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Scholarship and Student Aid Office
McGill’s Scholarship and Student Aid Office (SSAO) advises McGill students on funding options, budgeting, and debt management. They disburse all provincial, federal, and US student aid funding, and help with government aid information and documentation. They offer an Entrance Bursary Program, Entrance Scholarships, an In-Course Financial Aid Program (loans and bursaries) and a Work Study Program based on financial need.
Position Summary:
Reporting to the Director of the Scholarships & Student Aid Office, the Associate Director provides strategic leadership in operations, systems, and service delivery. The role oversees operational budgets, funding development and stewardship, Work Study employer relations, oversees delivery for student aid and award processes as well as internal and external communications.
Leading a team of professional and administrative staff, the Associate Director ensures high-quality service for students and employers, while overseeing financial, human, and physical resources, system infrastructure and security, records management, and policy compliance.
Major Responsibilities
Operations
- Develop short- and long-range planning for human and physical resources of the unit, financial capacity in support of student financial aid/award programs, space development and usage, and quality control within the unit’s full scope in partnership with the Director.
- Define and manage administrative operations, including operating budgets and related financial, contractual and procurement administrative tasks.
- Provide senior professional expertise and support to teams with diverse expertise, ensures high-quality staff recruitment and professional development standards. Participates in the hiring of key staff, and ensures University Human Resources’ policies and procedures, including collective agreements, are respected.
- Plan, develop and oversee processes, procedures, protocols and unit policies in accordance with the unit’s goals and objectives, for the integrated functioning of the various services and programs provided by the Scholarships & Student Aid Office. Plan and develop financial controls and segregation of duties within the finance portfolio; coach the Finance Officer on the implementation of these controls.
- Provide direction, leadership, management and supervision to a team of administrative and student staff:
- Guide and coach staff to achieve unit goals and outcomes
- Oversee professional development planning and all HR-related matters for team under their supervision
- Promote compliance with McGill policies in an environment of excellence
- Design and implement protocols for internal Knowledge Base, production schedule and user manuals for all positions across Scholarships and Student Aid.
- Provide senior professional expertise in response to team or stakeholder concerns regarding policies, programs or service, and controls, resolving any difficulties, as needed. Primary stakeholders include APB (Analysis, Planning and Budget), University Advancement, Enrolment Services, Student Accounts and the Offices of the Associate Provost, Student Life and Learning and Senior Director of Student Services.
- Ensure all records are digitized, stored, retained and disposed of in accordance with University archive policies.
- Work on projects, carries out any other related duties as necessary in keeping with the requirements and qualifications of the job.
- Act as a designate for the Director, as required.
Student Aid/Awards Fund Management
- Strategic oversight of 800+ individually-named funds from donors and grants for bursaries, loans and scholarships, as well as related endowments.
- Influence University Advancement central compliance and faculty-based Development Officers to negotiate meaningful and administrable award terms.
- Support APB and government relations with regard to how to implement new government grants for student aid/awards.
- Negotiate partnership agreements whereby third-party organizations share contributions and/or selections of full-ticket scholarships.
- Support the cycle of new student awards from the Committee on Enrolment and Student Affairs approval to the timely opening of Finance Funds and Aid Fund Codes.
- Plan and control over-offers for Entrance Scholarships and Entrance Bursaries to meet predicted registration. In partnership with Associate Director Financial Aid, final authority on wording of financial commitment (offer) letters used at entrance and for immigration purposes.
- Establish protocols to optimize the assignment of specific funding sources based on award term restrictions/preferences matched with student candidates, as well as after-the-fact verification and rescindments.
- Develop and implement tactics for student engagement in donor thank you campaigns
- Review all stewardship and grant reporting.
- Oversee multi-year trend analysis to project needs and demands of programs.
Work Study Subsidy Management
- Oversee awareness and engagement of employers in support of the Work Study Program, that yields maximum use of subsidy funds and diverse part-time jobs available for students in financial need.
- Business owner of Work Study Subsidy Management platform used by employers and team to receive and approve subsidy requests as well as monitor usage.
- Oversee funding related to Work Study subsidy provision and expenditures .Plan and monitor financial capacity. Manage reporting to all Program funders, including the provincial government, per regulations and agreements.
- Create partnerships with key employers to ensure students with vulnerable profiles (refugees, youth in/from care, BIPOC, etc.) are placed in first job.
- Collaborate with student associations as both benefactors and supporters of the Work Study Program.
- Liaise with counterparts in Quebec Universities to advocate for the growth and protection of work study as a key resource for needy students to gain financial resources, skills and critical work experience.
External and Internal Communications
- Cultivate relationships with key McGill stakeholders and partners including: administrative units, departments / faculties, alumni etc.
- Guide and lead the development of strategic communications for the Scholarships & Student Aid Office for students, Work Study employers, Funders and community partners, aligning with Student Services and McGill communications processes.
- Working with content experts across Scholarships and Student Aid, oversee the delivery of mass communication and design of promotional materials and social media campaigns.
- Participate on University and departmental committees and workgroups
Systems & Infrastructure
- Responsible for the oversight, development, maintenance and integration of the IT application portfolio which supports the Scholarships & Student Aid Office, working closely with central IT staff to ensure applications are effective in managing work processes.
- Develop an in-depth understanding of the Banner Student Aid (BSA) product capabilities and ensure optimal use of its functionality in supporting the delivery and administration of the University’s undergraduate merit-based and need-based student awards programs including scholarships, bursaries, loans, work study, faculty awards, athletic awards, etc.
- Develop and maintain regulatory compliance functionality to support government aid programs for Canada, provincial and US Department of Education including PowerFAIDs and SAMS applications.
- Analyze business/user/system requirements using interviews, document analysis, business process descriptions, use and test cases, task and workflow analysis, etc.
- Provide direction to professional staff in the implementation of new technology and functionality, and recommend efficient business processes to optimize the analysis of IT requests for business needs.
- Develop framework for student funding reporting by working closely with Financial Services, Student Accounts, Enrolment Services, Human Resources, Academic Planning & Budget and corresponding central IT professionals to coordinate sound controls and exchange of data.
- Responsible for information retrieval, data control, reporting strategies and tools, as well as data warehouse requirements and ensure integrity of data to enable the University to measure the effectiveness of our student support programs, trends and benchmarking.
- Responsible for documentation of user manuals, logic and process capture for team scope.
- Manage system security, user access requests, and annual security review.
- Acts as security designate for Financial Aid/Awards (FAA) Administration, data warehouse, enrolment verification applications, business intelligence tools, knowledge base, SharePoint and shared mailbox administration.
- Works on special projects, as required.
Awards Administration Services
- Responsible for the strategic oversight, process improvement and support delivery for campus-wide student award processors (500+ users) from system interface, training, security set-up, to help-desk support. Approx. 30,000 interactions annually.
- Oversee back-office functions in the creation of student awards based on Committee on Enrolment and Student Affairs (CESA) approval, adherence to award types and University policies therein, as well as for publication in the Awards Calendar.
- Implements service level agreement with Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies regarding graduate student awards infrastructure and support, including fellowships, external granting agency awards, research stipends, etc.
- Oversight to ensure timely student award controls in central system repository including security set-up, adherence to award types and University policies therein, Aid Fund codification, NSF checking, student eligibility verification and exceptional reporting. Approx. 420,000 award disbursements annually.
Other Qualifying Skills and/or Abilities
- Demonstrated leadership and managerial skills, with the ability to provide strategic direction, exercise sound judgement, establish priorities, and lead teams through complex and evolving operational environments.
- Demonstrated ability to supervise, mentor, coach and develop professional and administrative staff across diverse functions, including identifying performance, competency and professional development needs.
- Strong financial acumen, with demonstrated experience managing significant budgets, financial controls, reporting and resource allocation.
- Demonstrated ability to analyze complex operational, financial and/or systems-related issues, anticipate risks, and develop and implement effective solutions and process improvements.
- Strong organizational, planning and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and coordinate initiatives involving diverse stakeholders.
- Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain effective collaborative relationships and partnerships with internal and external stakeholders at various organizational levels.
- Strong understanding of business processes, information systems and data management, with the ability to work effectively with technical and functional experts to support system development, integration, reporting, security and data integrity.
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with demonstrated ability to communicate complex information clearly and effectively to diverse audiences and provide strategic advice to senior leadership and stakeholders.
- Tact, diplomacy, discretion and sound judgement when managing sensitive, confidential or complex matters.
- Strong service orientation; approachable, collaborative and resourceful, with the ability to remain effective in a high-volume and occasionally high-pressure environment.
- Demonstrated commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion and to fostering an inclusive and respectful work and service environment.
- Knowledge of student financial aid, scholarships and awards programs, including relevant trends and practices in Quebec and North America, is a strong asset.
- Experience in higher education and/or in a complex, highly regulated, financial, government-funded or donor-supported environment is a strong asset.
- Advanced proficiency with computerized applications including spreadsheets, databases, word-processing software, Banner FIS, SIS, Banner Student Aid (BSA), Minerva, Crystal reports, Workday.
- English and French, Spoken & Written.
Knowledge of French and English: McGill University is an English-language university where day-to-day duties may require English communication both verbally and in writing. The level of English required for this position has been assessed at a level #4-Fluent on a scale of 0-4.
Minimum Education and Experience:
Bachelor's Degree 5 Years Related Experience /
(MPEX Grade 07) $92,150.00 - $115,190.00 - $138,230.00
Job Profile:
MPEX-ADM3A - General Administration - Senior Professional/Manager
33.75 (Full time)
Director Scholarships & Student Aid Office
Position End Date (If applicable):
2029-01-30
2026-10-22
McGill University hires on the basis of merit and is strongly committed to equity and diversity within its community. We welcome applications from racialized persons/visible minorities, women, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, ethnic minorities, and persons of minority sexual orientations and gender identities, as well as from all qualified candidates with the skills and knowledge to productively engage with diverse communities. McGill implements an employment equity program and encourages members of designated groups to self-identify. Persons with disabilities who anticipate needing accommodations for any part of the application process may contact, in confidence, accessibilityrequest.hr@mcgill.ca.