Description
Director of Financial Aid Strategy and Pathways
Impact at WGU
The Director of Financial Aid Strategy and Pathways plays a critical role in advancing access, innovation, and student success across the university. This leader drives high-visibility, cross-functional initiatives that shape how financial aid supports learners through emerging pathways such as Prison Education Programs, Workforce Pell, First Year Experience, and future access models. The role blends strategic leadership with operational excellence, building scalable training and quality programs that strengthen compliance, efficiency, and the student experience.
This position reports to the Senior Director of Financial Aid and is based in our Salt Lake City, Utah office.
What You’ll Do
Serve as the primary Financial Aid leader and subject matter liaison for university-wide strategic initiatives, including PEP, Workforce Pell, FYE, and other emerging pathways.
Define vision, strategy, goals, and success metrics for assigned initiatives while championing a culture of innovation aligned to student outcomes.
Lead complex, cross-functional projects from planning through launch, expansion, and post-implementation evaluation.
Partner closely with Academic leadership, Enrollment, Strategic Partnerships, Legal, Compliance, EdTech and Data, Student Services, and other teams to resolve complex operational and policy challenges.
Align financial aid policies, processes, and communications to support access, persistence, and completion for diverse learner populations.
Represent Financial Aid in university-wide strategy discussions and leadership forums.
Lead post-launch performance reviews, assessing KPIs, operational impact, financial implications, and continuous improvement opportunities.
Training Strategy and Delivery
Lead the consolidated Financial Aid Training and Quality Assurance team supporting both Financial Aid and Financial Services.
Design and oversee a comprehensive training strategy, including onboarding, role-based learning, cross-training, and continuous upskilling.
Ensure training programs are scalable, current, and aligned with federal and state regulations, institutional policy, and system changes.
Partner with functional leaders and subject matter experts to develop high-quality learning content, job aids, and knowledge resources.
Evaluate training effectiveness using quality trends, error rates, feedback, and operational performance data.
Champion best practices that improve student satisfaction, retention, and completion.
Quality Assurance Leadership
Develop and administer quality evaluation frameworks, scorecards, and monitoring programs to ensure accuracy and consistency.
Analyze risk trends, identify root causes, and implement corrective actions to strengthen compliance and service quality.
Align quality assurance efforts with training strategy to reinforce learning and drive continuous improvement.
Maintain deep knowledge of financial aid regulations and collaborate across teams to support compliance management.
Leadership, Strategy, and Reporting
Define performance metrics and reporting for strategic initiatives, training programs, and quality assurance efforts.
Partner with senior leaders to review results, track service levels, and measure impact.
Develop objectives and resource plans aligned to long-term strategy and budget.
Create a data-driven environment that translates insights into improved learner outcomes.
Lead briefings and presentations to senior leadership to gain alignment on recommendations and major decisions.
Leadership and Talent Management
Manage and develop a team responsible for special projects, training, instructional design, and quality assurance.
Oversee hiring, performance management, coaching, and professional development.
Build workforce plans that support growth, scalability, and program expansion.
Foster an inclusive, collaborative culture focused on compliance, operational excellence, and student impact.
Requirements
What Is Required
Bachelor’s degree required.
10 years of experience in student financial aid, including training, quality, or major Title IV project implementation.
5 years of experience directly managing staff.
Extensive knowledge of federal and state financial aid regulations.
Demonstrated success leading complex, cross-departmental initiatives.
Experience writing and implementing policies and procedures.
Strong analytical, communication, and influence skills.
Experience with Financial Aid Management Systems and related platforms.
Familiarity with Banner, Salesforce, and OnBase.
Bonus Points
Master’s degree.
Experience implementing specialized access programs such as PEP or Workforce Pell.
Experience leading centralized training and quality organizations in large, distributed environments.
Experience supporting competency-based or nontraditional academic models.
What to Expect
At WGU, our mission drives everything we do, including how we hire. Our interview experience is designed to give qualified candidates the opportunity to show their best work through meaningful conversations and collaboration.
We thoughtfully review every application and invite forward the candidates whose experience and potential best align with the role and our mission.
Work Location
This is a full-time, in-office position at WGU’s office in Salt Lake City, Utah.
