Director of Technology Delivery

Nelnet is a diversified and innovative company committed to enriching lives through the power of service as a student loan servicer, professional services company, consumer loan originator and servicer, payments processor, renewable energy solutions, and K-12 and higher education expert. For over 40 years, Nelnet has been serving its customers, associates, and communities.

The perks of working at Nelnet go beyond our benefits package. When you join the Nelnet team, you're part of a community invested in the success of each individual. That support comes through in our work, as we are united by our mission of creating opportunities for people where they live, learn, and work.

The Director of Technology Delivery owns the connection between the development of business strategy and the technical execution that supports it. The successful candidate will be collaborating with executive leadership to help shape our roadmaps, developing and maintaining the high-performing teams within their organization, and ensuring that our delivery of technology consistently translates into measurable, long term business value. This role is the catalyst to meeting the continuous and fast-paced evolution of business needs, as well as ensuring the constant evolution of our technology stack that supports it, with a heavy focus on implementing modernized, scalable technology practices that fully leverage the benefits of artificial intelligence.

External Candidates must reside near one of these office locations: Centennial, CO; Lincoln, NE; Brownsville, TX; Madison, WI.
Nelnet believes in a hybrid work environment. The standard hybrid work schedule for this position includes 24 hours of in-office work each week for external candidates. This is subject to change, based on manager discretion.

This position requires work in support of the Company’s contract with the United States Department of Education (“ED”).  As such, the United States Government requires that any applicant for this position must complete United States Government security clearance.  Effective June 1, 2018, ED has informed Nelnet that security clearance applications for foreign nationals are not being accepted or processed.  In light of this direction from ED, Nelnet will be unable to hire applicants without United States citizenship for such positions.

Internal Associates working in a remote capacity may be considered for this position.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Define and drive strategic plans that balance technology investment with business goals, translating enterprise vision into actionable roadmaps.

• Prioritize the IT delivery portfolio, aligning initiatives with business strategy and converting technical capability into business value.

• Apply systems thinking to anticipate the long-term impact of strategic decisions, and champion emerging technology—sponsoring POCs that move modern capabilities into production.

• Own delivery budgets and technology spend, driving accurate forecasting, variance management, and cost-efficient resourcing.

• Align technical investments to prioritized initiatives, balancing delivery capacity against business value and ROI.

• Develop leaders and teams through clear goal-setting, regular feedback, and active career coaching.

• Build workforce plans that anticipate future capability needs, and attract, hire, and retain top talent while building succession depth.

• Hold delivery teams accountable to OKRs, guiding managers to adjust plans proactively as priorities shift.

• Build and sustain relationships across business, vendor, and internal networks, representing IT's strategic value to diverse audiences.

• Align to governance frameworks for compliance, risk, and architectural consistency, driving standardization across domains.

EDUCATION: 
Bachelor’s of Science Degree (MBA preferred) and/or commensurate experience.

EXPERIENCE: 
10+ years IT experience with 5 - 10 years in a management position.  Experience should include IT planning, governance and system development.  

COMPETENCIES – SKILLS/KNOWLEDGE/ABILITIES:

Strategic Leadership

• Strong business acumen with the ability to connect technical decisions to market opportunity

• Sound judgment in ambiguous, fast-moving situations; comfortable deciding with incomplete information

• Curiosity and fluency with emerging technology trends, including AI

Financial & Business Acumen

• Disciplined, detail-oriented approach to budgeting and forecasting

• Skilled negotiator with vendors and partners

• Ability to weigh trade-offs and make resourcing decisions under constraint

Talent & Team Leadership

• Genuine investment in developing others; coaching mindset

• Strong judgment in hiring and identifying leadership potential

• Ability to build trust and motivate diverse, distributed teams

Accountability

• Highly organized with strong follow-through and bias toward action

• Calm, clear communicator under pressure or ambiguity

• Comfortable holding others accountable while maintaining strong working relationships

• Rigorous, structured thinking around risk and compliance

Annual compensation range for this role is $140,000.00 - $205,000 depending on experience.

Our benefits package includes medical, dental, vision, HSA and FSA, generous earned time off, 401K/student loan repayment, life insurance & AD&D insurance, employee assistance program, employee stock purchase program, tuition reimbursement, performance-based incentive pay, short- and long-term disability, and a robust wellness program. Click here to learn more about our benefits: LINK.

Nelnet is committed to providing a welcoming and respectful workplace where all associates have the opportunity to succeed. As an Equal Opportunity Employer, we ensure that all qualified applicants are considered for employment. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion/creed, national origin, gender, sex, marital status, age, disability, use of a guide dog or service animal, sexual orientation, military/veteran status, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local law. We value the unique contributions of every team member and believe that a positive work environment benefits everyone.  

Qualified individuals with disabilities who require reasonable accommodations in order to apply or compete for positions at Nelnet may request such accommodations by contacting Corporate Recruiting at 402-486-5725 or corporaterecruiting@nelnet.net.

Nelnet is a Drug Free and Tobacco Free Workplace.

Use of Artificial Intelligence in Hiring

We may use automated or artificial intelligence enabled tools to assist with the initial review of applications, such as identifying relevant skills or experience. These tools are used to support human review and do not make hiring decisions. A recruiter reviews applications and determines which candidates move forward in the hiring process. For more information, see our Privacy Policy and Pre-Use Notice: Automated Tools in Hiring