Careers at Virginia Tech

Reporting to the Associate Director of System Operations, this role is responsible for leading the day-to-day operations of the Systems team and overseeing systemic functions within the Office of University Scholarships and Financial Aid (USFA). Responsibilities include the operation and maintenance of technology systems used to administer financial aid, reporting and data integrity, overseeing the execution of operational processes for timely awarding, disbursement, tracking, and quality assurance reviews of financial aid programs.

They will create formulas and processes for monitoring the university’s student financial aid systems and data, as well as assist in executing the financial aid packaging strategy (budgeting, packaging, disbursement) through testing and simulating financial aid packaging runs via Ellucian Banner’s financial aid module. This position will support the current Systems team in daily tasks including assisting with ISIR data loads for both the current and upcoming aid year.

The Assistant Director for Systems will design reports to facilitate data analysis and quality assurance checks for data integrity, compliance with financial aid regulations, financial aid and scholarship modeling, and assessment of financial aid processes. This position will stay up to date on federal and state financial aid regulations and will support compliance efforts not limited to Federal Student Aid, SCHEV, and GLBA regulations, as well as data security and audits. Utilizing Ellucian’s Insights reporting tool, the creation of financial aid dashboards will provide USFA leadership with a holistic view of financial aid data and metrics.

The Assistant Director provides support to staff dealing with system and technology issues in Banner and Blackbaud Award Management, as well as any other information systems implemented by USFA in addition to resolving Help Desk tickets assigned to the Systems team.

This position collaborates on a regular basis with Enrollment Management and campus colleagues including Admissions, Registrar, Bursar, and Academic Applications (Enterprise Systems). The Assistant Director will troubleshoot Banner system issues and assist with all system upgrades including scheduling, impact analysis, testing, and implementation in coordination with the Academic Applications team. This position will assist and support modifications to Banner identified through Banner E-communities Blackbaud; and seamlessly integrate improvements with current system functionality to meet and maintain compliance with institutional, state, and federal regulations.

They will maintain a working knowledge of current technology and system issues and trends occurring in the Banner and Blackbaud communities. The Assistant Director will utilize those resources to research, identify, and propose process improvements and efficiencies for USFA. They will work with each team in the office to implement enhancements around automation, extended use of Banner baseline operations, business process improvements, and comfort level using technology.

There will be some vacation blackout periods during peak processing times (July and August) to ensure continuity of operations.

This position will also perform other duties, as assigned.

● Bachelor's degree in computer science, information management, applied statistics, data science, computer science, business analytics, or related field or equivalent level of training and experience.
● Several years of experience writing SQL or PostgreSQL.
● Experience with data reporting and analytics tools.
● Strong technical background with experience in financial aid systems, preferably Ellucian Banner.
● Knowledge of Oracle database structure and Microsoft Office application suite, particularly Excel.
● Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with functional and technical staff from multiple areas to resolve programmatic issues and updates.
● Ability to handle large volumes of data and effectively multitask in a fast-paced environment, meeting deadlines and maintaining compliance.
● Strong organizational and interpersonal skills.
● Attention to detail and ability to handle sensitive data.
● Demonstrated financial aid and/or scholarship management technical experience.

● Demonstrated progressive experience using Ellucian Banner Financial Aid.
● Notable experience with reporting and data analysis in the context of higher education.
● Master's degree or related experience.
● Demonstrated knowledge of financial aid rules, regulations, and procedures.
● Experience developing and maintaining clear and concise procedural and problem documentation.
● Knowledge of and ability to apply federal regulations governing student financial aid to ensure efficient and compliant operations.
● Meaningful university experience in financial aid and/or administrative information systems.

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Exempt: Not eligible for overtime

Regular

Salary commensurate with experience, a budget max of $110,000

40+

July 7, 2025 or until filled

The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check.

Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world, 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. The university has a significant presence across Virginia, including the Innovation Campus in Northern Virginia; the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke; sites in Newport News and Richmond; and numerous Extension offices and research centers. A leading global research institution, Virginia Tech conducts more than $500 million in research annually.

Virginia Tech endorses and encourages participation in professional development opportunities and university shared governance.  These valuable contributions to university shared governance provide important representation and perspective, along with opportunities for unique and impactful professional development.