Financial Aid Program Manager

Salary: $114,899.92 Annually
Location : 5100 Sierra College Blvd, Rocklin, CA
Job Type: Full-Time
Job Number:
Division: Student Services
Department: Enrollment Services
Opening Date: 10/14/2026
Closing Date: 11/4/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

Description

Under the administrative direction of the Director of Enrollment Services - Financial Aid or assigned administrator, this position serves as a member of the District's management team to provide leadership in matters relating to the administration of assigned programs within Student Services, and to perform related work as required.

The Financial Aid Program Manager performs a full range of complex administrative, programmatic, and technical duties in support of all aspects of the Financial Aid Department and its collaboration other units within the Sierra Joint Community College District. The Program Manager is responsible to ensure areas of oversight afford an inclusive educational and employment environment and focused on equitable outcomes for all. Under the administrative direction of the Director of Enrollment Services, Student Financial Aid, this position provides leadership for providing financial aid services that increase student enrollment, retention, persistence, and completion.

The Financial Aid Program Manager must demonstrate a profound understanding of and experience with successfully supporting individuals with varying and diverse backgrounds, including persons with disabilities, various gender identities and sexual orientations, individuals from historically underrepresented communities, and other groups. The Financial Aid Program Manager will effectively ensure the District develops and provides strategies for student success, as well as proactive, student-centered practices and policies committed to eliminating equity gaps.
DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS
The Program Manager assists the Financial Aid Director with program and customer service operations for the financial aid office, including front desk operations, supervising, and training professional staff and student employees, and ensuring an intentional, proactive culture of equitable and accessible financial aid services across the District. The Program Manager assists in the development of effective financial aid services to support students and parents throughout the financial aid application process and through the student's successful completion of their educational goals. The supervisor will assist the Director in the management of all federal and state programs, including reporting, communication, and budget management. The Financial Aid Program Manager will support the Department by ensuring policy and procedure compliance with state and federal regulations. The Program Manager will provide programmatic support and collaboration in the continued development and delivery of key student supports, including with the following populations and programs: Basic Needs, student employment, crisis intervention, special programs, foster youth, justice and immigration-impacted students, and other areas as assigned. The Program Manager will be a key liaison and interlocutor with Interest Area and equity related student support networks, ensuring timely and responsive communication, collaboration, and teamwork to proactively resolve financial aid issues affecting case management, student equity, and success.
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If you have any questions about this position, please contact the Human Resources Department at hr@sierracollege.edu.
Examples Of Functions and Tasks

REPRESENTATIVE DUTIES - The following duties are typical for this classification. Incumbents may not perform all the listed duties and/or may be required to perform additional or different duties from those set forth below to address business needs and changing business practices.

1. Ensures policy and procedure compliance with state and federal regulations by:
   1. Collaborating with the Director and other financial aid staff to review, update, and maintain all financial aid procedures and policies in compliance with state and federal regulations;
   2. Collaborate with financial aid staff to maintain and update the Financial Aid portions of the website - especially Consumer Information Disclosures as required by the Department of Education.
2. Supports student recruitment, retention, equity, and success by:
   1. Collaborating with student services staff and other departments across the District to provide quality customer service and communications to students, families, and colleagues;
   2. Providing timely and accessible financial aid information and education to prospective and current students, families, and colleagues;
   3. Ensuring a operational culture of proactive, equitable access to financial aid services;
   4. Effectively communicating the data, efforts, and processes of Financial Aid services with student services areas;
   5. Supporting and facilitating the caseload management needs, structure, and operations of Sierra Supports, Guided Pathways, Interest Areas, equity related student support efforts, Basic Needs, special programs, justice and immigration-impacted students, and other defined pathways, especially in terms of financial aid services and practices;
   6. Attending and presenting at special events and programs.
3. Supports special projects and provides leadership in areas assigned by the Director, which includes the management of a specific function vital to the administration of financial aid or collaboration with other Sierra College areas; including, but not limited to, managing state and federal grant programs, serving as the principal liaison to key campus units and programs, and/or managing elements of the student employment continuum both on and off campus.
4. Collaborates with department members and Student Services areas to give educational presentations to prospective students and families at evening and weekend events as needed.
5. Ensures the effective operation of the financial aid office by utilizing expertise in systems management and providing operational oversight for a highly automated financial aid management system.
6. Ensures effective operation of the area of responsibility within the Student Financial Aid Office by developing and recommending student financial aid policy, managing aid funds, conducting program evaluation, adapting the financial aid management system to maximize efficiency, working collaboratively with colleagues, and performing duties as assigned by the Director.
7. In collaboration with the Director of Financial Aid, regularly reviews and makes recommendations regarding student financial aid communication and related processes to support equity, success, and maximizing aid across the district.
8. Assists and collaborates with the Basic Needs Manager with maximizing financial aid for students.
9. Serves as the financial aid liaison and provides responsive, proactive support for equity related student support networks and Interest Area case management teams, as well as other assigned pathway and services areas, in order to ensure students are maximizing financial aid in a timely manner throughout their student journey; serves as the Financial Aid liaison to Outreach, Success Center and Sierra College Foundation.
10. Prevents institutional liability and ensures College compliance with federal and state regulations governing financial aid by maintaining current knowledge on same and by revising the College's Policy and Procedure Manual of Financial Aid.
11. Ensures the maximum utilization of aid funds through efficient processing in the area of responsibility; provides data, reports, and communications regarding processing and maximizing aid as needed.
12. In collaboration with the Director of Financial Aid, provides administrative oversight, leadership, and management for Financial Aid services the District, including its main campus and centers.
13. In collaboration with the Director of Financial Aid, assists in the development and execution of financial aid policy, processes, and operations for Placer One.
14. Contributes to an inclusive and equity-focused work environment that encourages knowledge of, respect for, and development of skills to engage with students and employees varying and diverse backgrounds, including persons with disabilities, various gender identities and sexual orientations, individuals from historically underrepresented communities, and other groups.
15. Ensures that timelines are met for District, state, and federal requirements relating to the duties of the Financial Aid Office.
16. Supports the District enrollment services and management plan by coordinating the area of responsibility in a manner consistent with the District strategic goals and vision.
17. Participates in the development and review of goals, objectives, policies and procedures, especially with an emphasis on supporting diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility across the District; makes recommendations for changes and improvements to existing standards, policies, and procedures; monitors staff work activities to ensure compliance with established policies and procedures.
18. Coordinates and performs a variety of funds management and reconciliation duties; ensures that proper procedures, policies, rules, and regulations are applied to all federal/state programs; analyzes and calculates financial aid funding needed from various federal and state programs; monitors federal and state accounts to ensure that financial aid monies are accurately drawn and deposited into correct District accounts; coordinates with internal and external auditors to guarantee program fund accountability and integrity; completes federal payment documents; oversees and verifies federal and state grant and loan accounts; monitors federal authorization of funding; monitors status of program fund account ledgers with District's Business Services staff and County Office of Education accounting systems; monitors repayments; balances fund accounts; and reconciles assigned accounts.
19. Performs a variety of research and reporting duties; gathers, interprets, and analyzes a variety of data; completes and prepares a variety of records and reports related to financial aid services; develops and creates reconciled data files for information to be transmitted to other agencies; gathers data and information to complete surveys and reports including those for other agencies and institutions.
20. Participates in the development and design of financial aid software reporting tools; establishes and maintains financial aid processing rules within the software; modifies and inputs data elements to comply with regulatory changes; coordinates with representatives from state and federal agencies to troubleshoot problems with specialized software and data base integrity; designs reports to provide information to applicable agencies.
21. Performs a variety of customer service and marketing duties; serves as point of contact with students regarding office services; represents the District at activities with local area high schools and other external agencies/organizations; interacts with other District organizational units to provide students with a comprehensive financial aid package; conducts financial aid workshops; explains programs to students and assist them with completing applications; coordinates award activities with internal and external contacts.
22. Performs a full range of clerical and administrative duties in support of program operations and to research and resolve problems; assembles files and duplicates materials; composes and prepares office correspondence, materials, reports, forms, brochures, presentations, handbooks, manuals, and consumer information; answers phones, refers callers, and takes messages; maintains and orders supplies.
23. Maintains current knowledge and learn new state and federal laws, rules, and regulations pertaining to financial aid; reviews updated or new technical instructions or references; attends seminars, conferences, workshops, and other training sessions; participates in the development of new/revised procedures to accommodate changes; assists in providing training and direction to others regarding changes and new regulations including to create and disseminate new instructions.
24. Trains and provides work direction to assigned staff and student workers and temporary help as assigned.
25. Performs related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications

Education and Experience Guidelines - Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge and abilities is qualifying. Examples of ways to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be:

Education/Training:
Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in business administration, accounting, or a related field.

Experience:
Five years of increasingly responsible supervisory and program support experience in a financial aid office.

License or Certificate:
Ability to obtain specialized certifications as required.
QUALIFICATIONS - The following generally describes the knowledge and ability required to enter the job and/or be learned within a short period of time in order to successfully perform the assigned duties.

Knowledge of:

• In-depth knowledge of state and federal stud