Fast Facts

Nelnet is seeking an IT Program Administrator to support best practices and compliance within the NDS Program Office, focusing on IT delivery improvement and regulatory adherence.

Responsibilities: Key responsibilities include administering program office tools, collaborating with development teams, documenting processes, and conducting training.

Skills: Required skills include experience with SDLC, proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, and strong communication abilities, with a preference for familiarity with Atlassian tools.

Qualifications: A Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience is required, with familiarity in compliance frameworks and performance metrics preferred.

Location: The position is based in Madison, WI, with a hybrid work model.

Compensation: $105000 - $125000 / Annually

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. The IT Program Administrator role is responsible for supporting a common set of best practices, standards, processes, metrics, tools and templates that help to guide teams towards meeting contractual and regulatory requirements. The goal of this team is to support IT Delivery's compliance with our regulatory, and contractual obligations, while enabling process improvements.

If you are passionate about helping NDS IT change and evolve to meet the future, this is the right position for you.

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.

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

Annual compensation range for this role is $105,000 - $125,000 depending on experience.

As an IT Program Administrator, a typical day might include:

• Administering, training, and providing technical support for users with varying levels of knowledge of Program Office tools, such as Confluence, Jira, MS Teams, and SharePoint.
• Partnering closely with development teams and leadership to support active products and ensure adherence to standards.
• Documenting, measuring, and improving system/software lifecycles to meet business objectives across a variety of programs.
• Interpreting contractual and regulatory documentation (e.g., CMMI, NIST, FSA Contract, RFPs) to identify gaps in lifecycles, policies, and procedures, and working with stakeholders to address those gaps.
• Documenting processes and procedures in an organized and user-friendly format.
• Providing clear and concise verbal and written communication tailored to the appropriate audience (technical and non-technical).
• Researching, assessing, and training others on tools used across the segment (non-development tools).
• Perform value stream mapping exercises for all processes owned within NDS IT for the purpose of streamlining and eliminating waste.

Education:

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

Required Experience:

• Proven experience collaborating across multiple functional areas to achieve shared business objectives.
• Experience working in a team-based, collaborative environment.
• Familiarity with the full software development lifecycle (SDLC), including Agile or other iterative methodologies.
• Experience designing and implementing workflows, dashboards, and Kanban or Scrum boards.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
• Experience with large-scale change management initiatives.
• Ability to create and interpret analytical reports and performance metrics.

Preferred or Additional Experience:

• Proficiency with collaboration tools, especially Atlassian products (e.g., Jira, Confluence).
• Knowledge of compliance frameworks such as NIST and CMMI.
• Experience creating and utilizing performance metrics for individuals or teams.
• Experience with Power BI for reporting and dashboard development.
• Ability to write and interpret SQL queries.
• Familiarity with process improvement techniques such as value stream mapping or other Lean methodologies.

Skills & Competencies:

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to communicate effectively across all organizational levels.
• Excellent interpersonal, consensus-building, and analytical skills.
• Ability to work effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Highly self-motivated and proactive, with a strong sense of ownership.
• Comfortable operating in ambiguous or rapidly changing environments.
• Quick learner with the ability to adapt to new roles, tools, and functions.
• Strong organizational skills with a commitment to follow-through.
• Ability to work successfully in a virtual and geographically distributed team.
• Must be able to obtain a security clearance.

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 orcorporaterecruiting@nelnet.net.

Nelnet is a Drug Free and Tobacco Free Workplace.