Assistant Director of Financial Aid (Categorically Funded)

Salary : $140,460.00 - $176,664.00 Annually
Location : 11110 Alondra Blvd., Norwalk, CA
Job Type: Full time
Job Number: Assistant Director Fin Aid-26
Division: Student Services
Opening Date: 09/29/2026
Closing Date: 11/10/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

Description

Closing Date
This position will close on November 10, 2026 at 11:59 PM
College Profile

Cerritos College is ranked 14th among the top 100 schools with the highest Hispanic enrollment in the United States by the United States Department of Education. Cerritos College serves as a comprehensive community college for southeastern Los Angeles County. Communities within the college's district include Artesia, Bellflower, Cerritos, Downey, Hawaiian Gardens, La Mirada, Norwalk, and portions of Bell Gardens, Lakewood, Long Beach, Santa Fe Springs and South Gate. Cerritos College offers degrees and certificates in more than 180 areas of study in nine divisions. Enrollment currently averages 20,000 students. Visit Cerritos College online at http://www.cerritos.edu.
Department Profile

Cerritos College invites applications for the position of Assistant Director of Financial Aid, a leadership opportunity within the Enrollment Services Division focused on expanding student access to financial aid resources and supporting student success.
The Enrollment Services Division includes Admissions & Records, Financial Aid, and School Relations. Together, these programs provide high-touch services that meet the needs of a diverse student population. The division supports students throughout their educational journey by conducting community outreach; processing applications for admission and financial aid; supporting placement and enrollment; disbursing financial aid; collecting payments; processing grades; evaluating records for graduation, certificates, and transfer; and providing official transcripts.
Under the supervision of the Dean of Enrollment Services, the Assistant Director of Financial Aid provides leadership and supervision for the Financial Aid department. The Assistant Director of Financial Aid ensures compliance with state and federal laws and regulations, leads staff development and training, oversees the technology used to award and disburse financial aid, and supervises daily departmental operations to expand students' access to financial aid resources.

Summary
Plans, supervises, assesses and evaluates the operations and activities of the District's Financial Aid department, including the coordination of other student financial resources; provides leadership and direction for the policies, procedures and operations involved with the awarding and delivery of all state and federal financial aid programs; determines financial aid eligibility; responsible for the training and scheduling of assigned personnel; coordinates department programs and services with college instructional programs; in coordination with Business Services management personnel, assures periodic review and reconciliation acts as liaison with college offices including Admission and Records, Career and Transfer Center, Counseling Services, Student Accessibility Services (SAS), Falcon's Nest, Student Equity Programs and other support services; assists in addressing concerns related to financial aid recipients; and performs a variety of highly responsible duties associated with financial aid administration in support of the Dean, Enrollment Services

Distinguishing Career Features
The Assistant Director of Financial Aid reports to the Dean, Enrollment Services and is responsible for organizing, implementing, and advancing programs and services that fulfills the District's mission. The position requires experience in student financial assistance, budget, state and federal regulations, culturally responsive counseling, and working with historically under-represented groups. The position requires demonstrated ability to organize and supervise student financial aid services to optimize service, implement best practice work routines, and develop internal controls assuring appropriate compliance with regulations and use of funds.
Job Duties

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Supervises the daily operations of the department including organizing services for effective service for financial aid, scholarship, grant and work study programs.
• Assists in developing and implementing goals, objectives, policies, and priorities for the financial aid function and processes.
• Assists with completing fund reconciliation for Title IV programs, including Pell, FSEOG, Federal Work-Study, federal direct student loan programs and state financial aid programs.
• Selects, trains, motivates and evaluates assigned personnel; provides or coordinates trainings and responds to staff questions and concerns.
• Organizes, supervises, performs, and reviews work activities to ensure compliance with regulations, budgets, quality standards and deadlines. Identifies opportunities for continuously improving service.
• Oversees administration of a full range of financial aid programs including but not limited to loans, grants, scholarships, and other student aid programs.
• Oversees the business process of student applications and award eligibility.
• Analyzes and interprets federal and state regulations governing financial aid. Makes recommendations on implementation of policies, and incorporates into Board policies and administrative procedures as appropriate.
• Serves as the point of contact for federal regulations and compliance regarding federal and state financial aid programs, prepares and responds to external and internal audits related to financial aid programs.
• Assists with maintaining and communicating Board policies and administrative procedures in compliance with federal regulations and departmental and college policy. Performs quality control to ensure compliance with federal and state regulations and to minimize financial liability.
• Consults with and advises administrators, faculty, staff, and students regarding financial aid programs, policies, procedures, and problems. Serves on committees dealing with student financial aid.
• Develops proactive outreach, financial literacy, and student support strategies that increase awareness of financial aid opportunities, reduce barriers to application completion, and support recruitment, retention, completion, and equitable student success.
• Uses financial aid data, institutional research, and program assessment results to evaluate service delivery, identify equity gaps, improve processing timelines, strengthen student-centered practices, and recommend strategic improvements.
• Advises students, families, and the public on the procedural and technical aspects of financial aid programs, policies and procedures, and requirements. Provides assistance to the Counseling department on financial aid matters.
• Reviews and makes decisions regarding student appeals of satisfactory academic progress denied by the financial aid professional support staff/faculty.
• Develops and updates communications used to convey and describe financial aid programs and services in accordance with federal consumer information laws, including publications, forms, outreach, and website maintenance.
• Monitors fraudulent activity with college partners, assists with the implementation of fraud mitigation efforts college wide, responds to reports of fraudulent activity and reports information to required agencies.
• Maintains timely, accurate, accessible, and student-centered communications regarding financial aid eligibility, application steps, award status, deadlines, consumer information, and available resources across print, digital, and in-person service channels.
• Oversees technology-enabled financial aid processing, including system configuration, testing, data integrity, workflow automation, electronic records, security controls, and coordination with information technology.
• Coordinates and performs data management functions that include establishing and testing tables and fields for storing information and making computations, and design of data entry and retrieval screens for administering student accounts in coordination with the analyst in the department.
• Composes important, often sensitive and confidential reports and letters, memoranda and bulletins, requiring considerable independent judgment and discretion.
• Assist with the development of budgets and maximizes financial resources.
• Oversees monthly reconciliation of financial aid programs with fiscal services and disbursements to students on loans and grants, accessing computerized databases for information as necessary. Prepares reports for internal use and for compliance with external agency requirements.
• Coordinates with information technology services in the development, implementation, and upgrade of application systems within the department and to ensure up-to-date data entry screens, data fields, tables and other information is contained and accessible through the College's integrated student and business information systems.
• Assigns and/or performs research as assigned or required for external reporting. Prepares fiscal reports, financial statements, studies, surveys, and program reviews.
• Maintains up-to-date knowledge of laws, regulations, policies, procedures and automated business systems that guide or support the functional area. Develops operational policies and procedures that enhance the operations of the work section.
• Participates on committees, task forces, and special assignments.
• Trains staff as it relates to technology issues and regulatory requirements.
• Administers provisions of collective bargaining agreements and manages in compliance with Board policies and administrative procedures.
• Participates in the screening of and recommends selection of assigned personnel.
• Maintains currency of knowledge and skills related to the duties and responsibilities.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications for Education and Experience
A master's degree in Business Administration, Management, Public Administration, Finance, Financial Management, Accounting, Higher Education, Administration/Leadership, or a closely related field, and at least four years of progressively responsible experience in student related services within an educational institution, including at least one year of supervisory or oversight experience; OR a bachelor's degree in one of the fields listed above, OR a closely related field, and at least five years of progressively responsible experience in student-related services within an educational institution, including at least one year of supervisory or oversight experience. Experience managing comprehensive financial aid operations, regulatory compliance, fiscal controls, technology systems, staff supervision, and student-centered service delivery.

Understanding of and sensitivity to meeting the needs of the diverse academic, socioeconomic, cultural, disability and ethnic background of the student, community, and employee population.

Preferred Qualifications

• Oversight of technology enabled financial aid processing, including system configuration, testing data integrity, workflow automation, electronic records, and security controls.
• Knowledge of laws, regulations, policies, procedures and automated business systems that guide or support the department and the development of policies and procedures that enhance operations.

Supplemental Information

Knowledge and Skills
The position requires professional knowledge of:

• Theories, principles, and practices associated with higher education counseling, curriculum and instruction, matriculation, and student services.
• Development, maintenance and administration of a budget.
• Principles of functional leadership, training and performance evaluation.
• Pertinent federal and state laws and regulations.
• Development, maintenance and administration or processes assuring accurate, complete, and secure information technology resources.
• Learning and student success process, assessment, student learning outcomes, learning communities and application of technology.
• Strategic planning in organization and management practices, assessment, analysis and evaluation of programs, policies and administrative needs.
• Specialized professional knowledge of the principles, trends, research, and developments of Financial Aid.
• Federal and state financial aid systems, reporting requirements, audit standards, fraud prevention practices, internal controls, satisfactory academic progress, professional judgment, verification, overaward prevention, return of Title IV funds, and institutional eligibility requirements.

The position requires demonstrated skill in:

• Developing assessment, teaching, and learning processes that enhance student success and outcomes.
• Organizing work and building an effective team to meet the needs of the assigned areas.
• Oral and written language sufficient to prepare reports and professional correspondence.
• Human relations/interpersonal skills to conduct performance reviews, deliver presentations, and convey technical information to a wide variety of audiences.
• Using data, technology, and continuous improvement methods to streamline financial aid processes, strengthen compliance, improve communication, and advance equitable access to financial aid resources.

Abilities

This position requires the ability to:

• Learn, interpret, and ensure compliance