Assistant Director for Financial Well-Being

Department: University Life

Job Category: Administrative or Professional Faculty

Job Type: Full-Time

Work Schedule: Full-time (1.0 FTE, 40 hrs/wk)

Location: Fairfax, VA

Workplace Type: Hybrid Eligible

Restricted: Yes

Salary: Salary range starting in the mid $60k's; salary commensurate with education and experience

Criminal Background Check: Yes

Works with Minors Check: Yes

About the Department:

The Student Support and Advocacy Center is committed to providing an empowering environment for all Mason students to seek support services and explore healthy life choices. SSAC offers prevention programming, one-on-one consultations, and resources in the areas of sexual and interpersonal violence, financial well-being, basic needs, substance use, and collegiate recovery. Center staff also assist students encountering barriers to personal success.

SSAC staff members are committed to learning about the dynamics of privilege and oppression and how these impact equity, access, and opportunity in higher education and the workplace. They recognize the importance of intersectionality and the lived experiences of diverse people and strive to offer programs and services welcoming to all students and relevant to their needs.

About the Position:

Grant funding for the position is anticipated for four (4) years with the potential for future extension.

The Assistant Director for Financial Well-Being reports to an Associate Director of the Student Support and Advocacy Center (SSAC). The Assistant Director is a professional who is committed to cultivating the holistic growth of students and assists the Associate Director in the development, implementation, and management of a comprehensive student financial literacy program for the University. The Assistant Director provides educational opportunities and individualized guidance for diverse audiences with needs along a continuum of care.

The Assistant Director is part of a greater team, that offers services for students in an effort to foster the safety and well-being of the Mason community and, therefore, can be called upon to help conduct intakes for students in distress.

Responsibilities:

• Supervision:
  • Responsible for setting goals for performance and deadlines in a way that complies with the university’s plans and vision and communicate them to subordinates; organizing workflow and ensuring that employees understand their duties or delegated tasks; monitoring employee productivity and providing constructive feedback and coaching; receiving complaints and resolving problems; maintaining timekeeping and personnel records; passing on information from upper management to employees and vice versa; hiring and training new employees; ensuring adherence to legal and university policies and procedures and undertaking disciplinary actions if the need arises. Supervises graduate and undergraduate student employees and volunteers. Provides direct supervision and oversight for the Financial Well-Being Peer Mentors.

• Program Development and Direct Service:
  • Assists the Associate Director in the development, implementation, and management of a comprehensive financial literacy program for George Mason University students; educates students in one-on-one settings and guides them through their financial obstacles to completing their degree; designs program content and delivers presentations, trainings, and workshops to various audiences, including high school FAFSA/VASA workshops and UNIV100 classes; develops a peer education model focused on financial literacy and well-being including recruiting, hiring, training and supervising the Financial Well-Being Peer Mentor team as its members provide consultation and support to incoming students and families; designs marketing and educational materials; creates content for and regularly updates the financial literacy web site as well as social media presence; fosters cross-unit collaboration with key campus stakeholders (Student Financial Aid, Student Accounts, Early Identification Program, Mason Student Services Center, Student Success Coaching, etc.); stays abreast of non-Mason financial resources available to students and connects students with them, as appropriate.
    
    
• Evaluation and Assessment:
  • Evaluates and assesses outreach efforts for effectiveness and satisfaction in order to stay relevant and responsive to changing student needs; evaluates the effectiveness and oversees the administration of a financial literacy virtual platform; reports on usage and effectiveness of the platform and provides ongoing recommendations on best mechanism to deliver financial literacy and well-being education to a diverse student population; creates learning outcomes and assessment tools for individual and group student education; analyzes and reports on results of these assessments and makes recommendations for improvements of future program delivery.
    
    
• Other Related Responsibilities:
  • Provides limited case management for students in distress, implements developmentally appropriate interventions, coordinates resources, and monitors follow-up and progress for ongoing student cases; periodically assists with the processing of Stay Mason Student Support Fund applications; researches and implements federal and state guidelines and recommendations for financial literacy programs as well as University regulations, guidelines, and requirements to ensure SSAC’s compliance with governmental and University standards; assists the Associate Director and Director with special projects and other related duties as assigned.

Required Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in a related field or equivalent combination of education and experience;  
• Related experience typically obtained through progressive full-time work;
• Demonstrated knowledge of financial aid or the financial literacy field;
• Demonstrated interpersonal, verbal, and written communication skills;
• Demonstrated problem-solving and analytical skills;
• Ability to build and maintain successful collaborative relationships in a diverse campus community;
• Ability to maintain and manage confidential information;
• Ability to be accurate in the performance of duties and strong attention to detail; and
• Ability to work effectively in a high-paced environment with frequent interruptions and competing priorities.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Progressive experience typically obtained in one or more years in a university setting within student affairs;
• Previous experience working in financial aid or the financial literacy field;
• Previous work with direct support of students facing financial challenges, financial aid, financial literacy, or other challenging life situations;
• Previous experience developing and delivering education programs, prevention efforts, and training within a college setting;
• Demonstrated in-depth knowledge of federal student aid rules and regulations, including Title IV financial aid funding programs and federal loans;
• Working knowledge of a broad range of key trends, philosophies, and best practices in the field of financial literacy and personal money management;
• Knowledge about the development and delivery of educational programs and trainings in a university setting within student affairs; and
• Ability to operate various software programs, including Guardian software, Ellucian Banner financial aid software, and Microsoft Office products.

Instructions to Applicants: 

For full consideration, applicants must apply for Assistant Director for Financial Well-Being at https://jobs.gmu.edu/. Complete and submit the online application to include three professional references with contact information, and provide a cover letter and resume.

Posting Open Date: June 25, 2024

For Full Consideration, Apply by: July 10, 2024

Open Until Filled?:  Yes