The Senior Advisor for Seaver Student Accounts maintains student accounts, assists students and parents with any questions or payments, and collaborates with departments to ensure that the appropriate charges are posted or credited. Additionally, the Senior Advisor ensures that University-established policies and federal regulations are followed. The Senior Advisor treats students and parents with courtesy and respect, always striving to provide the best customer service possible by offering accurate information. The Senior Advisor will serve as primary on specific areas/projects within the Student Accounts Office such as VA Benefits, Athletic stipends, Collections, and mass communications, while also working with the Assistant Director to identify areas, make suggestions, and implement proposals for improvement & efficiency. The Senior Advisor's goal is to assist students and parents through the financial portion of their education with understanding, concern, and guidance.

Duties

Advising and Student Support:

• Interact with students in a professional manner and maintain confidentiality of student accounts information.
• Meet with students in-person to advise and answer questions about tuition charges, payment arrangements and policies.
• Respond promptly to student inquiries i.e. telephone calls, e-mails, letters, and walk-ins.
• Respond promptly and work proactively with the Financial Assistance Office and Student Services Team to resolve student accounts issues and problems.
• Conduct research on students' account problems and maintain communication related to them with all involved parties. Present introductory information to new students and represent the department at orientations.
• Support Military-Connected School Certifying Official for students receiving VA benefits by managing contracts, invoicing for payment, adjusting accounts, and communication with counselors, students, military representatives, etc.
• Support Athletics Department for students receiving Athletic stipends by refunding credits, adjusting accounts, and coordinating with the Athletics and Financial Assistance Departments as needed.
• Assist Assistant Director with handling and resolving student grievances and appeals. 

Student Accounts Management:

• Maintain student accounts data for Seaver students, which includes all school charges such as tuition & fees, payments, credited financial aid, and refunds.
• Establish appropriate payment plans for students per University policy.
• Maintain correspondence and documentation regarding students accounts statements/invoices upon request.
• Apply/update service indicators (holds), including registration holds on students' accounts per University policy.
• Conduct audits and reviews to student accounts, payment plans, company reimbursement, hours enrolled vs. tuition charges. Receive and process payments from students.
• Process student refunds in a timely manner.
• Run refund reports to review larger refunds, special billing, athlete accounts, and manually post and reverse fees as necessary.
• Apply late fees and withdrawal fees as soon as they are applicable.
• Run tuition calculations when necessary to update students' accounts.
• Create, update, audit, and manage documents/sheets for VA Benefits, Athletic stipends, and Collections.
• Create and send mass communications to students related to Seaver Student Accounts matters and notifications.
• Update and manage Seaver Student Accounts website to ensure public information is correct and up to date.

Team Support:

• Provide daily support and assistance as needed to all members of the Seaver Student Accounts team (Assistant Director, Advisor, and student workers).
• Assist Student Accounts Office with effectively communicating policies and procedures and responding to email inquiries accurately.
• Serve as the point of contact for Advisor and student workers when escalated situations occur with students over the phone and/or in-person.
• Assist team with account adjustments such as reversals, manually posting fees, Special Billing adjustments, and difficult accounts.
• Assist Assistant Director with training new team members and staff on Student Accounts policies and procedures.

Collaboration and Relationship Building: 

• Collaborate with departments within the Office of the Registrar (Academic Advising, OneStop, VA Benefits, Records), internal Pepperdine departments (Admissions, Financial Assistance, Athletics, Housing, International Programs, etc), and other external stakeholders (VA, CA Dept. of Rehab., etc) to ensure appropriate handling of University policies and processes. 
• Leadership and Strategy: Attend meetings with the Assistant Director of Student Accounts and all Student Accounts personnel when requested. Serve as meeting representative in lieu of Assistant Director when necessary. Work with both Assistant Director and team to devise strategies for process improvement, utilizing feedback to foster continuous enhancement. 
• Other duties as assigned. 
• Follow and uphold University policies and student account procedures through work performed and via all interactions. 

The above information has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required of employees assigned to this job.

Skills and Qualifications

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree.
• Minimum of 3-5 years of experience in student accounts or a related field within higher education.
• Strong customer service skills, including ability to maintain a professional manner and confidentiality when dealing with sensitive student information.
• Strong communication and excellent grammar/writing skills with ability to clearly articulate verbally and in writing.
• Strong organizational skills, highly detail-oriented, ability to multi-task/prioritize workload, ability to function effectively/independently, proactive problem solver, and ability to work as a team player.
• Proficient with Microsoft applications (MSWord, Excel) and Google Suite.

Preferred:

• Master’s degree in Higher Education, Counseling, or a related field.
• Experience working with military-connected students and VA Benefits, as well as student athletes receiving athletic awards.
• Experience with the PeopleSoft system.

Qualified individuals should be able to articulate a strong commitment to diversity, and have the ability to work effectively with individuals from different backgrounds.

Offers of employment are contingent upon successful completion of a criminal, education, and employment screening. The University conducts such screenings in compliance with applicable laws and with the objectives of evaluating risk and supporting a safe environment for students, faculty, staff, and guests; safeguarding key University assets including people, property, information, and the University’s reputation; and providing comprehensive job-related information to University leaders to enable them to make prudent hiring decisions. Qualified individuals with criminal histories will be considered for employment in compliance with applicable laws, including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance.

This is a Regular, Nonexempt, 40 hour per week position.

Expected Pay Range: $26.00 - $28.00 per hour 

The above pay range reflects what Pepperdine University reasonably expects to pay for this position at time of posting. Actual compensation may vary based on relevant factors such as work experience, market conditions, education/training, and skill level. In addition to base pay, Pepperdine offers a robust and highly competitive benefits package.

Pepperdine is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer and does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of any status or condition protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.