Director of Student Accounts (Bursar)

• →Provide strategic and operational leadership for the University’s student accounts, billing, accounts receivable, cashiering, payment processing, refunds, collections, and reconciliation functions.
• →Ensure accurate and timely assessment, processing, posting, reconciliation, and reporting of student financial transactions, including reconciliation of student accounts to the general ledger.
• →Develop and execute the University’s accounts receivable and collections strategy, including monitoring aging, delinquency, collection performance, and overall financial exposure.
• →Oversee payment arrangements, account holds, write-offs, promissory notes, third-party billing, and external collection-agency relationships in accordance with University policy.
• →Establish and maintain effective internal financial controls, including segregation of duties, approval authorities, reconciliations, documentation, cash controls, and appropriate audit trails.
• →Ensure compliance with applicable federal and state requirements, Department of Education regulations, FERPA, PCI-DSS, University policies, and other requirements governing student financial operations.
• →Partner with Finance and internal/external auditors on financial reviews, audit activities, year-end processes, corrective actions, and resolution of identified control or compliance issues.
• →Identify, assess, and mitigate financial, operational, compliance, and control risks associated with Bursar operations.
• →Lead, supervise, develop, and evaluate Bursar/Student Accounts staff; establish clear performance expectations, accountability, service standards, cross-training, and appropriate backup coverage.
• →Serve as the functional leader for Bursar-related student information, accounts receivable, payment, and financial systems, partnering with Finance and IT on implementations, integrations, testing, upgrades, and optimization.
• →Establish and monitor key performance indicators for receivables, aging, collections, billing and transaction accuracy, refunds, reconciliations, service performance, and other critical Bursar operations.
• →Lead continuous improvement, automation, standardization, and process redesign initiatives to strengthen financial controls, operational efficiency, service delivery, and business continuity.
• →Provide leadership and resolution for complex or escalated student financial matters, ensuring policies are applied consistently and students and families receive accurate, timely, and professional service.
• →Partner with Financial Aid, Registrar, Enrollment Management, Finance, Academic Affairs, IT, and other University stakeholders to address systemic issues and ensure effective coordination across the student financial lifecycle.
• →Provide University leadership with financial analysis, operational insights, risk assessments, and recommendations related to student receivables, financial operations, policy, systems, and opportunities for improvement.

• Bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Business Administration, or a closely related field.

• Minimum seven years of progressively responsible higher-education student financial services experience, including significant responsibility for student accounts, accounts receivable, billing, collections, refunds, and reconciliations.
• Minimum three years of demonstrated leadership experience in a Bursar, Deputy Bursar, Assistant Bursar, or comparable position with broad responsibility for student accounts, billing, receivables, collections, refunds, reconciliations, financial controls, compliance, and staff leadership.
• Minimum three years of direct supervisory/management experience, including responsibility for staff performance, development, and operational outcomes.
• Demonstrated experience managing the full student accounts lifecycle, rather than a single specialized component of Bursar operations.
• Demonstrated experience with financial controls, audit readiness, regulatory compliance, and operational risk management.
• Demonstrated experience analyzing accounts receivable aging and collection performance and implementing improvement strategies.
• Experience with student information systems, ERP/financial systems, electronic payment platforms, and related financial technology.
• Demonstrated experience leading significant process improvement, systems optimization, or operational change.

Comparable titles may be considered when the candidate demonstrates equivalent breadth of responsibility, leadership accountability, decision authority, and Bursar-level operational experience.