Assistant Director Customer Service, Special Programs and Outreach

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INITIAL REVIEW DATE (IRD)

UC Santa Cruz jobs are posted until filled. All application materials submitted by 11:59 pm on the IRD will be routed to the hiring team for consideration. NOTE: Applicants who miss the IRD are still encouraged to apply; their materials will still be forwarded for consideration if requested by the hiring team. Application materials cannot be accepted outside of the jobs portal. Applications cannot be edited on an applicant's behalf. For more information about the IRD and the applicant review process, view this link.

The IRD for this job is: 04-30-2025

ABOUT UC SANTA CRUZ

UC Santa Cruz is a public university like no other in California, combining the experience of a small, liberal arts college with the depth and rigor of a major research university. It's known as an unconventional place where innovation and experimentation is part of the campus's DNA. That playful, bold spirit still thrives today, all on a campus renowned as among the most beautiful in the world.

DEPARTMENT OVERVIEW

The University of California Santa Cruz enrolls roughly 19,000 students a year and 77% of undergraduates receive some form of financial aid. The Financial Aid and Scholarship Office (FASO) strives to deliver high quality service to students and their families. We are committed to minimizing financial barriers, dedicated to providing students and their family's access to a broad range of aid programs to support students in achieving their educational goals. The office is part of Enrollment Management, which includes Financial Aid and Scholarships, Orientation and Undergraduate Admissions. Enrollment Management is part of the multi-faceted academic Division of Undergraduate Education. Undergraduate Admissions, Enrollment Management and Undergraduate Education work closely with select Academic Senate committees. Since its founding in 1965, the University of California, Santa Cruz, has grown from 652 students to nearly 19,000 students (2022-23) and earned international distinction as a world university with high-impact research, ranking 3rd in the world for research influence by Times Higher Education, and among the top 50 universities in the world according to the U.S. News and World Report 2017 Best Global Universities rankings. A campus with world-class facilities and one of the most visually spectacular settings in higher education, UC Santa Cruz offers rigorous academic programs and cutting-edge research opportunities. At the core of our progressive educational approach are our 10 distinctive residential colleges, which organize the campus into smaller living/learning communities.

The UC Santa Cruz Financial Aid and Scholarship Office is dedicated to providing students and their families access to a broad range of aid programs to support their educational goals.

More information can be found at: https://financialaid.ucsc.edu/

JOB SUMMARY

In consultation with the Associate Director, the incumbent is responsible for ensuring that aid for special programs is administered according to federal, state, and institutional regulations. They are also expected to maintain, develop, and modify policies and procedures for customer service and special programs, coordinate and communicate all activities with management and systems staff who provide technical infrastructure for operations. The Assistant Director Customer Service, Special Programs and Outreach is responsible for supervising and coordinating the duties of advising staff in customer service and special programs (Education Abroad, non-UC EAP, consortiums, and summer session) in the Financial Aid and Scholarship Office. They conduct annual performance evaluations, monitor staff workloads, coordinate training, and implement corrective personnel actions as appropriate. In addition, the incumbent is responsible for a needs analysis and processing caseload. Incumbent also participates in advising students, staff, and the campus community via one-on-one advising, publications, presentations, workshops, and through various social network applications on the various facets of financial aid. Other duties include on-going evaluation of the effectiveness and quality of customer service to the campus community, recommending improvements and initiating changes. Applying advanced, specialized expertise, has programmatic responsibility for a financial aid program, and / or regularly resolves individual, complex financial aid situations.

APPOINTMENT INFORMATION

Budgeted Salary: $77,000 - $92,550/year. Salary commensurate with skills, qualifications and experience.
Under California law, the University of California, Santa Cruz is required to post a reasonable estimate of the compensation for this role. The salary shown above is the budgeted amount the University reasonably expects to pay and the salary extended should not exceed this posted amount.

Benefits Level Eligibility: Full benefits

Schedule Information:

• Full-time, Fixed
• Percentage of Time: 100%, 40 Hours per Week
• Days of the Week: Mon-Fri
• Shift Includes: Day

Employee Classification: Career appointment

Job End Date: None

Work Location: UC Santa Cruz Main Campus

Union Representation: Non-Represented, Grade 22

Job Code Classification: 004528 (FINANCIAL AID OFCR 4)

Travel: Up to 25% of the time

JOB DUTIES

35% - Program Management

• In consultation with the Associate Director and by monitoring program regulations, ensures special aid programs (Education Abroad, non-UC EAP, consortiums, and summer session) are administered in accordance with federal, state, and institutional policies.
• Manages the awarding process for special programs, and conducts quality control assurance measures to ensure accuracy and efficiency of awarding methods as prescribed by leadership. Incumbent is expected to maintain, develop, and modify policies and procedures for these programs.
• Using extensive knowledge of financial aid advising and packaging procedures, serves as liaison between customer service/ special programs' staff and the Associate Director of Advising to interpret needs and streamline processes.
  In addition, the incumbent is responsible for a needs analysis and processing caseload, including serving as a coordinator for one or more financial aid related programs.
• Manages all areas of customer service, including front desk, phone, email, and web communications. Maintains staff assignments on customer service schedule. Stays current with campus community concerns to be able to recommend and implement workload and/or procedural adjustments.
• Responsible for ensuring that customer satisfaction surveys are conducted periodically to assess the adequacy of student service. Analyzes survey results, prepares reports identifying positive aspects and areas in need of improvement. Presents possible change solutions to management.
• Participates in adviser meetings, manager meetings and policy retreats on an as needed basis to discuss issues and develop policies and procedures and to facilitate the implementation and integration of those policies with advising, data management, systems and other office personnel.

35% - Leadership and Supervision

• Works with the Director, Associate Director of Advising and other unit managers to provide leadership, set and enforce standards, and establish timelines. Duties include development of customer service and special programs' goals, objectives, and timelines, as well as evaluation of office procedures and staff workload.
• Responsible for the recruitment and hiring of staff and student staff in the customer service and special programs' unit. Coordinates training of customer service and special programs' staff on current policies and procedures.
• Conducts annual performance evaluations, makes merit recommendations and develops annual goals and objectives.
  Provides leadership, guidance and appropriate opportunities for professional development. Initiates corrective and disciplinary personnel actions when necessary. Develops and maintains updated job descriptions for staff supervised.
• Has primary responsibility for coordinating financial aid presentations and workshops.
• Also coordinates financial aid application completion workshops for new and continuing students prior to the financial aid application deadline each year.
• Represents the advising staff of the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office on campus committees and in other meetings as needed.

30% - Advising

• Maintains an advising and packaging caseload in order to stay current with the needs, concerns and requirements of advising staff.
• Participates in advising students, staff, and the campus community on complex and specialized aid programs via one-on-one advising, publications, presentations, workshops, and through various social network applications on the various facets of financial aid.
• Calculates student financial need and aid eligibility using federal and institutional financial aid need analysis methodologies as well as program rules and regulations. Analyzes documents including federal tax returns, asset statements and other financial information provided by students and parents to determine the accuracy of FAFSA data.
• Uses expert professional judgment to adjust and/or correct data to resolve inconsistencies, create financial aid packages for students in unique situations, and for special program considerations such as EAP, non-UC EAP, consortium, and summer session.
• Packages and/or revises awards for students who withdraw, reduce course load, change their residency, request aid for summer session and/or receive other forms of assistance (e.g. HUD, Social Security benefits, outside agency scholarships, etc.)
• Advises students and their families on complex and specialized financial aid programs administered by the Financial Aid and Scholarships Office, those offered by other agencies, as well as community resources. Provides support and assistance to families with special financial circumstances such as recent loss of employment, high out of pocket medical costs, or the death of a parent. Uses an understanding of the special needs and problems experienced by students from disadvantaged backgrounds and addresses these needs by offering supportive guidance and where appropriate, financial assistance.
• Assists students with understanding the UCSC student billing system and works with other units including Office of Accounts Receivables, Housing, Cashier's and Registrar's to coordinate financial aid and payment obligations when necessary.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's degree in related area and / or equivalent experience / training.
• Excellent leadership, supervisory and motivational skills as well as demonstrated initiative, discretion and good judgment.
• Advanced knowledge of federal and state aid regulations, and familiarity with institutional financial aid programs and private scholarship agencies.
• Advanced knowledge of financial aid application procedures, federal need analysis methodologies and financial aid packaging policies and regulations including familiarity with requirements governing federal income tax forms and filing.
• A basic understanding of and experience with human dynamics and the special needs and issues of staff and students from diverse backgrounds.
• Demonstrated analytical experience to anticipate and analyze problems or procedures with the ability to identify alternatives courses of action and devise and improve work methods.
• Excellent written communication skills including the ability to write proposals, create effective analytical reports and charts and communicate changes to policies and procedures. The ability to effectively write for web pages, publications and communications.
• Excellent verbal communication skills, including active listening, persuasion, and negotiation skills. Interpersonal skills and social perceptiveness.
• Demonstrated initiative and innovation; the capacity for self-direction and self-correction; and demonstrated skill in organizing and coordinating complex activities or projects.
• The ability to analyze and interpret data contained in federal 1040, 1040A and 1040EZ forms and their attachments.
• Ability to work quickly, accurately, and with exceptional attention to detail with the ability to work well under extreme pressure and time constraints, and the ability to effectively prioritize work.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience using complex databases; ability to define specifications for database programming. Proficiency manipulating and analyzing large volumes of data. Advanced knowledge of common University-specific computer application programs.
• Experience using the Oracle/PeopleSoft student information system or equivalent.
• Demonstrated ability to understand and develop financial aid office policies and procedures and to quickly acquire technical expertise on the student system, particularly with respect to the financial aid, registration, and billing modules of an integrated student system.
• Ability to communicate effectively in English and Spanish with students and parents.

SPECIAL CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT

• Selected candidate will be required to pass a pre-employment criminal history background check.
• Selected candidate must pass the employment misconduct disclosure process.
• Ability to work long periods of time at a computer with or without accommodation.
• The selected candidate will be required to work a hybrid work schedule and must be able to work successfully from a home/remote office and fulfill the requirements of the UCSC telecommuting agreement.
• Selected candidate will be required to complete training within established time frames as directed including UC compliance training.
  Ability to maintain appearance and conduct suitable for working in a professional setting.
• Exercise the utmost discretion in managing sensitive information learned in the course of performing their duties. Sensitive information includes but is not limited to employee and student records, health and patient records, financial data, strategic plans, proprietary information and any other sensitive or non-public information learned during the course and scope of employment. Understands that sensitive information should be shared on a limited basis and actively takes steps to limit access to sensitive information to individuals who have legitimate business need to know. Ensure that sensitive information is properly safeguarded. Follow all organizational policies and laws on data protection and privacy. This includes secure handling of physical and digital records and proper usage of IT systems to prevent data leaks. The unauthorized or improper disclosure of confidential work-related information obtained from any source on any work-related matter is a violation of these expectations.
• The University of California has implemented a Vaccination Policy covering all employees. Employees, including new hires, are required to comply with any applicable policies relating to the University of California vaccine program.
• Per the Child Abuse and Neglect Reporting Act (CANRA), this position has been identified as a Mandated Reporter. The selected candidate will be required to report known or suspected child abuse or neglect as defined by CANRA and will be required to sign a Statement Acknowledging Requirement to Report Child Abuse prior to commencing employment. CANRA Penal Codes, and related definitions, requirements, and responsibilities may be obtained here.

MISCONDUCT DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENT

As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts a conditional offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; received notice of any allegations or are currently the subject of any administrative or disciplinary proceedings involving misconduct; have left a position after receiving notice of allegations or while under investigation in an administrative or disciplinary proceeding involving misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of misconduct with a previous employer.

a. "Misconduct" means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, discrimination, dishonesty, or unethical conduct, as defined by the employer. For reference, below are UC's policies addressing some forms of misconduct:

- UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
- UC Anti-Discrimination Policy
- Abusive Conduct in the Workplace

SAFETY STATEMENT

All UCSC employees must understand and follow job safety procedures, attend required health and safety training, proactively promote safety at work, and promptly report actual and potential accidents and injuries.

NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY

EEO/AA

The University of California is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or protected veteran status. UC Santa Cruz is committed to excellence through diversity and strives to establish a climate that welcomes, celebrates, and promotes respect for the contributions of all students and employees.

For the University of California's Affirmative Action Policy please visit: https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/4010393/PPSM-20

For the University of California's Anti-Discrimination Policy, please visit: https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/1001004/Anti-Discrimination