DIRECTOR OF ADMINISTRATION, OFFICE OF STUDENT ASSISTANCE

Code: 80048 State Competitive Range: MD36 (FY 2027)

Salary: $89,026.61 - $124,619.73/year FY 2027 schedule (last updated 2026-07-27)

Official job specification

The text below is the official specification published by the New Jersey Civil Service Commission. The plain-language summary and analysis above are derived from it by NJ Civil Service Navigator. Source: the official specification page at NJ CSC.

Definition

Under direction of the Executive Director, Office of Student Assistance, is responsible for the preparation and implementation of administrative policies and for planning, directing, supervising, and providing a program of administrative services for the entire agency including purchasing, budget preparation and control, accounting control, records management, administrative and management analysis, grants management, and development of financial statements and financial projections; does related work as required.

Examples of work

• Acts as Chief Financial Officer of the agency which includes fiscal oversight and control of all student aid programs, state aid payments, and capital accounts and debt service, and advises Executive Director on financial and fiscal control issues as they affect the agency.
• Ensures that laws, rules, regulations, administrative procedures, budgetary restrictions, and other agency policies are adhered to prior to authorization for expenditure of funds.
• Directs, organizes, conducts, and provides all budget preparation and control, accounting control, purchasing, records management, and administrative management analysis services for the entire agency.
• Develops and administers a cost accounting system to provide the agency with fiscal records necessary for the operation of its grant and loan program.
• Administers the state aid programs and establishes and administers procedures for reimbursement in accord with legislation granting state aid for this purpose.
• Directs the preparation of Office of Student Assistance operating and capital budget requests, reviews operating and capital budget requests for conformance with budget, policy, economy of operation, and needs of the agency and provides information on and explains needs, figures, and justifications of budget requests.
• Projects long term financial position of the agency for the agency's federal oversight entity as well as lenders, rating agencies, and other program participants.
• Reviews, authorizes, and may direct the preparation and processing of purchase requisitions and directs the preparation of recommendations of approval or disapproval of items using substantial funds.
• Directs the preparation, analysis, and publication of the agency's financial statements and reports and interprets financial data such as operating revenues and expenditures, cost center analysis, and allocation systems.
• Directs reconciliation of the state accounting reporting system and applies generally accepted accounting principles for independent financial audits and maintains the system on a case basis for federal 1189 and 1130 reporting.
• Establishes administrative goals to be achieved in various operations and reviews periodic progress and accomplishments in light of goals.
• Directs development of systematic methods for gathering, reviewing, and reporting of a variety of administrative data and supervises the analyses and interpretation of such data for the purpose of providing solutions to agency administrative problems.
• Directs the planning and organization of administrative and technical work and development of appropriate work procedures for the administrative services and staff.
• Establishes the need for and directs the development and institution of appropriate administrative practices and policies for the entire agency and recommends such practices and policies to the executive director.
• Directs and supervises the review of all administrative transactions to ensure their conformity with established policies of the Office of Student Assistance, Department of Personnel, Department of the Treasury, and all other related state policies; interprets various related policies of state government to agency personnel, and acts as liaison between the agency and other federal, state, and local government bodies.
• Acts as representative of the Office of Student Assistance at meetings, conferences, and hearings.
• Establishes policies and procedures necessary for effective utilization of grant funds and assures that adequate budgeting controls are maintained by grant recipients and that contracts are reviewed and evaluated in accord with agency procedures and state and federal regulations.
• Directs the implementation and improvement of program budgeting techniques.
• Ensures the application of sound management methods and that effective changes and improvements are made.
• Maintains continuous liaison with other state departments and federal agencies and officers.
• Provides fiscal advice and consultation to the executive director and division managers as they direct and implement office activities.
• Drafts extensive correspondence.
• Directs preparation of clear, sound, accurate, and informative statistical financial and other reports and summaries containing findings, conclusions, and recommendations.
• Directs establishment, preparation, and maintenance of appropriate and essential department fiscal and administrative records.
• Directs administrative office operations and the provision of administrative and support staff services.
• Will be required to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and computerized information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.

Education

Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Master's degree in Accounting, Public Administration, Business Administration, or a combination thereof.

Experience

Six (6) years of experience in fiscal administration and/or administrative analysis, two (2) years of which shall have been in a supervisory capacity.

License

Appointees will be required to possess a driver's license valid in New Jersey only if the operation of a vehicle, rather than employee mobility, is necessary to perform the essential duties of the position.

Knowledge, skills and abilities

• Knowledge of principles and practices of business and government accounting, auditing, and budgeting as they apply to financial aid.
• Knowledge of principles and standards of administrative organizations and management, and their applications in solving a variety of administrative problems.
• Knowledge of principles and practices of public fiscal administration as applied to budget preparation and control, purchasing procedures and practices, payroll procedures and practices, and grant administration.
• Knowledge of principles and practices of administrative analysis and office management standards, procedures, and practices including records management.
• Knowledge of supervisory methods and practices.
• Knowledge of principles of sound administrative organization and management.
• Ability to prepare and review complex financial reports.
• Ability to read, analyze, and apply rules, regulations, laws, policies, and procedures of the New Jersey Office of Student Assistance, Department of Personnel, and Department of the Treasury.
• Ability to analyze administrative functions and make procedural changes to improve operations.
• Ability to plan, organize, assign, and carry out administrative work and to develop appropriate work procedures.
• Ability to direct the preparation of fiscal and administrative transactions, and the preparation and maintenance of fiscal and administrative records.
• Ability to direct the development of grants for and the administration of various federally funded grants and programs. Ability to supervise employees in the performance of their work and to give suitable assignments and instructions to such technical and other employees.
• Ability to recognize, identify, and define department administrative needs and to take appropriate action to meet such needs.
• Ability to present ideas with a high degree of effectiveness, both orally and in writing.
• Ability to harmoniously establish and maintain effective working relationships with agency employees, associates, superior officials, subordinates, and the public.
• Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with the representatives of the Department of the Treasury and other state agencies.
• Ability to prepare extensive correspondence.
• Ability to prepare and direct the preparation of clear, sound, accurate, and informative statistical, financial, and other administrative reports, analyses, and summaries containing findings, conclusions, and formal recommendations.
• Ability to direct the establishment and maintenance of essential departmental administrative and fiscal records, reports, and files and to direct a departmental records and files management system.
• Ability to learn to utilize various types of electronic and/or manual recording and information systems used by the agency, office, or related units.
• Ability to read, write, speak, understand, or communicate in English sufficiently to perform the duties of this position. American Sign Language or Braille may also be considered as acceptable forms of communication.
• Persons with mental or physical disabilities are eligible as long as they can perform the essential functions of the job after reasonable accommodation is made to their known limitations. If the accommodation cannot be made because it would cause the employer undue hardship, such persons may not be eligible.
• CODES: 36/MD36- CAH 6/8/96

Note

The definition and examples of work for this title are for illustrative purposes only. A particular position using this title may not perform all duties listed in this job specification. Conversely, all duties performed on the job may not be listed.