Financial Aid Training & Development Specialist

About the Role

The Financial Aid Training & Development Specialist reports to the Director of Financial Aid Compliance with a dotted-line relationship to the Director of Financial Aid Operations. This role serves as the connection between Compliance and Operations by developing, delivering, and maintaining training programs that promote consistent application of federal regulations, institutional policies, system functionality, and Campus culture.

By maintaining an active understanding of day-to-day workflows and participating in operational discussions, the Financial Aid Training & Development Specialist ensures training remains current, practical, and aligned with both regulatory requirements and operational needs. While this role supports operational effectiveness and regulatory compliance, it does not supervise day-to-day financial aid processing, awarding, packaging, or operational decision-making.

Working closely with the Financial Aid Quality Assurance Analyst, the Financial Aid Training & Development Specialist uses quality review findings, operational trends, and regulatory updates to identify training opportunities, reinforce best practices, and support continuous improvement across the department.

Key Responsibilities

• Training & Staff Development

  • Design, develop, and deliver onboarding and continuing education for Financial Aid staff.
  • Develop and deliver training related to financial aid technologies, system enhancements, workflow automation, and operational process changes, including new system implementations and enhancements to the SIS, COD, NSLDS, FAFSA Partner Portal, and related systems.
  • Develop and maintain training materials, job aids, reference guides, and other learning resources.
  • Coordinate refresher training and ongoing professional development to reinforce regulatory knowledge, operational consistency, and Campus culture, including identifying and recommending relevant training opportunities through Federal Student Aid (FSA), NASFAA, and other professional organizations.
  • Track required training completion and evaluate training effectiveness through staff feedback and quality review results.

• Operational Partnership

  • Attend Financial Aid operational meetings to remain current on workflow changes, operational priorities, and system enhancements.
  • Partner with Financial Aid Operations leadership to ensure training reflects current practices while reinforcing regulatory requirements and institutional expectations.
  • Support implementation of new processes and institutional initiatives by developing training plans and communicating procedural changes.
  • Serve as a resource to staff by providing guidance on policies, procedures, and system functionality.

• Documentation & Knowledge Management

  • Develop, maintain, and periodically review Financial Aid training manuals, standard operating procedures (SOPs), job aids, reference materials, and process documentation.
  • Partner with Financial Aid Operations and Financial Aid Compliance to ensure training materials accurately reflect current regulatory requirements, institutional policies, and operational workflows.
  • Maintain version control and documentation standards for departmental training resources.
  • Support development of knowledge management resources that promote consistency, continuity, and operational resilience.

• Quality & Continuous Improvement

  • Collaborate with the Financial Aid Quality Assurance Analyst to identify trends, address knowledge gaps, and develop targeted training based on quality review findings.
  • Use operational trends and staff feedback to recommend training priorities and process improvements.
  • Coordinate cross-training initiatives to strengthen operational flexibility and business continuity.

• Regulatory & Systems Readiness

  • Monitor federal and state regulatory changes, Dear Colleague Letters, Electronic Announcements, FSA Handbook updates, and other regulatory guidance, incorporating applicable changes into training materials, job aids, and staff development programs.
  • Coordinate training related to system enhancements, including Campuswire and other technology initiatives impacting Financial Aid operations.
  • Support department readiness for compliance audits, program reviews, monitoring activities, and external regulatory reviews by ensuring staff training, documentation, and operational guidance remain current.

Qualifications

• Required Qualifications:

  • A Bachelor's degree in education, higher education administration, business, communications, organizational development, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.
  • Three or more years of experience in Title IV financial aid administration, including experience interpreting and applying federal regulations in a higher education environment.
  • Experience developing and delivering training for adult learners, including onboarding and ongoing staff development.
  • Ability to translate complex regulations and operational processes into clear, practical training.
  • Strong presentation, facilitation, written, and verbal communication skills.
  • Excellent organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and adapt to changing business needs.
  • Demonstrated ability to build collaborative relationships and work effectively across departments.

• Preferred Qualifications:

  • Experience developing virtual instructor-led training materials, job aids, process documentation, and knowledge resources.
  • Experience supporting operational or system changes through training and staff readiness.
  • Familiarity with SIS platforms, COD, NSLDS, FAFSA Partner Portal, or other student information and financial aid systems.
  • Experience incorporating quality assurance findings, audit results, or operational trends into training and staff development.
  • Experience working in an online, multi-state, or rapidly growing higher education environment.
  • Current NASFAA Certified Financial Aid Administrator® (FAAC®) certification or the ability to obtain certification within the first year of employment.

Key Skills and Attributes

• Experience training staff during system implementations or operational change
• Financial aid regulatory knowledge and operational awareness
• Training design, facilitation, and coaching
• Ability to translate complex regulations into practical, easy-to-understand guidance
• Relationship building and cross-functional collaboration
• Strong written, verbal, and presentation skills
• Organization, prioritization, and adaptability
• Process improvement and continuous learning
• Student-centered mindset and commitment to institutional integrity