SENIOR ASSOCIATE REGISTRAR, AID AND AWARDS

Department Description

The Office of the Registrar provides a number of services to both prospective and current students and is the primary information source on enrolment, convocation ceremonies and important student dates and events throughout the year. We are a smart, collaborative group of approximately 100, spread across 9 departments: Student Services,  Aid & Awards, Student Recruitment, Undergraduate Admissions, Student Records & Systems, Scheduling & Examinations, Student Communications and Central RO Administration. This supportive and dynamic team works together to provide assistance to students from their initial recruitment contact with McMaster until they graduate. 

We are currently hiring a Senior Associate Registrar, Aid & Awards that will use a variety of specialized skills to promote and support the overall strategic plan of the Office of the Registrar. The Aid & Awards department connects students with government financial aid, bursaries, work programs and scholarships. These resources help make post-secondary education more accessible and recognize students' academic, extracurricular and community achievements. The Senior Associate Registrar will demonstrate strategic leadership at a senior management level; managing a team of approximately 12 Aid and awards professionals.

Job Purpose 

Working closely with the Registrar, fellow Senior Associate Registrars, and senior academic leaders, the Senior Associate Registrar, Aid and Award creates a policy and operations framework for registrarial services that support the student experience and academic administration across the university.    The Senior Associate Registrar, Aid and Awards works with and on behalf of the academic community to strategically direct the development and implementation of policy and operational services in support of the University’s academic mission.

The Senior Associate Registrar provides leadership and strategic direction for the Aid & Awards department. Provides leadership in registrarial processes and communicate, facilitate and support these processes within the broader university community. The Senior Associate Registrar works collaboratively with groups to ensure the consistent application of registrarial policies and procedures in the different academic units. This person may also represent their areas of expertise externally in representative associations and working groups.

In carrying out with this responsibility, the incumbent plans, leads and directs the activities of Aid & Awards, ensuring support of and consistency with University policies, priorities, and plans. This position reports to the University Registrar.

Aid & Awards Portfolio

Strategically applies financial levers to support university recruitment and retention strategies. Understands how varying timing, amount of awards as well understanding the competitive landscape can impact student recruitment decisions and applies knowledge to determine the financial aid strategy. Understands trends and patterns of financial aid on retention behaviour through internal analysis as well as through industry research to target funds to positively impact student success.

Achieves these objectives through the management of a $17m Undergraduate Scholarships and Bursaries operating budget and $5m in annual expenditures from approximately 1200 trust funds. Understands and where possible, influences the Ministry of Colleges and Universities aid direction and aligns McMaster financial aid to support. This includes providing direction to the team to support over 15,000 OSAP applications a year. Provides direction to staff regarding aid and award related policies and processes, student communication and trust fund administration. Also supports aid and award administrators’ campus wide. Has signing authority to manage all trust funds for undergraduate awards and bursaries ensuring compliance to policy and appropriate expenditures. Ensures the appropriate receipt of funds from the government, trust funds and operating sources and manages the optimal disbursement through various need and merit programs. Ensures compliance with all Ministry policies and with regular Ministry audits. Represents McMaster to the province in policy improvements and new policy developments regarding student financial aid. 

Specific Accountabilities

• Work with Faculties to identify business needs related to the University’s academic mission and determines strategic solutions that support the objectives to students, faculty, and staff.
• Develops, advises on, and implements Senate policy related to his/her relevant area. Communicates changes and impacts to the University community.
• Negotiates with Faculties and other stakeholders support services for new and continuing programs.
• Works with other key University stakeholders including Continuing Education, Accounts Receivable, Facilities, Academic Integrity, Finance, University Advancement, Student Affairs and others to ensure coordination of processes and consistency of policy. Advises the University Registrar on service integration issues and initiatives.
• Demonstrates leadership in determining business processes and the facilitation of these processes through the application of technology. Directs the functional application of information systems and is responsible for understanding and implementing key information technologies relevant to the area. Is responsible for keeping abreast of technologies relevant to the area and managing local applications.
• Chairs committees or working groups related to their area.
• Directs efficient and effective business processes through the continuous evaluation of those processes and their application with the technological platforms
• Identifies emerging needs and trends and develops timely and effective initiatives, programs or services to address them.
• Directs security access to student information systems and is responsible for ensuring that the broader university community has appropriate profiles to complete tasks relating to their area. 
• Creates and maintains the operational infrastructure necessary to support the administration of academic support policies. Ensures effective and responsive practice in areas of responsibility.
• Working with University Technology Services, and the Director, IT & Analytics, Systems, office of the Registrar is responsible for the configuration and operation of the student aid and award information system and for the integrity of data within that system. Ensures collection of service data for accountability and operational improvement purposes.
• Supports program approval processes by providing relevant advice to Faculties on implementation considerations.
• Attends Senate and Senate/University committees as required. Chairs inter-faculty working group related to registrarial services. Ensures compliance with applicable policy, legislation, and procedures of government and other third parties, including provincial privacy and information laws and accountability requirements.
• Leads respective area through any applicable Ministry of Colleges and Universities, external and/or internal audits. Is responsible for ensuring area passes such audits and responds to any findings. 
• Represents McMaster in the external community through participation in industry or professional committees, government working groups and inter-university collaborations.
• Ensure responsive and relevant service to students, faculty, staff and other University stakeholders.

Human Resources Management

• Designs and maintains organizational structure. Forecasts, manages, and reports on budgetary needs of areas under direct authority.
• Recruits, hires, trains, manages, and evaluates a staff of approximately 13 permanent FTEs plus part-time, casual, and student staff. Ensures effective performance management processes are in place. Takes disciplinary action when required.
• Provide team leadership and direction to ensure efficiency, quality of service to clients, high staff morale and conformance to University policies and procedures.
• Monitor performance of units to determine whether strategies and plans require adjustment and evaluate the progress towards the attainment of the objectives.

Financial Management

• Develops, recommends, and implements the annual operating budget for responsible areas. Prepares in-year budget forecasts. Develops and implements medium and long-term plans to meet budget targets.

Qualifications

Education and Experience:

• Minimum undergraduate degree.
• 5-7 years experience in management roles in a related area. 

Skills:

• Proven strong strategic leadership and management skills, preferably in a unionized environment.
• Strong understanding of and experience in information technology systems particularly ERP applications. Significant experience managing a complex operational environment, including strategic planning, project management and design, and improvement of production systems.
• Experience planning and managing in a complex, multi-stakeholder operational environment, preferably in a post-secondary setting.
• Proven ability to generate creative solutions to complex problems.
• Proven conflict management skills.
• Budget planning and management experience at a senior level.
• Demonstrated tact and diplomacy in relating to colleagues and stakeholders at all levels.
• Strong customer service orientation and interpersonal skills.
• Proven organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent communication skills, both written and oral.
• Ability to work and manage with minimal supervision.