Duquesne University seeks an innovative, forward-thinking, and inclusive leader to serve as its next Assistant Vice President and Director of Financial Aid (AVP). As an essential member of the Senior Vice President for Enrollment Management’s team, the AVP will lead a financial aid office committed to supporting the transformational educational experience offered to Duquesne’s students. The AVP will have opportunities to develop a comprehensive and strategic financial aid program, build a strong team, and collaborate with exceptional campus partners across the University.
Duquesne was founded by the Spiritans as a Catholic college for Pittsburgh’s poor immigrants. In 1911, it became the state’s first Catholic university. For the early part of its history, Duquesne was defined by its Pittsburgh campus and retained the character of a locally focused, primarily undergraduate institution. Today, Duquesne is recognized on the national stage as a comprehensive research institution of excellent quality offering a strong core of the sciences and liberal arts combined with a robust array of professional school offerings, including a new college of medicine. Duquesne ranked in the top tier of schools for the 15th consecutive year in the annual U.S. News & World Report Best National Universities rankings at 151st for 2022-2023. Money, Forbes, and U.S. News consistently rank Duquesne as a best-value institution. For a comprehensive listing of recent accolades, please visit www.duq.edu/about/fast-facts.
The University embraces a broad mission and serves a variety of learners in multiple contexts. This private institution with a current total enrollment of more than 8,100 students (roughly 5,100 undergraduate and 3,000 graduate and professional students) educates traditional and non-traditional students through small classes, innovative instruction, and rigorous coursework. Through its ten schools, the University offers degree programs at the baccalaureate, professional, master’s, and doctoral levels while also supporting an ambitious research profile.
The Financial Aid Office is an integral part of the Enrollment Management Group (EMG), which includes Undergraduate Admissions, Graduate Enrollment Services, Financial Aid, Enrollment Marketing and Communications, Enrollment Operations and Student Services, Military and Veterans, and Campus Visit Experience and Enrollment Event Management. The EMG is responsible for the strategy and management of all facets of the University’s enrollment. The EMG’s constant focus is to meet or exceed enrollment and net revenue goals and collaboratively and consistently enroll, support, retain, and graduate the ideal number, academic quality, and diversity of students that will provide the University with the human and financial resources required to be competitive in the higher education marketplace while also being mission-consistent.
The AVP position reports to the Senior Vice President for Enrollment Management (SVPEM). The AVP serves as an integral member of the (EMG) leadership team and will be charged with providing an exceptional level of customer service to students and families throughout the financial aid process, recruiting and retaining a strong team of professionals, optimizing the current financial aid systems, and working collaboratively with other student-facing areas across the University. The AVP leads the student financial services team in strategy as well as in complex daily operations.
The position requires strong project management skills, outstanding personnel oversight and mentoring, sound independent judgment, diligence, attention to detail, ability to support cross-functional relationships, and the capacity to develop strategy from research and analytics. The University seeks financial aid leaders with noted achievements in growing enrollments and leveraging aid to enhance both access and institutional resources, demonstrated successes working with partners on retention and persistence to graduation efforts, and impeccable compliance records.
The ideal AVP will be student-centered, collaborative, intellectually curious, and solution-seeking. Successful candidates will have a working knowledge of financial aid and/or enrollment systems. Experience with the Ellucian Banner ERP System is highly preferred. Preferred candidates will embrace the University’s mission and understand that it is implemented through commitments to academic excellence, a spirit of service, moral and spiritual values, sensitivity to world concerns, and an ecumenical campus community. A bachelor’s degree is required for this position while a master’s degree is preferred.
Additionally, the AVP will possess many of the following experiences, capabilities, and personal attributes:
- Demonstrated leadership and the ability to manage multiple tasks simultaneously in a complex and evolving environment;
- A collaborative leadership style that encourages new ideas, embraces the knowledge and experience of others, and promotes trust and transparency;
- Ability to take a hands-on approach to staff management with a results-oriented and proactive attitude;
- Highly developed analytic, problem-solving, organizational, and interpersonal skills, including the ability to listen thoughtfully and be responsive to a diverse population of constituents;
- Strong communication skills, both oral and written, coupled with the ability to inspire and motivate;
- Knowledge and understanding of federal, state, and agency-accrediting rules and regulations as they pertain to higher education admissions and financial aid;
- Experience with NCAA rules and regulations, preferably at the Division 1 level;
- A broad understanding of higher education processes and procedures, including shared governance, strategic planning, resource allocation, and budget management;
- Experience adhering to federal and state laws pertaining to financial aid, affirmative action, and FERPA;
- Membership and active engagement in appropriate national student service organizations, such as NASFA and PASFA;
- Knowledge of or proficiency with Technolutions Slate, Cognos, and Ellucian Banner;
- Demonstrated commitment to practices related to equity, inclusion, and belonging;
- A proactive, strategic, analytical, and deadline-oriented approach;
- Ability and willingness to work outside of regular business hours and some weekends during peak enrollment periods;
- Ability to prepare and maintain confidential data independently in accordance with established policies and procedures and to exercise consistent discretion; and
- Ability and willingness to contribute actively to the University’s mission and to embrace its Spiritan Catholic identity.
This is a full-time position that will be performed on-site in Pennsylvania. Salary is competitive and commensurate with experience and includes a generous benefits package.
THE PROCESS OF CANDIDACY
The University will begin reviewing candidates immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Applications should include a letter of candidacy that responds to the agenda for leadership and the desired attributes for the AVP and a complete résumé. For best consideration, all applications, nominations, and confidential inquiries should be sent as soon as possible to:
Julie E. Tea, Managing Director
Brian Bustin, Senior Associate
Storbeck Search
DuquesneAVP@storbecksearch.com
Duquesne University was founded in 1878 by its sponsoring religious community, the Congregation of the Holy Spirit. Duquesne University is Catholic in its mission and ecumenical in spirit. Motivated by its Catholic identity, Duquesne values equality of opportunity both as an educational institution and as an employer.
