or public administration.
• Experience with Banner.

Virginia Tech is an inclusive community dedicated to knowledge, discovery, and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in eight undergraduate colleges, a school of medicine, a veterinary medicine college, Graduate School, and Honors College.

Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employees, students, or applicants on the basis of age, color, disability, sex (including pregnancy), gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, ethnicity or national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, or military status, or otherwise discriminate against employees or applicants who inquire about, discuss, or disclose their compensation or the compensation of other employees or applicants, or on any other basis protected by law.