Financial Aid Analyst (Finance)
Special Instructions to Applicants:
Please attach a resume and cover letter in the Supporting Documents section of your application.
About Rice:
Boasting a 300-acre tree-lined campus in Houston, Texas, Rice University is ranked among the nation's top 20 universities by U.S. News & World Report. Rice has a 6-to-1 undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio, and a residential college system, which supports students intellectually, emotionally and culturally through social events, intramural sports, student plays, lectures series, courses and student government. Developing close-knit, diverse college communities is a strong campus tradition, which is why Rice is highly ranked for best quality of life and best value among private universities.
Rice is also a wonderful place to work. Rice faculty, staff and students share values that are essential to our success as a healthy community. Those values guide our decisions and behaviors and shape Rice's culture. They come through in the way we treat each other and the welcome we extend to our visitors. These values can be recalled simply by our name - RICE - Responsibility, Integrity, Community and Excellence.
Position Summary:
The Financial Aid Analyst is an integral part of the Office of Financial Aid within the Enrollment Division at Rice University, a highly selective research institution located in the heart of Houston, Texas. The Office of Financial Aid is responsible for the administration of all sources of student financial aid in a manner strategically driven to meet the enrollment goals of Rice University. The office is also responsible for ensuring that students and families are informed about the financial assistance available to them, including information on all federal, state, and institutional financial assistance programs.
Ideal Candidate Statement:
The Financial Aid Analyst provides functional technical support for Banner and other software to support the Office of Financial Aid and has minimal interaction with students and families. The successful candidate can understand business processes and translate them into system solutions and should possess functional financial aid knowledge and a technical aptitude. Additional responsibilities include system testing, application loading, document posting, training, development of instructional materials, and troubleshooting.
Workplace Requirements:
The possibility of a remote or hybrid work environment may be considered depending on location. Per Rice policy 440 , work arrangements may be subject to change.
Hiring Range:
$56,000 - $66,000 annually. This is a full-time, exempt position.
*Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA are not eligible for overtime.
Minimum Requirements:
- Bachelor's Degree
- In lieu of the education requirement, additional related experience, above and beyond what is required, on an equivalent year-for-year basis may be substituted
- 2 years of experience
- In lieu of the experience requirement, additional related education, above and beyond what is required, on an equivalent year-for-year basis may be substituted
Skills:
- Knowledge of computer system capabilities, business processes, and workflow
- Understanding of the software development life cycle
- Basic experience with enterprise applications and understanding of database-driven applications
- Skill in conducting interviews
- Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, including the ability to bridge functional and technical resources by communicating effectively with individuals of varying systems expertise and business needs
- Listening, negotiation, and conflict resolution skills
- Ability to maintain good customer relations with clients and external partners
Preferences:
- 3 years of experience preferred
- Experience with Ellucian Banner ERP; specifically working in the Financial Aid module
- Knowledge of Federal financial aid programs, regulations, and daily operations of a university financial aid office
- Ability to explain applications and operating system fundamentals to others
- Proven ability to work in a changing environment with accuracy and attention to detail
- Knowledge of reporting/query tools and the ability to generate reports
- Demonstrated ability to work independently, as part of a team, or to lead projects as directed
- Demonstrated ability to work in a changing environment with accuracy and attention to detail
- Type of experience: Banner, Financial Aid experience; knowledge of relational database reporting tools including Tableau, Argos, Oracle Reports, or PL/SQL
Essential Functions:
- Analyzes and documents user needs, existing and new policies, processes, procedures, and operational methods to consider possible improvements to new and existing systems
- Defines and documents business requirements and test cases for system developments
- Includes the writing of all or a portion of functional specifications
- Coordinates with business and technology teams, ascertaining system requirements, such as program functions, output requirements, input data acquisition, and system techniques and controls
- Problem solves in areas such as system design, input/output requirements, and procedural flow between departments and/or business systems
- Performs configuration of enterprise application software
- Performs testing of new systems, upgrades, and patching of existing systems; may include developing test plans
- Conducts and documents results of testing
- Develops instructional materials, training, and job aids
- Performs all other duties as assigned
Additional Functions:
- Participates in testing of new systems, upgrades, and patches
- Researches and reconciles data discrepancies among various information systems and reports
- Works with Financial Aid Systems team to implement CRM functionality to support the strategic objectives of the Office of Financial Aid and the Enrollment Division
- Monitors and resolves EDE/CSS suspense files in Banner
- Provides basic technical support for system users
- Assists with ad hoc data requests and report updates by staff
- Monitors and troubleshoots the operating system
- Writes and maintains internal documentation for CRM front-end use and functional development
Rice University HR | Benefits: https://knowledgecafe.rice.edu/benefits
Rice Mission and Values: Mission and Values | Rice University
Rice University is committed to ensuring Equal Employment Opportunity and welcoming the fullness of diversity into our candidate pools. Rice considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, genetic information, disability, or protected veteran status. Rice also provides reasonable accommodations to qualified persons with disabilities. If an applicant requires a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process, please contact Rice University's Disability Resource Center at 713-348-5841 or adarice@rice.edu for support.
If you have any additional questions, please email us at jobs@rice.edu . Thank you for your interest in employment with Rice University.
