PA Program Analyst

PHEAA is a nonprofit student aid organization that holds a mission of providing affordable access to higher education.

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Salary: Grade 13, Commensurate with experience starting at $46,869.00

Shift: Monday through Friday 8:00 AM - 5:00 PM - Hybrid 2 days a week onsite

Location: PHEAA Headquarters 1200 North 7th Street, Harrisburg, PA 17102

Department: State Grant & Special Programs

JOB PURPOSE AND SUMMARY

This role is responsible for the administration and management of programs which support access to higher education through financial aid delivery systems and materials. This role will serve as a subject matter expert, when assigned, for program management and development, providing guidance and insights to ensure effective program administration and alignment with organizational goals. Programs include scholarships, grants, matching funds and other awards, and are generally funded through state or federal appropriations. Program Administration is accomplished through procedure development, process documentation and analysis of financial and non-financial program data. This role also manages relationships with customers and stakeholders to ensure program management is upheld.

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PRIMARY DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Program Administration Analysis

Procedure development and system and/or workflow process documentation for program operations including eligibility, financial processing and adjustments, vendor management, and school and student communication. 

Perform moderate to complex analysis of financial and non-financial documents and other supporting documentation provided to make determinations in eligibility and compliance.

Identify and/or manage program actions and deliverables to ensure service and milestones in administration are completed.

Conduct detailed and extensive research on audits or program reports to resolve any challenges or inefficiencies and recommend changes.

Perform moderate to complex analysis and develop recommendations for program administration, including customer experience and efficiency at the student, application, school, or program level.

In-depth understanding of multiple program policies, guidelines, laws and regulations and their part in creating access to higher education.

Broad understanding of the Federal Student Aid Handbook and the federal financial aid guidelines.

Develop and track reports on programs for current and historical data used for monitoring program performance and managing program processes including, but not limited to: manual tasks, cash management/financial reconciliation, statistics, etc. 

Provide preventative solutions of known or suspected program liabilities, risks or deficiencies including the analysis of customer needs and perform processing observations for qualitative and quantitative analysis.

Collaborate with Program Integrity and Customer Service staff to identify opportunities for program improvement, knowledge gaps, and operational efficiencies including staffing capacity plans, processing priority reports and disbursement schedules.

Internal External Communications/Training

Effectively and formally communicate deadlines, requirements, changes and other pertinent needs for multiple programs to internal and external audiences. 

Provide program level support on questions from staff and/or schools, institutions, etc. and provide prompt, accurate responses using independent judgment and extensive knowledge of program policies and having evaluated long term impact.

Develop informative material for internal and public use.

Support the development of training material regarding specific program processes, modules, and operational schedules.

Provide peer cross training to other staff members as needed.

Technical Responsibilities

Maintain and update system schedules, controls, job schedules and code look-up values for systems that support PHEAA programs

Identify system changes/demand based upon business needs; enhance or develop functionality for program administration, increase automated controls to ensure compliance, create reporting that is aligned with the division’s strategic goals.

Act as a point of contact, when assigned, for program software changes to ensure effective and efficient financial aid delivery through enhancements, maintenance or other changes.  This includes participation in scope planning with management, customers, and collaborative meetings to provide technical requirements/business rules and other post production needs.

Participate in end-user system testing of technical modifications or updates, including development of test plans, review and approval of user stories,

Assist IT or Senior Analysts with set up and configuration of test environments and test records/scenarios to ensure successful execution of established test plan.

Work with Production Support to troubleshoot system issues

Utilize agency resources such as Service Desk Tickets, Confluence, Jira, access databases and/or PeopleSoft for scheduling, monitoring and reporting purposes.

OTHER DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Assist in quality control and document processing as needed.

Complex data entry, adjustments for special programs applications, financial documents and other forms when required.

Troubleshoot minor computer and equipment issues and work with IT to resolve issues. 

Comply with the Agency’s enterprise security and privacy policies and departmental procedures.

Other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Required Skills

Bachelor’s degree and two years of experience in a program management role or any equivalent combination of experience, training, and/or certification(s).

Knowledge of with the Agency’s software development life cycle process and tools, including Service Desk Tickets, Confluence, and Jira.

Track record of paying attention to details and record keeping.

Excellent written and oral communication skills.

Demonstrated exemplary customer service.

Demonstrated ability to conduct research and summarize the results.

Proven ability to manage multiple activities and varying priorities while ensuring accurate and timely results.

Exposure to project management.

Essential Duties AND Responsibilities

Physical Requirements and Work Environment

Perform work required for this position in an office environment and/or via remote or hybrid arrangement.

Remain sedentary for significant periods of time.

Must be able to perform analysis and draw conclusions.

Must be able to perform basic math.

Must be able to use a personal computer.

ADDITIONAL KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES

Ability to analyze and interpret written and moderately complex numerical information.

Ability to exercise judgment and discretion in developing, applying, and interpreting regulations, guidelines, and procedures. 

Ability to manage and prioritizes multiple assignments and competing priorities in a rapidly growing, fast paced environment.

Ability to develop and promote effective working relationships with all levels of internal management as well as externally.

Must possess excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Proficient use of Microsoft Office.

Ability to promote and support consistent and professional customer focus.

Ability to work effectively in a team environment.

PHEAA’s environment welcomes and supports our employees, customers, and stakeholders; we seek out and value differing perspectives and contributions.

Required Experience

Bachelor’s degree and two years of experience in a program management role or any equivalent combination of experience, training, and/or certification(s).