Senior Financial Aid Consultant (Director/Executive Director/AVP Level)

Financial Aid Services (FAS) Location: Remote (Travel as Needed) Position Type: Full-Time, Part-Time, or Project-Based Consulting Opportunities Available Make an Impact Beyond a Single Institution Financial Aid Services (FAS) is seeking experienced financial aid and higher education leaders to partner with colleges and universities nationwide. This opportunity is designed for professionals who have served as Directors, Executive Directors, Associate Vice Presidents, Vice Presidents, or other senior leaders and are interested in applying their expertise in a consulting environment. As a trusted advisor, you will help institutions strengthen operations, maintain regulatory compliance, navigate staffing transitions, improve organizational effectiveness, and support student success. Working directly with executive and departmental leadership, you will provide strategic guidance that helps colleges and universities achieve their goals during periods of change, growth, or operational challenge. About the Opportunity This role offers the chance to leverage your leadership experience across multiple institutions rather than focusing on the operations of a single campus. As the primary relationship manager for client institutions, you will collaborate with campus leaders to assess organizational needs, implement solutions, and drive measurable outcomes. The ideal candidate combines deep financial aid expertise with strong operational leadership, a commitment to student success, and the ability to build trusted partnerships with institutional stakeholders. What You'll Do - Serve as a strategic advisor to institutional leaders on financial aid operations, compliance, enrollment strategy, and student success initiatives. - Provide leadership and oversight for financial aid operations, ensuring regulatory compliance and operational excellence. - Assess organizational capacity, workforce needs, and operational effectiveness to develop customized solutions. - Lead process improvement initiatives that enhance efficiency, service quality, and the student experience. - Guide institutions through audits, compliance reviews, technology implementations, and operational transitions. - Support institutional enrollment and retention goals through strategic planning and cross-functional collaboration. - Develop and mentor staff through coaching, leadership development, and succession planning. - Monitor performance metrics and key indicators to identify opportunities for continuous improvement. - Serve as a subject matter expert on Title IV regulations, compliance requirements, and financial aid best practices. This Opportunity May Be Ideal If You: - Currently serve—or previously served—as a Financial Aid Director, Executive Director, Associate Vice President, Vice President, or similar senior leader. - Enjoy mentoring teams and developing future higher education leaders. - Thrive on solving complex operational, compliance, and organizational challenges. - Want to broaden your impact across multiple colleges and universities. - Value relationship-building and serving as a trusted advisor to campus leadership. - Enjoy translating strategic priorities into operational results. - Are looking for a flexible and meaningful way to continue advancing higher education. Preferred Background - 10+ years of financial aid experience with extensive knowledge of Title IV administration and regulatory compliance. - Director-level leadership experience or above, with responsibility for teams, operations, and institutional initiatives. - Demonstrated success leading operational improvement, organizational change, and strategic initiatives. - Experience building and developing high-performing teams. - Strong understanding of compliance, risk management, and audit preparedness. - Experience leveraging technology, automation, and data analytics to improve performance and service delivery. - Exceptional communication, presentation, relationship-building, and problem-solv…