How to hire a federal aid coordinator

How to hire a federal aid coordinator, step by step

Here's a step-by-step federal aid coordinator hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write a federal aid coordinator job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new federal aid coordinator
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   Before you start hiring a federal aid coordinator, identify what type of worker you actually need. Certain positions might call for a full-time employee, while others can be done by a part-time worker or contractor.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   A federal aid coordinator's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, federal aid coordinators from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   The following list breaks down different types of federal aid coordinators and their corresponding salaries.

   Type of Federal Aid Coordinator	Description	Hourly rate
   Federal Aid Coordinator	Top executives devise strategies and policies to ensure that an organization meets its goals. They plan, direct, and coordinate operational activities of companies and organizations.	$16-42
   Co-Owner	A co-owner is responsible for ensuring smooth business operations, searching for the best industrial opportunities to drive revenues and increase profitability. Some of the business co-owners' duties include planning activities for business promotions, monitoring current market trends, establishing a reliable workforce, developing product specifications, managing financial goals and cost estimates, strengthening marketing strategies, and keeping records of business papers and documents... Show more	$30-56
   Owner	Owners, in the most basic sense, own the business, company, or organization. They are responsible for building the business... Show more	$28-64

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • FAFSA
   • Federal Regulations
   • Technical Assistance
   • Federal Student
   • Financial Aid
   • Student Loans
   • Management System
   • Grant Administration
   • SharePoint
   • SQL Server
   • Incident Management
   • Title IV
   • Architecture
   • Federal Government

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Create and manage CMDB Sharepoint site.
   • Manage print production, registration and logistics for several high-profile events, annual fund solicitations and annual telephone campaign.
   • Used DataStage for designing the ETL jobs.
   • Create system architecture diagrams in Visio, depicting current and propose data flows.
   • Update the ECM Sharepoint site with current and up-to-date content for internal and external customer usage.
   • Provide assistance to management in resolving unusual payroll issues.

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your federal aid coordinator job description is one of the best ways to attract top talent. A federal aid coordinator can vary based on:

   • Location. For example, federal aid coordinators' average salary in mississippi is 69% less than in new york.
   • Seniority. Entry-level federal aid coordinators 60% less than senior-level federal aid coordinators.
   • Certifications. A federal aid coordinator with certifications usually earns a higher salary.
   • Company. Working for an established firm or a new start-up company can make a big difference in a federal aid coordinator's salary.

   Average federal aid coordinator salary

   $56,024yearly

   $26.93 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level federal aid coordinator salary

   $35,000 yearly salary

   Updated December 16, 2025

4. Writing a federal aid coordinator job description

   A job description for a federal aid coordinator role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's a federal aid coordinator job description:

   Federal aid coordinator job description example

   Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson is a dynamic, 100% employee-owned consulting firm of more than 1,800 professionals that provides a full range of multi-disciplined engineering, architecture, information technology, and related services to public agencies and private clients throughout the United States. JMT is currently ranked #60 on Engineering News-Record's list of the Top 500 Design Firms.
   
   For more than 50 years, JMT has worked with federal, state, and local agencies to provide professional infrastructure services that turn visions into realities for the betterment of our clients, communities, environment, and employee owners. JMT is committed to building long lasting relationships with our clients and our internal teams. As an employee-owned firm, JMT empowers our team to learn, grow, and contribute.
   
   We are looking for a motivated Marketing/Pursuit Coordinator to join us as we grow our Federal practice. If you have an entrepreneurial spirit and want to be part of our growing team, this is the exciting opportunity for you.
   Essential Functions and Responsibilities
   
   + Collaborating with technical staff in the development of proposals, presentations, and qualifications packages
   
   + Writing and editing technical content including resumes and project briefs
   
   + Maintaining information for use in proposals
   
   + Tracking leads, opportunities, and wins/losses
   
   + Conducting market research on client programs and opportunities
   
   Required Skills
   
   + Be able to multi-task and work within deadlines
   
   + Be self-motivated
   
   + Be able to communicate effectively
   
   + Be a team player contributing ideas and solving problems
   
   Required Experience
   
   + Bachelor's degree in marketing, communications, English, or other applicable discipline
   
   + Minimum of 3 years of A/E/C industry experience
   
   + Working knowledge of InDesign and Microsoft Office Suite
   
   + Familiarity with federal sites including SAM.gov, GSA eBuy, USASpending, etc.
   
   Working Conditions
   
   Work is performed on a hybrid schedule - a combination of office and remote work. Work is generally sedentary in nature but may require occasional standing and walking. Lighting and temperature are adequate and there are no hazardous or unpleasant conditions caused by noise, dust, etc. within the office environment.
   
   Job Competencies
   
   + Attention-to-detail
   
   + Client Focus
   
   + Communication
   
   + Initiative
   
   + Job Proficiency
   
   + Planning and Organizing/Time Management
   
   + Quality Service
   
   JMT is an Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/Disability/Vet/Sexual Orientation/Gender Identity, and we are proud to be building an inclusive and diverse workforce.

   Copy this example

   

5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right federal aid coordinator for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your federal aid coordinator job on Zippia to find and recruit federal aid coordinator candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with federal aid coordinator candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents. You can move on to the technical interview if a candidate is good enough for the next step.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new federal aid coordinator

   Once you've found the federal aid coordinator candidate you'd like to hire, it's time to write an offer letter. This should include an explicit job offer that includes the salary and the details of any other perks. Qualified candidates might be looking at multiple positions, so your offer must be competitive if you like the candidate. Also, be prepared for a negotiation stage, as candidates may way want to tweak the details of your initial offer. Once you've settled on these details, you can draft a contract to formalize your agreement.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   After that, you can create an onboarding schedule for a new federal aid coordinator. Human Resources and the hiring manager should complete Employee Action Forms. Human Resources should also ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc., and that new employee files are created.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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