How to Apply
The University of Michigan Law School is seeking a Director of Financial Aid, who will report to the Senior Assistant Dean.
A cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position and outline skills and experience that directly relate to this position.
Who We Are
Founded in 1859, Michigan Law School is one of the world's leading institutions of legal education and enjoys a reputation for academic excellence. Michigan is consistently ranked among the top law schools in the nation, and enjoys international renown for its intellectual rigor, stunning physical surroundings, preeminent faculty scholarship, and a community noted for collegiality and warmth. Michigan Law has an exceptional and cooperative community of talented and interesting students, with 1000 in the JD and 40 in the LLM program. Our graduates serve with distinction in the private, public, non-profit, and academic sectors, in large numbers in every major market in the nation, as well as internationally. The University of Michigan is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, which is considered among the best places in the United States to live and work.
Responsibilities*
The Director of Financial Aid has responsibility, in conjunction with the Senior Assistant Dean and other members of the Law School’s senior administration, for contributing toward the Law School’s annual recruiting, student support, and financial aid goals through creation, management, tracking, and refinement of the School’s awarding of financial resources to incoming law students, current students, and graduates, including need-based and merit-based grants, federal and alternative loans, post-graduate and in-school fellowships, and loan repayment assistance.
The Director will work closely with the Senior Assistant Dean to design and implement effective strategies for financial aid and recruitment; provide analysis of financial aid issues, and offer creative thinking and advice; provide counseling and advice on issues of financial aid and money management to prospective and current students, as well as alumni; assist the Law School development office in assigning endowment accounts; work with prospective and current students, alumni, faculty, other Law School and campus administrators, pre-law advisors, and colleagues at peer law schools and key undergraduate institutions, to stay informed about current issues relevant to financial aid in legal education; design an annual student budget, and provide benchmarking and advice to Law School leadership about the setting of tuition; supervise the packaging of all financial aid awards; administer the Law School’s LRAP/debt management programs, including review of applications, payment of awards, and maintenance of records, and engage in policy articulation and program design; maintain, supervise, and retrieve all scholarship and financial aid data in the University PeopleSoft system, including aid allocation and reconciliation, and serve as the primary liaison to the University’s central Office of Financial Aid; manage all compliance and audit inquiries; draft communications, including web content, for prospective, admitted, and current students, and alumni, regarding financial aid policies; keep abreast of developments and changes in the industry of financial aid for higher education, including federal regulations; represent the Law School at financial-aid-focused events and programs designed to counsel and recruit applicants and current students, both on- and off-campus.
Will manage three financial aid staff members with responsibility to interview, select, train, plan and direct and evaluate performance of direct reports; oversee and implement financial-aid-related office budget and ensure expenditures are within budget.
The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work to be performed and are not an exhaustive list of all associated responsibilities.
Required Qualifications*
- Bachelors degree or higher with five years of experience in financial aid and three years of experience managing a team of employees
- Excellent written and oral communication skills; familiarity with current issues in legal education or higher education; strong organizational skills
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills in one-to-one settings
- Ability to collect, manage, analyze, and prepare data for presentation to a variety of audiences
- Ability to work effectively on a team
- Ability to reliably manage multiple responsibilities and manage time effectively
- Ability to identify, understand, and promote the goals and distinct qualities of Michigan Law School
- Experience with counseling applicants who are navigating the admissions and financial aid processes
- Expertise with programs such as Excel, Access, Powerpoint, Business Objects, and PS Query, as well as general knowledge of computer technology and social networking
- Enthusiasm, creativity, energy, discipline, collegiality, judgment, discretion, commitment to diversity, passion for excellence, and sense of humor are essential attributes
Desired Qualifications*
- JD, MBA, or M Ed degree preferred
- Experience in law-related positions
- Exposure to law school admissions process through personal, volunteer, and/or professional experience
- Strong public speaking and presentation skills
- Familiarity with elite higher education institutions
- Ability to relate to and work well with prospective and current students and various other constituencies, including faculty and alumni
- Experience analyzing large amounts of data.
U-M EEO Statement
The University of Michigan is an equal employment opportunity employer.