NDS Program Office IT Program Administrator - Governance

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.

This position lives in the Nelnet Diversified Services (NDS) Program Office, within IT Process Governance & Atlassian Products.

At hire, this role owns NDS's AI governance capability — ensuring our processes include the AI-specific gates, artifact requirements, and approval checkpoints required by policy, and that development teams understand and meet their AI governance obligations. This is a compliance-primary role: you hold teams accountable to requirements, you don't do their compliance work for them.

This role is designed to grow. Within the first 30 days, you will begin absorbing the broader IT Program Administrator scope — Atlassian platform health and troubleshooting, change management, CMMI process documentation and governance, and SDLC process governance. Candidates who already have experience in these areas are welcome, but it's not required at hire — what matters is genuine willingness to learn and grow into the full scope over time.

Nelnet believes in a hybrid work environment that accommodates both in-office and remote work. This model promotes a positive work-life balance and culture, enabling in-person collaboration when possible while also providing benefits associated with remote work. The standard hybrid work schedule includes 24 hours of in-office work each week, for associates that reside within 30 miles of an office. This is subject to change, based on manager discretion.

Annual compensation range for this role is $95,000 - $120,000 depending on experience.

At this time, we are unable to consider external candidates that reside in these states: Alabama, California, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington.

AI Process Governance — Core Function at Hire

• Ensure NDS SDLC stages include the AI-specific gates, artifact requirements, and approval checkpoints required by the Nelnet AI Governance Policy and Acceptable Use Policy.

• Maintain the NDS AI-extended SDLC (AISDLC), updating it as policy, regulation, or technology changes.

• Ensure all NDS AI development and deployment initiatives complete the AI Registry & Impact Assessment process; evaluate submissions for accuracy and completeness.

• Verify AI-specific requirements are met at defined SDLC checkpoints.

• Verify NDS associates are using approved AI tools at correct data classification levels.

• Build and maintain the NDS AI compliance evidence package, keeping it current and audit-ready.

• Maintain a current inventory of all AI systems in development, deployed, and retired within NDS, including owners, risk tier, and system type.

• Ensure development teams understand their AI governance obligations, and hold them accountable when requirements aren't met.

• Represent NDS in enterprise AI governance conversations and working groups.

IT Program Administration — Growth Begins Within 30 Days

• Monitor and maintain the health of NDS Jira and Confluence environments; diagnose and resolve platform-level issues and configuration problems.

• Partner closely with development teams and leadership to support active products and ensure adherence to standards.

• Document, measure, and improve system and software lifecycles to meet business objectives across NDS IT programs.

• Interpret contractual and regulatory documentation (CMMI, NIST, FSA Contract, RFPs) to identify gaps in lifecycles, policies, and procedures, and work with stakeholders to close those gaps.

• Document processes and procedures in an organized, user-friendly format.

• Provide clear and concise verbal and written communication tailored to the appropriate audience — technical and non-technical.

• Research, assess, and train others on non-development tools used across the segment.

• Perform value stream mapping for processes owned within NDS IT to streamline workflows and eliminate waste.

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant experience.

Required Experience:

• 2+ years in a role combining process, compliance, governance, or audit work with meaningful exposure to AI or emerging technology.

• Genuine, demonstrable fluency in the current AI landscape.

• Conceptual understanding of how agentic AI systems work — what agents are, how they use tools and memory, and what makes them different from traditional software from a governance standpoint.

• Ability to evaluate an AI system description or impact assessment and identify what's missing, understated, or inaccurate.

Preferred Experience:

• Hands-on experience with Jira, Confluence, or Atlassian products, including platform health monitoring and troubleshooting.

• Experience in financial services or another heavily regulated industry.

• Familiarity with NIST AI RMF, ISO 42001, or similar AI governance frameworks.

• CMMI process area knowledge.

• Exposure to CFPB, FCRA, UDAAP, or FSA regulatory requirements.

• Relevant certifications: AIGP, CIPP, CISA, CRCM, or equivalent AI/compliance credentials.

• Experience building or reviewing agentic AI systems, LLM integrations, or AI-assisted workflows.

• Change management experience or certification (Prosci, CCMP, or equivalent).

Skills & Competencies

• You follow AI news, model releases, and regulatory developments without being asked.

• Comfortable telling a team they're not meeting a requirement, in a way that results in compliance, not conflict.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills across all organizational levels.

• Excellent interpersonal, consensus-building, and analytical skills.

• Highly self-motivated and proactive, with a strong sense of ownership.

• Low ego about what you don't know, high confidence about what you do.

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.

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