Program Specialist III

This advertisement will be used to fill multiple vacancies for up to six months.

Mission of Office of Student Financial Assistance

The Office of Student Financial Assistance (OSFA) serves as the administrator of Florida's state scholarship and grant programs with the mission to facilitate higher education access and services by providing exemplary customer attention, comprehensive financial aid information, and convenient and efficient products. Our mission is to report data that reflects the hard work of our educational partners and students.

FDOE’s goal is to hire individuals to provide these core principles within their work:

• Higher Student Achievement

• Seamless Articulation and Maximum Access

• Skilled Workforce and Economic Development

• Quality Services

This position is responsible for coordinating the administration of state scholarship and grant programs within the Department’s Office of Student Financial Assistance. Duties include maintaining contact with institutions and students pertaining to complex issues on financial assistance awards. This position also recommends system enhancements to continually provide pertinent information on State Programs for management and constituent use.

• This position is not approved for telework and must report to the location listed above.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Establish and maintain a computerized database to manage data on applicants for financial assistance programs funded by state and federal sources including scholarships, grants, tuition reimbursement, and loan forgiveness programs.
• Evaluate applicant data and information to determine eligibility, make awards, and ensure timely and accurate disbursement of funds to all eligible award recipients. The process may also include the evaluation of academic transcripts. Direct and coordinate processing of documents pertaining to specific state-administered financial aid programs including award letters, rejection letters, refunds, and verification forms to ensure the meeting of program requirements.
• Develop and maintain statistical and demographic reports on program applicants and recipients to provide a current snapshot of the program at any given period.
• Evaluate and recommend system improvements, such as revised forms, procedures, and type of information collected, for greater program efficiency.
• Provide technical assistance and communicate verbally and in writing on program requirements to applicants, parents, institutions, and other interested parties on complex financial aid issues including policy interpretation, appeal consideration, and judgments on eligible programs of study, interpretation of statutes, rules, and policies.
• Assist with the development of informational and technical documents and program applications. Assist with the development and response to surveys, collection, and analysis of student financial assistance data, and with the forecasting of participation and budgetary requirements.
• Evaluate program policies and operating procedures, and draft recommendations for improvements. Prepare, review, and evaluate program data and reports.
• Assist in the development of rules and legislation for student financial assistance programs. Analyze and recommend to supervisor changes that may be needed in program rules or statutory authority and draft proposed language or review proposals made by others.
• Monitor disbursements to ensure that awards do not exceed budget authority and assist the supervisor in the preparation of budget requests. Provide technical assistance to institutions on the delivery of funds, award revisions, applicant eligibility, and interpretation of statutes, rules, and regulations.
• Assist the supervisor in the management of the disbursement-related functions for specific programs in the State Scholarship and Grant Programs unit and acts as a resource person for the unit in the supervisor's absence. Performs other duties as assigned.

Who We’re Looking For

The Office of Student Financial Assistance is looking for individuals that can collaboratively serve Florida educators and students through programming higher education policy. Desired personal attributes: lifelong learner, organized, problem solver, excellent verbal and written communication skills, self-motivated, honest, and mission driven. The ideal individual must be productive under tight timeframes, balance multiple and competing priorities, maintain goal-directed behavior and performance expectations, sometimes under stressful conditions. The employee’s performance and behavior must demonstrate consideration of the workload concerns of others and must not negatively affect productivity and morale of the unit. Attendance is an essential function of this position.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge of the principles and practices of planning, administering, or evaluating educational programs.
• Knowledge of the principles and techniques of effective communication.
• Knowledge of the methods of data collection.
• Ability to utilize problem-solving techniques.
• Ability to plan, organize, and coordinate work assignments.
• Ability to analyze and evaluate data.
• Ability to assess budgetary needs.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others and communicate effectively.
• Ability to communicate highly technical information verbally and in writing.
• Ability to deal with the public in a tactful and courteous manner.

Minimum Qualification

• Two to four years of experience working with databases/computer networks

Preferred Qualifications

Preferences will be given to applicants who have excellent writing skills and who exhibit strong skills in Microsoft Office Professional including, but not limited to, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook.

APPLICATION INFORMATION & REQUIREMENTS

• Work History (entered with the most recent/current listed first):
• Any and all State of Florida jobs
• Any and all Florida University jobs
• All periods of employment from high school graduation
• Periods of unemployment
• Gaps 3 months or more*
• Education
• Volunteer Experience
• Include supervisor names and phone numbers including current place of employment.

• Gaps 3 months or more must be addressed – you will need to account for and explain any gaps in employment including unemployment. You can either list these in your application under Period of Employment or attach a Word document listing your gaps.

• Experience, education, training, knowledge, skills, and/or abilities as well as responses to pre-qualifying questions must be verifiable to meet the minimum qualifications.
• It is unacceptable to use the statement “See Resume” in place of entering work history. Your candidate profile will be converted to your official application.
• If claiming Veteran’s Preference, a candidate MUST attach supporting documentation (DD214).
• If claiming the Right to First Interview, a candidate MUST attach a copy of your official layoff letter when applying. This only applies to employees laid off from Career Service positions.

WORKING FOR THE STATE OF FLORIDA HAS BENEFITS!

• State Group Insurance coverage options+

(health, life, dental, vision, and other supplemental options)

• Retirement plan options, including employer contributions (www.myfrs.com)
• Nine paid holidays and a Personal Holiday each year
• Annual and Sick Leave Benefits
• Student Loan Forgiveness Program (Eligibility required)
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Tuition Fee Waivers (Accepted by major Florida colleges/universities)
• Ongoing comprehensive training provided
• Career Growth
• Highly skilled, professional environment
• Maternity and Parental Leave Benefits

For a more complete list of benefits, visit www.mybenefits.myflorida.com.

• We care about the success of our employees.
• We care about the success of our clients.
• We are always improving our technology, our tools, our customer’s experiences, and ourselves.
• A rewarding experience for reliable, compassionate, and professional employees.

LEAVE INFORMATION:

• Annual Leave - All full-time Career Service employees filling established positions earn annual leave in varying increments dependent upon years of creditable service. Employees with up to 5 years of creditable service earn 8.667 hours per month, with 5 to 10 years earn 10.833 hours per month and those with over 10 years of service earn 13 hours per month. Employees in Senior Management Service and Selected Exempt Service positions are credited with 176 hours of annual leave upon appointment. In subsequent years, the annual allotment is credited on the anniversary date of the initial appointment.
• Sick Leave - Career Service employees earn 8.667 hours of sick leave credits per month.

BACKGROUND SCREENING REQUIREMENT

It is the policy of the Florida Department of Education that applicants for employment/volunteer undergo Level 2 background screening in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 435, Florida Statutes, as a condition of employment or being permitted to serve as a volunteer. You will be required to provide your Social Security Number to conduct required verifications. No applicant for a designated position will be employed, contracted, or permitted to volunteer until the level 2 screening results are received, reviewed, and approved by the Department. Level 2 background screening shall include, but not be limited to, fingerprinting for all purposes and checks under this requirement, statewide criminal and juvenile records checks through the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, federal criminal records checks through the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and local criminal records checks through local law enforcement.