Financial Aid Operations Specialist - 137623

Enrollment Management (EM) is a multi-unit department within the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor-Academic Affairs. The department is led by the Associate Vice Chancellor for Enrollment Management (AVC EM), who serves as the Chief Enrollment Officer and Chief Outreach Officer of the University. EM comprises multiple high-profile, core functional units including: the Office of Admissions, Office of the Registrar, Financial Aid & Scholarships Office, Enrollment Management Technology Services (EMTS), Cal-SOAP, Creative Services, Enrollment Analytics, and the Business Office. We work to advance the academic and public service missions of UC San Diego by ensuring equitable access to education and empowering students throughout their educational journeys.

The Financial Aid and Scholarships (FAS) Office works collaboratively with the rest of Enrollment Management and other campus partners to support students from their recruitment, initial enrollment and through degree completion. The office works to ensure all admitted and continuing students have adequate financial resources available to attend UC San Diego. The FAS Office administers over $550 million in support to undergraduate students and $15 million to graduate/professional level students (excluding Health Sciences). About 70% of undergraduates receive some form of support, with this number growing each year. The staff provides outreach services, counseling, eligibility and verification determination, budgeting, awarding, reconciliation of payments, and federal, state, and university reporting.

The Financial Aid Operations Specialist is responsible for the start-to-finish coordination of the day-to-day operations of the Office of Financial Aid and Scholarship Office, including financial transactions, space management, travel, HR support, and other business functions ensuring adherence to established budget and UC and UC San Diego policies. Incumbent functions as a key resource for the coordination, administration, and organization of the office providing direction and guidance on a broad scope of issues.

This position functions as a liaison between the Financial Aid Office and other campus administrative partners, Chancellor, Vice Chancellors, faculty, students, and the public with a careful eye toward enhancing and streamlining administrative processes. Incumbent is primarily responsible for local office space management, complex calendaring, meeting coordination, maintenance of operational manuals, emergency response planning, overseeing the budget, and other business functions. Using professional concepts and strong analytical skills, the individual will anticipate and resolve operational challenges in a fast-paced environment.

Incumbent must demonstrate a high degree of professionalism in a rapidly changing, time-pressured environment that requires a high level of tact, diplomacy, and discretion on a wide variety of complex and sensitive issues. The incumbent also provides support to the Executive Director, AVC and oversees ad hoc committees. The Financial Aid Operations Specialist is a professional who applies acquired job skills, policies, and procedures to complete substantive assignments/projects/tasks of moderate scope and complexity; exercises judgment within defined guidelines and practices to determine appropriate action.

• Submission of a Cover letter along with a resume is strongly encouraged for a complete application.

• Strong experience in managing complex executive calendars, coordinating high-level meetings, scheduling rooms and technical support, and preparing materials for leadership. Ability to plan and process domestic travel arrangements in accordance with UC policies and support departmental events, trainings, and meetings with professional attention to detail.

• Proven experience in gathering, analyzing, and synthesizing data into clear reports, briefings, and presentations. Skilled in interpreting data, preparing reports, and making recommendations to leadership on budget, operations, and service delivery.

• Proven experience in project management methodologies, process design, and systems used for collaborative work (e.g., shared calendars, document repositories, workflow tools).

• Strong knowledge of administrative operations across finance, HR, facilities, space planning, payroll, and student services in a complex university setting.

• Working knowledge in managing office equipment inventories, coordinating maintenance, and supporting hybrid-work technology needs. Ability to evaluate equipment functionality, forecast needs, and ensure staff have appropriate tools and resources to perform work effectively both on-site and remotely.

• Ability to maintain and update departmental documentation, web pages, schedules, agendas, templates, and communication materials. Skill in producing clear, user-friendly content that supports transparency, consistency, and departmental training needs.

• Knowledge of facility operations, building systems, emergency protocols, and safety compliance requirements. Knowledge of EH&S guidelines for hazardous materials, waste management, and ergonomic standards.

• Skilled in interpreting data, preparing reports, and making recommendations to leadership on budget, operations, and service delivery.

• Ability to draft professional correspondence, operational documentation, procedures, reports, and executive summaries. Demonstrated skill in facilitating effective communication between units, resolving concerns, providing policy guidance, and maintaining productive, service-oriented working relationships. Solid communication and interpersonal skills to communicate effectively with all levels of staff verbally and in writing.

• Experience in managing concurrent priorities in a fast-paced environment. Demonstrated success in planning, coordinating, and executing day-to-day and long-term operational tasks while meeting strict deadlines. Ability to adapt to shifting priorities, maintain workflow continuity, and organize complex or high-volume information for effective retrieval, tracking, and reporting. Solid organizational skills and ability to multitask with demanding timeframes.

• Working knowledge of common organization-specific and other computer application programs. Working knowledge of enterprise systems and administrative technologies used in a large, complex university setting. Proficiency with PC and Mac platforms and common business applications, including Microsoft Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), database systems, calendaring tools, and communication platforms. Ability to navigate organization-specific applications, retrieve and analyze data, generate reports, and utilize technology to improve operational efficiency.

• Ability to contribute to operational planning discussions and provide recommendations that support department goals. Demonstrated capacity to assess existing practices, identify improvement opportunities, implement approved changes, and support short- and long-term initiatives led by department leadership.

• Ability to use discretion and maintain confidentiality. Demonstrated ability to handle sensitive and confidential information involving students, personnel, financial transactions, and departmental operations with discretion and professional integrity. Thorough understanding of confidentiality requirements, including FERPA and UC privacy standards. Ability to apply compliance expectations consistently and uphold institutional policies and ethical standards in all duties.

• Ability to use sound judgment in responding to issues and concerns. Demonstrated ability to exercise mature, professional judgment in addressing a broad range of operational, financial, personnel, and administrative issues. Applies established policies, procedures, and analytical reasoning to evaluate concerns, determine appropriate responses, and resolve moderately complex problems with minimal supervision. Serves as a key resource to leadership, staff, students, and campus partners, applying discretion, diplomacy, and contextual awareness in all interactions

PREFERRED:

• Knowledge of UC and UC San Diego policies, procedures, and systems related to finance and travel reconciliation.

• Job offer is contingent upon a satisfactory clearance based on background check results.Duties may require direct contact with children (defined as individuals under the age of 18).

• Completion of the Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act (CANRA) form is required.Occasional overtime and weekends may be required.

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