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FT Financial Aid Systems Analyst (Categorically Funded)

Salary: $86,683.20 - $104,566.32 Annually
Job Type: Full Time
Job Number: FinancialAidSystemAnalyst 2024
Closing: 11/14/2024 11:59 PM Pacific
Location: Norwalk, CA
Department: FinancialAidSystemAnalyst 2024
Division: Enrollment Services

Description

Equity and Diversity
The District is strongly committed to achieving staff diversity and the principles of equal opportunity employment. The District encourages a diverse pool of applicants and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, age, religion, marital status, disability, or sexual orientation in any of its policies, procedures or practices. In fact, the college encourages applications from all segments of qualified people.

Closing Date
This position will close on November 14, 2024 at 11:59 PM (or when 150 applications are received, whichever occurs sooner).

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
The Enrollment Services division consists of Admissions & Records, Financial Aid, and School Relations programs and services that meet the needs of a diverse student population. The division offers high touch services and is primarily responsible for providing outreach in the community, applications for admissions and financial aid, placement, registering students, disbursing financial aid, collecting payments, processing grades, evaluating records for graduation, certificates and transfer, and providing official transcripts.

Under the supervision of the Financial Aid Assistant Director, the Financial Aid Systems Analyst will ensure that the system and the business processes align with federal and state regulations. The Financial Aid Systems Analyst will perform setup, testing, create queries and reports, and develop and maintain processes in our Student Information System (SIS). The Financial Aid Systems Analyst will work with the Financial Aid Department, Information Technology (IT), and other departments that our system is integrated with across the college.

Summary
The Financial Aid Systems Analyst is the primary link between users of the integrated systems managing financial aid and student programs and the systems development function of Information Technology. Keeps up with applicable financial aid regulations and collaborates with IT staff to design new business processes as needed. Performs analysis, development, testing and documentation of computer systems and applications for financial aid purposes. Consults with staff and serves as a project coordinator for the design and modifications of well-defined applications on a single platform. Ensures integrity of database structures. Analyzes, researches, and resolves problems connected with financial aid systems.

Distinguishing Career Features
The Financial Aid Systems Analyst requires in-depth knowledge of financial aid programs. Assists the Financial Aid Assistant Director in decision-making regarding best practices, policies and procedures related to financial aid and student systems. The Financial Aid Systems Analyst develops and maintain expertise in relational databases in integrated systems troubleshooting and researching problems related to financial aid and student information systems.

Job Duties

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Serves as a project leader for financial aid and student applications.
• Reviews regulation releases and updates to identify possible impact in existing business processes.
• Analyzes and defines current organizational functions and processes to determine system needs, changes, and requirements to abide with state and federal regulations. Develops process documentation and other related materials for every process created.
• Develops new processes or correct existing ones in collaboration with IT. Updates and maintains system changes to meet Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) regulations.
• Designs, develops, and uses system queries and reports for the department and for external agencies. Analyzes and interprets data provided by queries and reports to make necessary changes to business processes.
• Performs testing of existing processes and application new bundles and fixes. Monitors processes, troubleshoots, and resolves errors. Reports new bundles and fixes problems to IT.
• Implements data conversions and transitions from old to new systems. Develops user documentation.
• Packages and troubleshoots financial aid awards in compliance with district policies and all federal, state and local regulations. Plans, schedules, and disburses financial aid funds.
• Performs internal and external reconciliation for federal and state financial aid item types. Identifies and reconciles discrepancies and resolve issues. Requests for Fiscal Services to drawdown and to return federal funds.
• Collaborates with Student Financials and Fiscal Services to ensure timely financial aid disbursements. Handles cancellation of stale dated, lost and stolen, and replacement funds. Reports and resolve tuition calculation errors.
• Generates correspondence to communicate with internal and external constituencies. Produces mailings and reports as needed
• Responsible for the data exchange on behalf of the financial aid office with state and federal agencies; including California Student Aid Commission (CSAC), importing of ISIRs, Common Origination and Disbursement (COD) files for Pell and Direct Loan, and NSLDS.
• Reviews COD reports and resolve discrepancies to ensure adequate funding available for disbursements. Imports Pell Lifetime Eligibility Used (LEU) reports and update aggregates. Verifies setup and reporting for 150% Subsidized Usage Limit Applies (SULA).
• Creates and exports Cerritos Falcon Card Files to HigherOne bank.
• Develops training materials and conduct training programs for financial aid users.
• Updates and maintains system changes to requests security permissions. Extracts and imports information from financial aid databases to support reporting and auditing. Updates tables in databases to reflect current rates and schedules, and identifies and resolves duplicate EmplIDs.
• Assists with audits and program reviews.
• Troubleshoots problems accessing, storing, manipulating, remitting, and extracting data to and from financial aid and student databases.
• Maintains currency of knowledge and skills related to the duties and responsibilities.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

Education and Experience
The position requires a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and two years of direct work experience in using data management systems to analyze data and develop operational reports. Five years of comparable related work experience may substitute for education.

Supplemental Information

Knowledge and Skills
Requires in-depth knowledge of the regulations, rules, and institutional policies and processes relating to financial aid and the connections to admissions, registration, and accounting. Requires in-depth knowledge of federal and institutional satisfactory academic progress policies. Requires in-depth knowledge of Federal and State regulations, policies and procedures relating to awarding and administering financial aid. The position requires a working knowledge of specialized databases used in financial aid, computer applications, operating systems, hardware, telecommunications, and network systems. The position requires in depth knowledge of program development techniques, procedures, tools, and documentation requirements as well as software systems development life cycles. Requires a working knowledge of complex principles and procedures of computer systems, including analysis, and design. Requires a working knowledge of word processing, relational database concepts, and design techniques and tools. Requires a working knowledge of transcripts and satisfactory academic progress. Requires well-developed human relation skills to convey technical concepts to customers in individual and workshop settings, and exercise sensitivity. Requires sufficient language skills to prepare written correspondence used in external communications. Requires sufficient math skills to compute principal, interest, sums, percents, and ratios.

Abilities
Must be able to operate a variety of computer terminals, printers, and peripheral equipment. Requires the ability to access and enter, import, and export data to and from computer-aided student financial aid applications including the ability to update special tables. Requires the ability to analyze preceding, yet technical problems and to develop and apply appropriate solutions. Requires the ability to apply financial needs analysis methodology. Requires the ability to analyze data and develop logical solutions. Requires the ability to analyze technical and complex information and documents and make assessments according to complex policies, procedures, and mandated regulations. Requires the ability to discuss technical information with users. Requires the ability to impart technical and detailed information through one-on- one or group presentations. Must be able to read, understand and apply information from technical manuals. Requires accurate record keeping and file maintenance duties. Requires the ability to communicate both formally and informally with a wide range of contacts both inside and outside the College setting. Requires the ability to maintain productive and cooperative working relationships with others.

Physical Abilities
Incumbent must be able to function effectively indoors engaged in work of primarily a sedentary nature. Requires the ability to sit for extended periods to accomplish data entry and deskwork. Requires sufficient arm, hand, and finger dexterity in order to use a personal computer keyboard, multi-media presentation, and other office equipment. Requires the ability to work in areas subject to exposure to risk of shock from electronic equipment. Requires normal hearing and speaking skills to communicate with staff and students in one- on-one and small group settings, and distinguish sound prompts from equipment. Requires visual acuity to read words and numbers. Requires speaking and hearing ability sufficient to hear over phone and carry on routine conversations.

Licenses and Certificates
May require a valid driver's license.

Working Conditions
Work is performed indoors where minimal safety considerations exist.

Salary/Fringe Benefits

Grade 45 on District Classified Salary Schedule ($7,223.60 - $8,713.86 /month).

Health and welfare benefits include District contribution for medical/dental/vision benefits and employee life insurance ($50,000). (Cash in lieu option available on medical insurance.)

Participation in the Public Employee's Retirement System that is also integrated with Social Security.

Selection Procedure
After the application closing date, a search committee will review and invite the most qualified applicants for an interview. As these are highly competitive positions, meeting the minimum requirements does not guarantee an interview. If you have questions or would like to follow-up regarding your application, please contact Human Resources at HR@Cerritos.edu as search committee members are unable to discuss specific recruitments.

Conditions of Employment

This is a full-time, 12-calendar month categorically funded position. Continued employment is contingent upon funding and the provisions of the CSEA collective bargaining agreement.

Hours of employment are: Monday thru Friday 8:00 am to 4:30 pm

Initial placement of employees on Classified Salary schedule is at Step 1. After six months of successful probationary employment, employee is placed at Step 2.

Employment is to be effective as soon as possible following completion of the selection process.

Individual who is offered employment shall be required to obtain fingerprints for a criminal history clearance through the State Department of Justice and remit the required fee for processing the fingerprints, Federal Bureau of Investigation (no fee if obtained at Cerritos College Campus Police Station), produce an original social security card, and submit negative TB test results (must be within the past four years or within the last 60 days if not previously employed in a school district in California) before employment.

Proof of eligibility to work in the United States and signing of loyalty oath per Government Codes 3100-3109.
Candidates must be able to provide proof of California residency prior to employment.

Board Policy 2905 requires mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations as a condition of employment. The District requires all employees to submit proof of full vaccination against COVID-19, as defined by the CDC. Full policy details can be found on the website; Cerritos College - Chapter 2 - Board of Trustees. Employees may submit requests for medical or religious exemptions to the vaccine mandate for consideration. Details are available on the District's COVID-19 webpage
** Please note - the District does not provide for immigration sponsorships such as H1B Visas.

Application Procedures
Application materials must be submitted by the closing date. Applicants who need special services or facilities due to disability in order to apply or interview for this position must notify Human Resources at the time of application or at least 72 hours prior to the closing date or date of a scheduled interview.
It is the applicant's responsibility to provide copies of all transcript(s) verifying all educational degree(s) and/or coursework required for the position. Transcripts must be from regionally accredited institutions. A foreign transcript must be evaluated by a NACES certified agency. The website address is www.naces.org.

Required Documents

1. Cover Letter
2. Resume/CV
3. Copy of Unofficial Transcripts (Must show all coursework completed and the conferral date of the degree)

To apply, visit https://www.schooljobs.com/careers/cerritosedu/jobs/4669805/ft-financial-aid-systems-analyst-categorically-funded

The District ensures that all qualified applicants for employment and employees have full and equal access to employment opportunity, and are not subjected to discrimination in any program or activity of the District on the basis of national origin, religion, age, sex or gender, race, color, medical condition, ancestry, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status, physical or mental disability, or because he or she is perceived to have one or more of the foregoing characteristics, or based on association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics. .