Director, Financial Aid Strategy and Pathways, Salt Lake City, UT

If you’re passionate about building a better future for individuals, communities, and our country—and you’re committed to working hard to play your part in building that future—consider WGU as the next step in your career.

Driven by a mission to expand access to higher education through online, competency-based degree programs, WGU is also committed to being a great place to work for a diverse workforce of student-focused professionals. The university has pioneered a new way to learn in the 21st century, one that has received praise from academic, industry, government, and media leaders. Whatever your role, working for WGU gives you a part to play in helping students graduate, creating a better tomorrow for themselves and their families.

The salary range for this position takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs.

At WGU, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their position, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is:
 

Grade: Management_Executive 609

Pay Range: $113,200.00 - $203,800.00

Job Description

The Director of Financial Aid Strategy and Pathways is responsible for leading university-wide strategic initiatives related to financial aid delivery, serving as the primary liaison between the Financial Aid department and cross-functional partners for complex, high-visibility projects such as Prison Education Programs (PEP), Workforce Pell, First Year Experience (FYE), and other emerging pathways and initiatives.

This position provides leadership for the consolidated Financial Aid Training and Quality Assurance team, ensuring high-impact onboarding, continuous training, policy and system updates, and a robust quality assurance program supporting both Financial Aid and Financial Services. The Director champions innovative solutions that drive regulatory compliance, operational efficiency, and a student-centered experience across the learner journey.

 

Essential Functions and Responsibilities 

Strategic Financial Aid Leadership & University-Wide Coordination 

• Acts as the primary Financial Aid lead and subject-matter liaison for cross-university strategic projects, including Prison Education Programs, Workforce Pell, First Year Experience, and additional pathway or access initiatives. 

• Creates vision, strategy, and goals for assigned initiatives and champions a culture of innovation while aligning strategies to university mission and student success outcomes. 

• Develops project plans, milestones, and deliverables supporting launch, implementation, and expansion of strategic initiatives, ensuring key stakeholders are aligned and engaged. 

• Works closely with Academic leadership, Enrollment, Strategic Partnerships, Legal, Compliance, -EdTech/Data, Student Services, and other units to solve complex issues, improve processes, and ensure operational readiness. 

• Aligns financial aid processes, policies, and communications to support access, persistence, and completion for populations served through special initiatives. 

• Leads post-launch evaluation of project performance, including KPIs, operational impacts, financial implications, and lessons learned. 

• Represents Financial Aid in university-wide strategy and leadership meetings. 

Training Strategy & Delivery 

• Oversees the development and implementation of a comprehensive training strategy supporting Financial Aid and Financial Services employees, including new hire pathways, role-based training, cross-training, and refresher/upskill training. 

• Ensures training programs are scalable, efficient, and aligned with current federal and state