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Senior Manager of Financial Aid

Turing School of Software & Design is seeking a Sr. Manager of Financial Aid to join our Financial Aid team.  This position will lead Turing's current endeavor to be Title IV approved, manage all Financial Aid related compliance reporting, ensure the accuracy of student ledgers, and work with the Financial Aid Coordinator to ensure student satisfaction.  

State of the Role

Turing began its application process for Title IV approval in August of 2021. We are still working on financial reviews and ensuring consumer information is complete and accurate, along with any other thing the DOE asks us to do.  Our mission is to unlock human potential by training a erse, inclusive student body to succeed in high-fulfillment technical careers.  This is a new position and is responsible for leading the process to assure success in the endeavor of obtaining Title IV approval in order to open up financial pathways. 

We are a small institution with approximately 420 Title IV eligible students enrolling every year.  While this number will grow in time, this means that the Financial Aid team wears multiple hats and operate in some gray areas.  In addition to Title IV compliance and reporting, this position will be responsible for GI bill processing for our Veteran students, posting bills and payments to student ledgers, ensuring the accuracy of student accounts, and scholarship management, among other Financial Aid related tasks.  

This position will sit on the Operations Team.  At Turing, and on this team, we insist on taking ownership.  This means completing work assigned, being accountable for the results, taking calculated risks when an opportunity for better systems or processing comes up, and being transparent in communicating with team members and your Manager when help is needed or when something doesn't go to plan.  

We need a self starter who can explore, learn, ideate, execute and iterate in very rapid cycles.  This position must truly have a passion for Financial Aid work and the impact it has on a student's life, as well as find topics of compliance and reporting challenging and intriguing.  This position must be a team player and be able to coach and oversee the work of others without micromanaging. 

The Sr. Manager of Financial Aid will report to the Director of Finance & Administration Rachel Martinez. This role will grow and change over time, but Turing has immediate needs that will take priority.  To ensure the success of our students and organization, the Sr. Manager of Financial Aid  will immediately take the lead on the supporting the finalization of Title IV Approval, and helping set up systems that will enable success-ready students to enter into the program in a place of financial security. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

Title IV 

• Supporting the next steps and the finalization of Title IV Approval.
• Developing good financial aid and accounting policy at the state and federal level by taking advantage of input and training provided by the U.S. Department of Education, U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Colorado Department of Higher Education, and various professional associations.
• Ensuring  that students and parents are well informed about the availability of financial aid by working with FAC to direct a program of public information which includes written materials, personal interviews, and workshops.
• Overseeing the administration of all financial aid. Adjudicates inidual student's appeals to the financial aid eligibility process and to the satisfactory academic progress regulation. Approves professional judgments, and handles complex financial situations escalated by FAC. 
• Developing and implementing a process to audit all distributions of loan, living expenses, and refunds to students to ensure student accounts are up to date and accurate at all times.
• Ensuring all scholarship programs are in compliance with federal regulations.
• Auditing processes and accuracy of third party processor and student distributions 
• Performing all IPED reporting 
• Auditing student files for accuracy and completeness around Title IV issues such as verification, documents, entrance/exit counseling, FERPA permissions, and SAP warnings. 
• Approving Professional Judgments - Unique student situations

Compliance 

• Ensuring finding-free audits and program reviews by remaining current on all federal and state laws and regulations.
• Implementing and/or modifies office procedures to comply with laws and regulations, making certain that all required reports are prepared accurately and in a timely manner.
• Serving as the first point of contact to any financial auditor; internal or external. Providing information and access to records as required.
• Creating and distributing 1098-Ts in accordance with federal (IRS) regulations.
• Handling Audits conducted by DOE for TItle IV, oversees VA Audits, works with the Director on all other audits with financial components.
• Working with Registrar to ensure accurate records for all necessary IPEDS reporting collections
• Maintaining compliance by monitoring changes to state and federal regulations - Update manuals, website, and consumer information as needed
• Developing policies and procedures for the Financial Aid Office as needed due to changes made by Fed regs and Dear Colleague Letters.

Management 

• On a regular basis managing the onboarding and processing of GI Bill students using VA Once. 
• Meeting with Financial Aid Team regularly to ensure best practices are being followed, discuss any student issues or concerns, and to address any changes or progress needed in daily financial operations. 

Accounting 

• Calculating and Processing withdrawal agreements in coordination with Registrar ensuring compliance with all internal and external regulations.
• On a daily basis ensuring accurate accounting, processing, and posting of student payments. 

• 10+ years of experience in Managing or Directing a financial aid office.  
• Initial application of Title IV experience support strongly preferred.
  Bachelors or higher level of degree preferred.
• Exceptional attention to detail skills, especially as they relate financial processes and changes in the legal landscape.  
• Experience in setting up processes and financial award systems in a Student Information System preferred.  
• Currently an Active SCO for GI BILL processes or experience directly processing certifications in the previous 3 years. 
• Comfort with taking the kernel of an idea and independently seeing it through
• Ability to quickly ramp-up on Turing's culture, community, and language
• Excellent organization, time management, prioritization, and quick decision making skills
• Excellent written and oral communication skills with the an ability to lead, influence, create visibility, and motivate others
• Turing staff members must be located in the continental United States and able to regularly participate in staff events from 8:30AM to 4:00PM Mountain Time, with occasional special events outside those hours.

Performance in this role will be measured by:

• Attaining Title IV approval with the DOE
• Accuracy in all student ledgers, 
• Ability to onramp quickly to our POS system and set up 
• Finding free audits with all Title IV Compliance Audits 
• Setting up systems and processes for when we have Title IV prior to approval so we are able to move quickly and offer this benefit immediately upon approval. 

The employee can expect to:

• Have a starting salary of $96,514.00  with approximately a 1.0% raise every "inning" (7-8 weeks) 
• Have fully paid premium health insurance and full coverage for a spouse and any dependents upon start date
• Long-term disability insurance
• 401(k) savings program with 5% employer match
• Group Life Insurance (with benefit equal to yearly salary)
• Be covered by our flexible minimum leave policy of at least 15 days per year
• Be covered by our parental leave policy ensuring at least 12 weeks of fully paid leave
• Be covered by our exceptional medical care benefit after one year
• Work remotely from a location with dependable, high-speed internet and typical work hours of 8:15-5:00 Mountain Time daily.

1. Submit initial application through this system including a cover letter which clearly answers these three questions:
   1. We are looking for a candidate that has immediately relevant experience.  Please tell us about either how you have been involved in a Title IV approval process before, or another mission critical type of Financial Aid based project role.  
   2. What type of audit strategies do you rely on for accuracy? 
   3. Why are you different from other candidates? What qualities and positive outcomes do you have to demonstrate that you are the best?
2. Receive (via email) and complete the demographic survey
3. Screening review of initial applications leading to some candidates being invited to interview.
4. A 30-minute interview with at least one current staff member.
5. A final pool of 3-6 candidates will be invited to complete a work challenge and present their results to a panel of Turing staff members.
6. Receive a final decision

Diverse Recruitment Pool Policy

Diversity, equity, and inclusion are at the core of Turing's organizational values. To ensure a erse pool of candidates is considered, initial reviews and phone screens will not begin until optional applicant self-reporting demonstrates that the pool is, at a minimum, made up of 30% people of color and 30% non-male applicants. In the event that a sufficiently erse pool has not applied after recruiting efforts of 90 days, the application period will close and current applicants will be allowed to move forward in the process.

This information will be collected via a separate anonymous electronic form as part of the application process. This anonymous electronic form will be collected by an employee that is not involved in the interview process for new candidates. Once the data from the anonymous form indicates that the above percentages of pool ersity are reached, the hiring team will be notified that the screening and interview process may begin for the new position.