Administrative Coordinator

Swarthmore College is a highly selective liberal arts college located in the suburbs of Philadelphia, whose mission combines academic rigor with social responsibility. Swarthmore has a strong institutional commitment to inclusive excellence and nondiscrimination in its educational program and employment practices and encourages candidates who will further advance the goal of fostering a diverse and inclusive community. As one of the nation’s finest institutions of higher learning, Swarthmore College is global in outlook and draws students from around the nation and world. The 425‐acre campus is a designated arboretum, complete with gardens, rolling lawns, a creek, wooded hills, and hiking trails in the Crum Woods.

Who We Are:

We are the Financial Aid Office at Swarthmore College - the office charged with providing need-based financial aid from various sources, and primarily from the College itself, to more than half of the student body at Swarthmore College. Aligning with the College’s strategic plan, “Swarthmore Forward,” the Financial Aid Office, and financial aid as a concept, ensures that all students at Swarthmore, regardless of their family’s financial position, are able to afford a Swarthmore education and can take full advantage of the opportunities offered by the College. 

Utilizing a holistic financial need review process and methodologies rooted in horizontal and vertical equity, the Financial Aid Office team carefully steers the College’s financial resources toward students determined to have a need for financial assistance in covering the annual costs to attend Swarthmore College.  Additionally, the Financial Aid Office partners with the Admissions Office through four rounds each year of the admission application process, assisting thousands of prospective students and their families through the financial aid process. The Financial Aid Office team provides responsive and empathetic service to all prospective and admitted Swarthmore College students.

The opportunity:

The Financial Aid Administrative Coordinator provides counseling and assistance to students and families in areas of financing their Swarthmore education (student loans, financial aid, student accounts/tuition payments, student employment). The Financial Aid Coordinator serves as the first point of contact for office communications – email, phone, and visitation - and student/family engagement. Additionally, this position will be responsible for coordinating the office’s administrative needs. 

The position covers three areas, listed in order of frequency annually:  Financial Aid Office communications/family support; Financial Aid Office administration; and Student Employment Office assistance. Financial aid and student employment programmatically reside within the Financial Aid Office, and both areas report to the Director of Financial Aid.

The Director of Financial Aid is seeking an Administrative Coordinator who is curious and interested in developing a career in financial aid or student employment. The Administrative Coordinator is a key role on the Financial Aid team and will be exposed to all aspects of the Financial Aid process.  This position provides the opportunity to grow knowledge and skills while working directly with students and families.

Essential Responsibilities

• Maintain a high level of service for current and prospective families interacting with the Financial Aid Office and Student Employment Office.
• Develop knowledge of documents and systems that collect, organize, and track documents received by the Financial Aid Office.
• Manage office communication, triaging student and family questions received via phone, email or in-person. 
• Develop a knowledge of and interpret complex policies, procedures, and regulations.
• Exercise discretion to determine appropriate resources for prospective and current students, escalating concerns as needed to other team members.
• Assist current and prospective students/families with booking appointments with other members of the Financial Aid Office team.
• Ensure confidentiality and security of data storage processes.
• Manage vendors, office purchases, catering, memberships, and monthly purchase reconciliations through the College’s budgeting software.
• Reconcile monthly operating budget for the Director.
• Facilitate planning and execution for prospective student visitation days as well as current student programming, and other office team events.

Who you are:

• Reliable attention to detail
• Discretion and good judgment
• Ability to learn proprietary systems and processes
• Possess a genuine interest in assisting students/parents who may be stressed and confused
• Possessing an attitude of unflappability, assurance, ass