Assistant Director of Student Accounts, Student Services and Operations

Summary

Position Title

Assistant Director of Student Accounts, Student Services and Operations

Department

Student Account Office

Status

Full Time/Exempt

Position Summary

This position is responsible for providing leadership and day-to-day hands-on oversight of the student services, billing, and operations of the Student Accounts Department. The Assistant Director will work directly with students, stakeholders, and team members to advise students on financial matters, provide account overviews, process, issue and explain bills, ensure accurate charges and reporting, and manage the payment plan and cashiering program.  In addition, the Assistant Director will serve as the principal liaison to the Financial Aid office to ensure balances, financial aid matters, and refunds are addressed in a timely manner. As the University enhances its online program, the Assistant Director will play a key role in managing online student billing and payment plans. The Assistant Director of Student Accounts must stay informed about changes in federal and state regulations relating to student financial services in order to ensure compliance. Finally, the Assistant Director will manage assigned student employees, department operations, and assist in accounts receivable and collections efforts.

Essential Job Duties

  • Assist with the maintenance and upgrades of existing student accounts receivable system (as needed). 
  • Supervise, coordinate, and verify the activities of Student Accounts staff engaged in the collection, deposit and recording of all receipts, obtaining financial data for use in maintaining accounting and statistical records, and completing reports filed with third parties in accordance with University procedures (daily). 
  • Identifies and resolves problems and inconsistencies, and determines appropriate corrective procedures. Responsible for the research and resolution of student account issues and communicating results to students and/or other interested internal or external parties as appropriate within the University’s procedures and the law. 
  • Accounting functions including journal entries, reconciliations, (monthly).  
  • Provide assistance to all students, including online, with billing and payment processing (daily). 
  • Coordinate online student account and billing integration (as needed).  
  • Provide support to online students with payment plans and partner discounts 
  • Review delinquent student receivables; assist Assistant Director of Student Accounts for Collections and AR with processing third party agency placements (semesterly).  
  • Work with third party vendor(s) to close out debts from transition 
  • Work with Assistant Director of Student Accounts for Collections and AR to resolve outstanding balances & coordinate collection activities (2nd, 3rd placements, final write offs, etc.) (as needed). 
  • Run the BILL program with the University’s ERP (weekly). 
  • Perform updates to the Academic Catalog (annually). 
  • Supports the Director in the annual reporting and processing of qualified educational charges and scholarship/grants for each student in compliance with IRS regulations on Federal Form 1098-T (annually). 
  • Copy tuition rate tables (annually). 
  • Back up on foreign student withholding (as needed). 
  • Maintains and reconciles petty cash fund for the University. Assists other departments with petty cash and change fund procedures and conducts training as required (daily). 
  • Determines work procedures, prepares work schedules, and expedites workflow. Studies and standardizes procedures to improve efficiency of subordinates (daily). 
  • Responds appropriately to escalated student account concerns and appeals (as needed). 
  • Assists the Director in overseeing student account and registration hold process (as needed).  
  • Encourages customer-oriented staff interaction with students, parents, and administrators (daily). 
  • Supervises student accounting, cashiering and record-keeping function which collects student fees, fines, loan payment, facility rentals, athletics and fund-raising events etc. and issuance of checks and deferments, refunds, pretty cash reimbursements etc. in a timely manner; oversees cash counts and funds replenishment (daily).  
  • Coordinates purge function, debt write off, payment plans and other options for student payment; institutes collection proceeding as necessary for payment plans, defaults non-sufficient fund checks and others debt (as needed).  
  • Any other projects and responsibilities as assigned by Director of Student Accounts. 

Special Skills

  • Must have collections knowledge and experience. 
  • Must possess effective communication skills in dealing with numerous campus constituents including students, parents, faculty and staff.  
  • Strong analytical and accounting/financial reporting skills 
  • Excellent problem-solving abilities 
  • Excellent leadership and time management skills  
  • Superior customer service skills.

Work Conditions

  • Work is primarily indoors, but requires the incumbent to be in an outdoor environment when traveling between campus buildings or being off-campus  
  • Standard office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  
  • Incumbent will be exposed to frequent noise caused by telephones and office machines 

Physical Requirements

  • Must be able to lift and carry equipment and supplies weighing up to 40 pounds  
  • Must be able to bend, stoop, and reach  
  • Manual dexterity to efficiently operate a computer keyboard and other business machines  
  • Near vision sufficient to read written communications and computer display screens  
  • Adequate hearing to communicate effectively in person and by phone

Prerequisites Required for Position

Minimum Education Requirement

  • Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience

Minimum Work Experience

  • 1-3 years of Accounting or Finance, 1-3 years of collections experience, 1-3 years of billing experience and 1-3 years of supervisory experience.

Preferred Qualifications

  • Bachelor degree with 5 years of experience in accounting   or finance with strong communication and negotiation skills as well as the ability to work collaboratively.  Must have consumer credit protection, truth in lending, and Regulation Z knowledge. Ability to work well under pressure and in a fast-paced, team-based, and customer service-oriented environment. 

Important Note

This is not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and/or skills required for this position. The University reserves the right to amend and change responsibilities to meet organizational needs.

All Jacksonville University employees who work on campus must be vaccinated for COVID-19. Documentation will be requested during onboarding. Our full vaccination policy is available online.

To Apply

Interested applicants, send application material to Robert Brown at bbrown33@ju.edu.