Assistant Director - Fund Management Scholarship Operations and Systems

About the Opportunity

Summary

The Assistant Director- Fund Management Scholarship Ops & Systems is pivotal in the administration, optimization, and stewardship of student support funding at Northeastern University. Reporting to the Sr. Associate Director of Fund Management and working in close partnership with Student Financial Services, this position is responsible for managing the university’s scholarship management database, overseeing the operational workflow for donor-funded scholarship awarding, and ensuring the effective use and compliance of restricted scholarship funds.

This individual will serve as the primary liaison between the Fund Management team and Student Financial Services, coordinating the annual and term-based scholarship awarding cycles and maintaining accurate fund criteria. The Assistant Director will also collaborate with colleagues across Advancement, colleges, and administrative units to support donor intent, improve student experience, and ensure timely and accurate utilization of scholarship funds.

In addition to overseeing daily operations, the Assistant Director will lead the continuous improvement of scholarship-related systems and processes, including enhancements to the scholarship management platform, development of business rules and logic for fund matching, and documentation of award workflows. The incumbent will provide training and support to staff and ensure strong data governance and reporting capabilities to support institutional priorities and donor stewardship.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree and 3–5 years of progressively responsible experience in higher education administration, financial aid, scholarship operations, or a related area.

• The ideal candidate will have a strong working knowledge of scholarship management systems such as Scholarship Manager or Award Management, as well as experience with CRM platforms like Ascend, Salesforce, or Blackbaud NXT.

• Candidates must demonstrate the ability to work collaboratively across Northeastern’s global network and have a proven track record of success in fast-paced, growth-oriented environments that require flexibility and responsiveness to shifting priorities.

• Exceptional organizational and analytical skills are essential, along with excellent written and verbal communication abilities.

• The position also requires a strong customer service orientation, the ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously, and a commitment to supporting both internal stakeholders and student recipients through efficient and compliant scholarship fund administration.

Key Responsibilities

Awarding Coordination & Support:

• Manage the university-wide student support awarding process in collaboration with Student Financial Services to ensure efficient and timely award distribution.

• Serve as the primary point of contact for inquiries related to student support funds, troubleshooting, and resolving awarding issues in coordination with college and unit partners.

• Conduct proactive and regular outreach to college and unit stakeholders to monitor awarding activity.

• Ensure timely and accurate data entry of awards into the Ascend CRM system.

Scholarship Manager System Oversight:

• Act as the primary Advancement administrator for the Scholarship Manager platform, ensuring all student support funds and applications are accurately set up and maintained.

• Perform annual system updates, including aligning academic programs and majors with appropriate fund eligibility criteria.

• Develop and deliver onboarding and training sessions (at least twice per year) for new and existing system users across the university.

• Maintain a Microsoft Teams site that houses up-to-date training resources, guidance materials, and session recordings for partners in colleges and administrative units.

Strategic Expansion of Scholarship Manager Platform:

• Lead the structured onboarding process for new colleges and units adopting the Scholarship Manager system.

• Promote best practices in scholarship administration and ensure a consistent, transparent, and student-centered experience across all academic units.

• Collaborate with internal stakeholders to identify expansion opportunities and streamline system adoption.

Fund Spending Oversight & Issue Resolution:

• Monitor donor-funded scholarship spending activity to identify underutilized funds or discrepancies in usage.

• Collaborate with the Fund Management team, Senior Associate Director of Donor Relations, and college/unit representatives to develop fund utilization plans that align with donor intent.

• Investigate and troubleshoot fund-related issues, recommending appropriate actions to ensure compliance with university policies, gift agreements, and regulatory requirements.

Position Type

Advancement

Additional Information

Northeastern University considers factors such as candidate work experience, education and skills when extending an offer.  

All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Compensation Grade/Pay Type:

107S

Expected Hiring Range:

$52,820.00 - $74,607.50

With the pay range(s) shown above, the starting salary will depend on several factors, which may include your education, experience, location, knowledge and expertise, and skills as well as a pay comparison to similarly-situated employees already in the role. Salary ranges are reviewed regularly and are subject to change.