Director of Financial Aid
University of Puget Sound
Tacoma, WA - United States
WittKieffer is proud to partner with the University of Puget Sound to conduct the national search for their next Director of Financial Aid. This is an opportunity for a financial aid professional with significant experience supporting a university’s enrollment goals, working with students, and managing financial aid resources.
The University of Puget Sound is an independent, predominantly residential, undergraduate liberal arts college with selected graduate programs, located in scenic Tacoma, Washington. The university, as a community of learning, maintains a strong commitment to teaching excellence, scholarly engagement, and fruitful student-faculty interaction. The mission of the university is to develop in its students the capacities for critical analysis, aesthetic appreciation, sound judgment, and apt expression that will sustain a lifetime of intellectual curiosity, active inquiry, and reasoned independence.
Reporting to the Vice President for Enrollment, the Director of Financial Aid is responsible for the administration and operation of federal, state, and institutional financial assistance programs that support enrollment and retention of students at Puget Sound.
The successful Director of Financial Aid candidate will:
- Contribute substantially to the analysis, development, and deployment of annual financial aid strategies (including aid leveraging) that align with and support university enrollment, retention, and budget goals.
- Establish a team environment built on collaboration, communication, transparency, and trust, and that fosters professional growth and development.
- Oversee the coordination and optimization of a comprehensive, complex, and evolving Title IV financial aid program, ensuring compliance with federal, state, and institutional regulations.
- Work closely with the Director of Student Accounts to maintain a seamless and holistic financial services model.
- Partner with the Admission and Enrollment Marketing teams to develop financial aid communications, ensuring accuracy and timeliness of information provided to prospective students and their families.
The preferred candidate will possess a bachelor’s degree and six years of progressive experience in financial aid and its administrative operations, including successful supervisory roles. Additionally, experience with Oracle PeopleSoft or other ERP data systems and strong verbal and written communication skills are required.
This position has an anticipated annual salary between $90,000 and $140,000. Decisions about starting salaries are made based on the extent and relatedness of the candidate’s education and experience and on internal equity and market considerations. Puget Sound offers a generous benefits package for eligible staff employees. For more information on Puget Sound’s staff benefits package, please visit the 2025 Summary of Benefits for Staff Members in Exempt Positions.
Please direct all applications, inquiries, and nominations Rob Springall or Ethan Robles by clicking the buttons below or via email at [email protected].