General Information
| Job Description | BLANK AST 3 | Working Title | HOSS Information Specialist |
|---|---|---|---|
| Job Code | 004722 | Grade | |
| Department Name | Financial Aid - D01171 | Department Head | Jose Aguilar |
| Supervisor | Monica Martinez-Daniels | Effective Date | 09/19/2022 |
Position(s) Directly Supervised
| Job Code | Title | FTE |
|---|
Department Custom Scope
| The Information Specialist is a partner in the campus operation of Highlander One Stop Shop (HOSS) that has consolidated services to maximize efficiency, improve customer (student) services, and foster staff development and interaction in the areas of Undergraduate Admissions, Student Business Services, Office of the Registrar, and Financial Aid. The HOSS strives to create a customer service oriented environment that establishes a welcoming sense of transparency and accessibility for UCR students. With help from the HOSS Lead, the Information Specialist is primarily responsible for providing information and assistance to UCR's diverse student body and campus community regarding procedures, policies, regulations, and programs governing the areas of Financial Aid, Registrar, Student Business Services, and Undergraduate Admissions. Incumbent must be able to maintain a high level of organization in the administration of duties with frequent interruptions and adjust priorities as circumstance dictate. The Information Specialist will be required to work in a complex environment providing high level independent customer service to walk-in traffic addressing a wide range of questions that require an in-depth knowledge of various systems, processes, and federal and state regulations. With the goal of providing excellent customer service, the Information Specialist will perform a variety of duties in the front counter area in assisting customers and providing administrative support in a fast-paced environment involving heavy walk-in customer traffic. The Information Specialist is also a member of the Customer Service team in the Financial Aid Office and develops a thorough knowledge of all financial aid policies and procedures to be able to communicate verbally and in writing to counsel students, staff, faculty and the public. The person provides support and assistance for the Customer Service team on a broad range of areas including, but not limited to, monitoring and responding to departmental emails, processing fee waiver requests and enrollment verifications from third-parties. The Information Specialist will apply guidelines of the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) to analyze and interpret student inquiries. |
Education & Experience Requirements
Education Requirements
Experience Requirements
| Experience | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Minimum of 4 years of demonstrated related experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience. | Required |
| Experience within a customer service oriented environment responding to and meeting/exceeding the needs of customers. | Required |
| Two years experience in a high-volume customer service work environment. | Preferred |
License Requirements
Certification Requirements
| Certification | Requirement |
|---|
Educational Condition Requirements
| Condition | Requirement |
|---|
Key Responsibilities
| Description | % Time |
|---|---|
| General One Stop Counter Provide excellent customer service to internal and external campus constituents as the front line representative of the Financial Aid Office. Provide information to customers regarding procedures, policies, regulations and programs, governing the areas of Financial Aid, Registrar, Student Business Services, and Undergraduate Admissions. If unable to provide specific guidance to customer, then professional discretion would be used in consultation with the HOSS Lead representative to address student inquiries, suggest other options and/or make appropriate referrals to other UCR departments. Utilize the University's student information system, or other online resource to analyze, research, and respond to student inquiries. Apply the guidelines of the CA Privacy Act (CPA) and Family Education Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) with regard to appropriate release of information and documents and assisting students, parents, and the campus community with related questions. In collaboration with the HOSS Lead representative, keep abreast of all Financial Aid programs, events, activities within area of responsibility. Responsible for independent organization of work area, prioritization of individual workload, and understanding of and ability to use an automated system. Facilitate form distribution for HOSS departments by verifying completion of forms including key data and signatures, and designating appropriate department for dissemination. Assist with management of customer traffic. Serve as backup for the maintenance of the HOSS traffic management systems. | 70 |
| Departmental Representative Assist with departmental email account and serve as a live agent on the chatbot while also assisting with daily customer traffic, ensuring the accuracy and integrity of student files. This requires extensive knowledge of files processed to independently evaluate, interpret, and apply policies to student financial aid,providing feedback to the Assistant Director of Customer Service as needed. Works cooperatively with supervisor, staff, students and the general public and conducts research to independently resolve discrepancies, many of which are time-sensitive and may occur in e-mail. Attend departmental full staff meetings when possible, keep abreast of any changes in policies and procedures, and work in coordination with the HOSS Lead to report pertinent departmental information to other counter staff. Assist the HOSS Lead with cross training of other staff within area of expertise. This responsibility and assist with answering complex questions to find creative solutions to problems. Work in collaboration with the Peer Advisors to identify topics for social media posts and recommend website updates to Financial Aid Management. Participate in professional development opportunities as requested by Financial Aid Management team. Assist department with additional assignments and special projects during off-peak times such as system testing, documentation updates, or analyzing data reports. Other duties as assigned. | 25 |
| Highlander One Stop Shop Common Areas Assist with the organization and customer service of the Highlander Port and common areas of the first floor of the Student Services Building. Assist students at the Highlander Port with questions, accessing campus information systems, departmental procedures and completing necessary forms(paper or electronic), when assigned by immediate supervisor. When assigned by the HOSS Lead, operate as primary point of contact for students at the Highlander Port. In collaboration with the HOSS Lead, assist with maintaining organization and cleanliness of the counseling and back rooms. | 5 |
Knowledge, Skills & Abilities
| Knowledge/Skill/Ability | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Skill in effectively analyzing and interpreting policies, practices, and guidelines with strict attention to detail. Approaches problem-solving in a systematicmanner and utilizes appropriate resources in seeking solutions. | Required |
| Demonstrated skill in expressing ideas clearly and convincingly. Ability to effectively, professionally, and tactfully interact and communicate, both orally and inwriting, with students, faculty, staff, and visitors about the operations, policies, and procedures of the functional area. Skill in independently composing letters,memos, reports, and other written communication materials using correct spelling, punctuation, grammar, composition, text editing, and proofreading skills. | Required |
| Demonstrated organizational skills in managing multiple tasks and timelines. The incumbent must possess the ability to work effectively in a serviceenvironment that is subject to frequent interruptions. Skill in setting priorities that accurately reflects the relative importance of job responsibilities. Skill inaccurate record keeping with strict attention to detail. | Required |
| Ability to analyze and interpret detailed financial and enrollment records of individual students. Math skills in adding, subtracting, multiplying, and dividing wholenumbers, fractions and decimals. Ability to compute ratios, rates, and percentages. | Required |
| Demonstrated computer proficiency using Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel) or other equivalent software, internet search engines for data gatheringpurposes, e-mail messaging, calendar systems, and web-based software applications. Skill in creating and editing documents in word processing applicationsusing moderately advanced features. Skill to type rapidly and accurately. Skill in entering and maintaining information in an electronic or written format. | Required |
| Skill in interacting diplomatically withthe public in a high volume, continuous public contact setting. Skill in identifying the customer's perspective and maintaining a commitment to excellence incustomer service. Skill in listening, anticipating, and responding to the needs of customers to achieve excellent customer service measured by outcomes ratherthan activities. Skill in understanding and interpreting the department's policies and procedures to customers to provide options. Ability to interact effectivelywith department staff as well as the campus and outside community. | Required |
| Ability to interpret and apply federal, state, and UC regulations pertaining to student records, including the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). | Required |
| Ability to work independently while maintaining cooperative working relationships with co-workers in a team environment. Ability to work effectively as anindividual and as a team member with diverse groups. | Required |
| Ability to maintain confidentiality at all times. | Required |
| Demonstrated experience with Banner Student Information System. | Preferred |
| Previous experience in a Financial Aid Office. | Preferred |
| Knowledge of the applicable UC Policies and procedures governing areas related to the responsibilities of the job. | Preferred |
| Familiarity with student records procedures at a large, public university. | Preferred |
Special Requirements & Conditions
| Special Condition | Requirement |
|---|
Other Special Requirements & Conditions
|
|
Level of Supervision Received
| Close Supervision |
Environment
Working Environment
| Campus |
Other Requirements
Items Used
|
Physical Requirements
|
Mental Requirements
|
Environmental Requirements
|
Critical Position
| Is Critical Position: Yes |