Associate Director of Financial Wellness

Location: Chicago, Illinois Business Unit: Rush Medical Center Hospital: Rush University Medical Center Department: Student Financial Aid Work Type: Full Time (Total FTE between 0.9 and 1.0) Shift: Shift 1 Work Schedule: 8 Hr (8:00:00 AM - 4:30:00 PM) Rush offers exceptional rewards and benefits learn more at our Rush benefits page ( Pay Range: $27.47 - $38.81 per hour
Rush salaries are determined by many factors including, but not limited to, education, job-related experience and skills, as well as internal equity and industry specific market data. The pay range for each role reflects Rush’s anticipated wage or salary reasonably expected to be offered for the position. Offers may vary depending on the circumstances of each case.
Job Summary:
The Associate Director of Financial Wellness provides strategic leadership in integrating financial aid operations with comprehensive financial wellness initiatives to strengthen student financial capability, persistence, and overall success. This student-centered leader designs, implements, and evaluates processes that deliver high-quality financial aid guidance, individualized financial coaching, literacy education, emergency support, and wellness programming for students and families. The Associate Director supervises and develops the financial coaching staff, ensuring a consistent, student-centered service model that aligns with institutional recruitment, retention, and compliance goals. The Associate Director will exemplify the RUSH mission, vision, and values and act in accordance with Rush policies and procedures. Required Job Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in personal finance, business, higher education, counseling, or a related field.
• Financial literacy or coaching certification or the ability to quickly become certified (NEFC©, AFCPE©, AFC©, CFP®) or willingness to obtain one.
• Demonstrated experience providing individualized personal financial coaching, advising, or case management.
• Experience working with students in a higher education environment.
• Knowledge of university systems, financial aid processes, success coaching models, and financial wellness theories.
• Strong familiarity with private student loan programs and alternative funding sources.
• Experience designing and delivering presentations, workshops, or financial literacy programming.
• Strong interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills with proven ability to support diverse student populations.
• Ability to interpret financial aid regulations and apply them appropriately to student circumstances.
• Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
• Experience with financial aid or student information systems (e.g., Banner, PeopleSoft, PowerFAIDS, Slate).
• Supervisory or team leadership experience within a student services, financial aid, coaching, or advising environment.

Preferred Job Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in personal finance, business, higher education, counseling, student affairs, or a related field.
• Experience working with Title IV aid programs, federal compliance requirements, and alternative loan funding.
• Experience working with graduate and/or professional students in a higher education environment.

Competencies:

• Ability to work with students in a supportive, nonjudgmental coaching approach
• Analytical skills for reviewing financial aid data and student accounts
• Strong organizational and case-management skills
• Ability to manage a large caseload while meeting deadlines
• Comfort handling complex financial scenarios
• Problem-solving and critical-thinking skills
• Cultural humility and ability to support a diverse student body
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office/Google Workspace
• Familiarity with financial literacy platforms (e.g., iGrad, EverFi)
• Experience with student information systems (Banner, PeopleSoft, Slate, etc.)
• Ability to learn new software quickly

Job Responsibilities: Strategic Leadership & Program Development

• Lead the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of a university-wide financial wellness program grounded in industry best practices, regulatory requirements, and student success frameworks.
• Develop proactive, data-informed outreach and counseling strategies to provide timely, personalized financial support for students and families across the student lifecycle.
• Establish, monitor, and refine performance metrics to evaluate service quality, student engagement, financial outcomes, and the effectiveness of financial coaching practices.
• Conduct regular operational, compliance, and service quality assessments to ensure models, processes, and interventions align with current research and evolving student needs.
• Partner with colleges and university stakeholders to ensure financial wellness initiatives support recruitment, enrollment, retention, and completion goals.

Technology, Tools & Resource Management

• Oversee the implementation, optimization, and ongoing maintenance of technology systems that support student financial tracking, outreach, case management, and reporting.
• Identify, evaluate, and integrate financial wellness platforms, tools, and educational resources that enhance student financial literacy, decision-making, and engagement.
• Ensure data integrity, compliance, and effective use of systems to support continuous improvement and reporting.
• Maintain strong connections with Preferred Lenders and seek the best options available on the private Market+ for students.

Training, Supervision & Staff Development

• Supervise, coach, and evaluate financial wellness coaching staff, fostering a high-performing, student-centered service culture.
• Develop, document, and maintain standard operating procedures for financial coaching services to ensure consistency, quality, and compliance.
• Provide ongoing staff training and professional development focused on financial aid policy, coaching practices, equity-minded service delivery, and emerging trends.
• Oversee the creation and delivery of dynamic programming, including workshops, multimedia content, group coaching, and individualized counseling.

Direct Student/College Support

• Serve as a senior-level financial case manager for an assigned student caseload, providing complex and individualized financial coaching.
• Support students in developing personalized education financing plans, including evaluation of federal and state aid, institutional aid, alternative loans, payment plans, 529 plans, scholarships, and emergency resources.
• Serve as a key liaison to all three Colleges, ensuring alignment of financial wellness services with academic and student support priorities.

Programming & Campus Engagement

• Serve as the primary liaison with each of the three Colleges, ensuring financial coaches assigned to each College provide excellent customer service and responsive support to students, faculty, staff, and College leadership.
• Lead the design and delivery of financial education programming for campus events such as orientations, prospective student days, and academic program sessions.
• Collaborate with campus partners to deliver integrated financial wellness and student support initiatives that promote persistence and wellbeing.
• Develop and maintain clear, accessible materials and communications for faculty and staff to increase understanding of financial aid processes and student financial wellbeing challenges.

Reporting, Assessment and Evaluation

• Prepare regular reports and analyses on program outcomes, student engagement, financial trends, and service effectiveness.
• Use assessment data to inform strategic planning, resource allocation, and continuous improvement of financial wellness initiatives.
• Support institutional reporting and accreditation needs related to student financial support and success

Other Responsibilities

• Perform other duties as assigned to support institutional goals and student success.

Rush is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, veteran status, and other legally protected characteristics. Create a Job Match for Similar Jobs

About Rush University Medical Center

Rush University System for Health (RUSH) is an academic health system whose mission is to improve the health of the individuals and the diverse communities it serves through the integration of outstanding patient care, education, research and community partnerships. RUSH comprises Rush University Medical Center, Rush University, Rush Copley Medical Center and Rush Oak Park Hospital, as well as numerous outpatient care facilities. Rush University, with more than 2,500 students, is a health sciences university that comprises Rush Medical College, the College of Nursing, the College of Health Sciences and the Graduate College. Rush University Medical Center is an elite medical community recognized for excellence in patient care, medical discovery and clinical expertise. Our continued pursuits have earned Rush University Medical Center the distinction of being on U.S. News & World Report’s Best Hospitals Honor Roll for 2021-2022. This places the Medical Center amongst the top 20 of the 3,000 hospitals evaluated. U.S. News & World Report has also recognized nine Rush programs amongst the nation’s best, including top ten national rankings for neurology and neurosurgery and orthopedics. T ... hese accolades, along with many others that include a decade of Magnet® designation, are a reflection of the collective efforts and commitment to excellence demonstrated by our physicians, advanced practitioners, nurses and medical staff. Rush University Medical Center has received Vizient's Quality Leadership Award, ranking first among 99 academic medical centers across the country. For the second consecutive year, all three Rush University System for Health hospitals have earned the LGBTQ Healthcare Equality Leader designation in the Healthcare Equality Index.

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