Senior Director Student Finance Operations

Senior Director Student Finance Operations job in Lisle, IL | Covista

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Senior Director Student Finance Operations

• vacancyopjusttionswidget.opt-Type of Employment Full-time
• vacancyopjusttionswidget.opt-Department Academic Operations
• vacancyopjusttionswidget.opt-Location Lisle

jobinformationwidget.freetext.ExternalReference

REF11755H

• vacancyopjusttionswidget.opt-Institution Covista

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Company Description

About Covista

Covista is America"s largest healthcare educator, serving more than 97,000 students and supported by a community of 385,000 alumni across five accredited institutions. Through personalized, tech-enabled education powered by 10,000 faculty and colleagues, Covista expands access to healthcare careers and addresses the U.S. healthcare workforce shortage at scale. Covista is the parent company of American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine, Chamberlain University, Ross University School of Medicine, Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine and Walden University.

Our colleagues come from a wide range of backgrounds, business, academia, healthcare, government and nonprofits, and are part of a culture where doing exceptional work and making a meaningful difference for students and society aren"t separate goals-they"re one and the same. This means creating an environment where colleagues can develop new skills, build careers that match their ambitions and see the tangible impact of their work on healthcare education and workforce development. Colleagues who deliver results and embrace new tools to work smarter are valued for their contributions. But what makes working at Covista distinctive is our impact. Our faculty and colleagues don"t just support healthcare education-they shape it. This isn"t abstract purpose work. It"s solving real problems for real people in real communities while advancing careers.

We operate on a hybrid schedule with four in-office days per week (Monday-Thursday). This approach enhances creativity, innovation, communication, and relationship-building, fostering a dynamic and collaborative work environment.

For more information, visit covista.com and follow us on LinkedIn, Instagram and YouTube.

Job Description

Opportunity at a Glance

Reporting directly to the Vice President of Institutional Support Services (ISS), the Senior Director, Support Operations provides strategic leadership for the development, implementation, and oversight of initiatives that enhance the student experience, support institutional priorities, and ensure regulatory compliance across Covista"s academic partners.

This executive leader is responsible for driving operational excellence in areas including new student enrollment, resource planning, process optimization, student persistence through student finance operations, technology enablement, and business consulting services. The role partners closely with academic institutions, regulatory affairs, legal counsel, information technology, and operational leaders to deliver sustainable business solutions that improve service delivery, regulatory compliance, and organizational effectiveness.

The Senior Director serves as a subject matter expert on complex regulatory requirements, understanding how regulations intersect across multiple operational functions and institutions. This individual leads enterprise-wide initiatives, develops strategic solutions to operational challenges, and represents ISS with internal and external stakeholders, including regulatory agencies.

Success in this role requires a highly collaborative and influential leader who inspires teams, navigates ambiguity, drives performance through data-driven decision-making, and fosters a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and professional growth.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Operational Excellence

• Partner with academic institutions and functional leaders to align operational strategies, workforce planning, and service delivery models that support institutional goals and student success.
• Provide enterprise-wide leadership focused on improving operational efficiency, enhancing the student experience, and optimizing business processes.
• Utilize data, analytics, and performance metrics to identify opportunities, develop short- and long-term strategies, and improve service level agreements (SLAs) across key business functions.
• Position ISS as a best-in-class Center of Excellence for resource planning, process improvement, technology optimization, student persistence, and operational innovation.
• Lead the design, implementation, evaluation, and expansion of pilot programs and strategic initiatives that support institutional priorities and service excellence.
• Collaborate with ISS leaders, IT partners, and institutional stakeholders to develop scalable solutions and establish success measures and reporting frameworks.

Regulatory Leadership & Compliance

• Serve as a regulatory subject matter expert, providing guidance on federal, state, and institutional regulations across multiple operational areas and institutions.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable federal, state, accreditation, SOX, and organizational requirements related to student financial operations.
• Partner with Regulatory Affairs and Legal teams to assess regulatory risk, implement compliance strategies, and maintain regulatory readiness.
• Communicate directly with external regulatory agencies as needed regarding student financial and operational matters.
• Lead responses to audits, regulatory reviews, and compliance inquiries, including the development and execution of corrective action plans.
• Prepare and submit regulatory responses and documentation for student finance-related matters.

Partner & Stakeholder Engagement

• Serve as an executive liaison between ISS and academic institutions, fostering proactive, transparent, and collaborative relationships.
• Represent ISS on committees, governance bodies, project teams, and task forces across the organization.
• Consult with institutional and executive leaders on service trends, operational challenges, and strategic opportunities to improve performance.
• Collaborate with ISS leadership to determine resource allocation, service commitments, and operational priorities.
• Escalate resource constraints and competing priorities with recommendations that support institutional and organizational objectives.

Team & Financial Leadership

• Lead and develop high-performing teams by creating alignment, building engagement, fostering professional growth, and effectively navigating organizational change.
• Promote a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, innovation, and student-centered service.
• Manage labor and operating budgets exceeding $5 million.
• Oversee a funding portfolio exceeding $1.8 billion.
• Provide staffing, financial, and operational insights to optimize resource allocation, workforce planning, and budget management across Student Financial Operations and academic partners.
• Manage multiple functions and institutional relationships to ensure seamless operations, exceptional service delivery, and strong business outcomes.

Additional Responsibilities

• Perform other duties as assigned.
• Comply with all company policies, procedures, and professional standards.

Qualifications

• Bachelor"s Degree required. Master"s Degree preferred
• 10 years of senior-level leadership experience with a minimum of 10 years managing large, diverse operational teams required.
• 8 years proven higher education or comparable experience on managing highly regulated functional areas required.
• Can handle responsibility without authority - i.e. able to facilitate execution across multiple departments and institutions within Covista
• Federal and State funding regulatory knowledge.
• Exhibits a strong executive leadership presence coupled with excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Understand process improvement and the relationship between process optimization, metrics, analytics and reporting.
• Displays strong strategic-planning skills complimented with exceptional business acumen.
• Exhibits outstanding leadership capabilities.
• Demonstrates a high-level of character, ethics and integrity at all times.

Additional Information

In support of the pay transparency laws enacted across the country, the expected salary range for this position is between $137,846.78 and $241,870.90. Actual pay will be adjusted based on job-related factors permitted by law, such as experience and training; geographic location; licensure and certifications; market factors; departmental budgets; and responsibility. Our Talent Acquisition Team will be happy to answer any questions you may have, and we look forward to learning more about your salary requirements. The position qualifies for the below benefits.

Covista offers a robust suite of benefits including:

• Health, dental, vision, life and disability insurance
• 401k Retirement Program + 6% employer match
• Participation in Covista's Flexible Time Off (FTO) Policy
• 12 Paid Holidays

For more information related to our benefits please visit: https://careers.covista.com/benefits

Equal Opportunity - Minority / Female / Disability / V / Gender Identity / Sexual Orientation

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Senior Director Student Finance Operations

• vacancyopjusttionswidget.opt-Location Lisle

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233 S. Wacker Drive, Suite 800

Chicago, IL 60606

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