Scholarship Administrator

The Scholarship Administrator is a full-time position that manages the day-to-day operations of the foundation’s scholarship program, which provides vital educational funding to area students. Reporting to the Vice President & Chief Development Officer, the scholarship administrator will oversee all aspects of the scholarship program, from creating the application process, coordinating award distributions, managing relationships with donors, students, selection committee members and other community partners, and ensuring compliance with program guidelines. This role will also be responsible for providing back-up to other administrative positions within the organization as needed. 

Personal Characteristics

The Scholarship Administrator is organized and extremely detail oriented. They are excellent project managers who are able to prioritize and manage multiple deadlines, while also looking for ways to streamline duties when possible. The best candidate for this position is a relationship builder with strong interpersonal skills. They are confident and assertive, and able to work independently, but also contribute to a team and work well with others. Ability to maintain highly confidential information is a must.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee the full scholarship program lifecycle, including application development/ refinement, eligibility verification and award distribution
• Serve as the primary contact in the development department for individuals or organizations interested in establishing new scholarship funds or contributing to existing scholarship funds
• Promote scholarship availability to appropriate audiences
• Maintain and refine comprehensive scholarship program guidelines, application materials and processes
• Coordinate the review and evaluation process of scholarship applications, including managing review committees
• Ensure all committees are following IRS and ACF policies; recommend, implement and communicate all policy updates to the committees and ACF’s board and staff
• Work with educational institutions to award scholarships to students and request refunds when needed
• Maintain thorough records of all scholarship applications and award decisions
• Serve as the primary point of contact for scholarship applicants and recipients and provide support throughout the application process
• Notify recipients of award decisions, prepare award letters, and coordinate disbursement of scholarship funds
• Monitor and track the progress of recipients, ensuring that scholarship requirements (e.g., enrollment verification, academic performance) are met
• Prepare scholarship reports for internal and external publications
• Prepare scholarship and other fund agreements, create fund profiles, and handle the setup of each fund in FIMS
• Collaborate with the communications staff to update the scholarship section of ACF’s website
• Other administrative tasks as needed 

Education & Experience

• 3-5 years of scholarship administration, financial aid or other related experience
• Associate or Bachelor degree preferred
• Meticulous attention to detail
• Strong organizational skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Exceptional written and verbal communication
• Ability to shift gears quickly and keep projects moving
• Strong Microsoft Office proficiency
• Experience with akoyaGO or other database management systems preferred
• Ability to quickly learn and adapt to new programs and software as needed
   

Akron Community Foundation is an equal opportunity employer. The salary range for this position is $45,000-$55,000 and also includes a comprehensive benefits package.